Chrysler's Woes Are Partly The Result of Poor Quality

Wall Street Journal ^

[WilliamReading]

etroit's Big Three look like they will soon be a Smaller Two. Industry leaders and investors are still absorbing the idea that Chrysler LLC could disappear. A lot of consumers have already moved on.

Chrysler's woes arise from many mistakes, compounded by bad turns of luck. But the company's failure to keep up with rivals on quality is a significant, and underrated, factor in its current crisis. Join the Discussion

Readers, over to you: Has poor quality pushed you to avoid purchasing a Chrysler product? Cast your vote and join a discussion.

Chrysler's quality deficit was a stark highlight of Consumer Reports magazine's annual survey of vehicle quality, released last Thursday. Chrysler "trails the pack" in quality, the magazine says. Almost two-thirds of Chryslers models rated below average in the magazine's testing and in its subscriber survey, which collected responses on 1.4 million vehicles this year and is one of the largest surveys running on vehicle quality.

[tumblindice]

I had a `72 Dodge stepside truck with the 318 V-8, 4 speed tran. w/ a `granny gear’ that would pull stumps. I re-built the carb on my kitchen table.
Best truck I’ve ever owned! (My current Chevy is good one tho too.)

[Dallas59]

Yikes! Racism! /s

[rickmichaels]

...American people have become lazy. Specially our young people.

Does this explain Barack Hussein Obama's popularity?

[CASchack]

I have a Dodge Charger SRT8 that I love. I hope that they don’t go under. However, the one Chrysler vehicle that people want, the Challenger, has been subject to dealer gouging and other shenanigans.

[Zakeet]

From the article: Daimler's view of Chrysler's future was stated succinctly on Thursday when it wrote down its remaining 19.9% interest in its former American partner to a new value: zero.

[abb]

‘02 Ram 4dr PU. 275K miles. Burns no oil.

[GOPsterinMA]

Yep. Mom has a 2004 Dodge Neon - we thought is was a fine “putt-putt” car for her. Tranny started leaking like a sieve earlier this year - only 31,000 miles. Got no assistance from Chrysler when I called to see if it was covered under the warranty - was told the mileage was low enough, but flunked the years (3 Yr/36,000). Paid $600 to get the problem fixed. 31,000 miles and the tranny craps out? Last Chrysler product this family ever gives a look to.

[Dr. Sivana]

Consumer Reports has NEVER liked Chrysler. Besides the reader based surveys, they are big on things that don’t interest me in cars (extra “safety features”, newest gizmos).

I like the way Chryslers drive. I like a larger car, and no Japanese model has as much room as the New Yorker LHS did. The Caravans are a value leader with some innovative designs.

Chrysler had a big uptick just before Daimler-Benz bought them. The new Intrepid, trucks and Neon were well received. Even then, CR didn’t like the “quality.”

Even today, I see Dodge Darts (1963-1976) and Dodge Omnis/Plymouth Horizons (early 80s) on the road as every day drivers. I cannot say that about too many makes.

Chrysker has had its clunkers, but the quality has not “declined” in recent years as far as I know. (Though they no longer make a true full size car, sigh.)

[rbg81]

I have had a Sebring since 2003. Great car, no problems. Bought a Dodge Charger in 06. My only complaint was that the emergency brake cable snapped. Other than that, its been a great car.

[WilliamReading]

Well, if it was so good, why did you buy a Chevy truck to replace it?

[MediaMole]

Buy two while you can. One to drive and one for parts.

[MrsPatriot]

I love my 2003 Sebring; and have had no problems. In fact, when the lease was up, I couldn't find anything I liked better, so I bought it. The new Sebrings are so ugly, though, I won't buy (or lease) another one until they make them nicer looking. I guess that isn't going to happen now. My husband has owned several Jeeps, but now he's gone to a Land Rover, also for style reasons.

[Thorin]

>>>>BUY AMERICAN.

>>>>>>America workers, are not the enemy.

Amen!

The irony is that here we have one anti-American publication, the Wall Street Journal (whose former editorial page editor, Robert Bartley, believed the "nation state is finished"), quoting another, Consumer Reports, which has its origins on the hard left and has never met an American car that it liked.

[brownsfan]

“Would like to see Chrysler disappear, or be absorbed by Nissan.”

Couldn’t agree more. Chrysler was bailed out, but kept up with their ways... poor quality, poor customer service.

The good news is, with the dollar being down, it will pay for the other makers to expand their manufacturing in America. As for the executives, the ones who didn’t get the parachute and were hoping to work up to that level... try a new business guys, you’re on the street, deservedly so.

[WilliamReading]

Land Rover has the lowest reliability of all . . I can’t remember who owns Land Rover these days.

[flowerplough]

Check me on this boys, but I believe that the “Seibreinggs” that you’re so hatin’ on are actually built by (Japanese) Mitsubishi, of WWII Zero fame.

[reagan_fanatic]

The only Chrysler I ever owned was an ‘87 minivan. Biggest piece of sh*t I've ever had. You think of a problem, I had it.

If I were an auto manufacturer, I would be profoundly ashamed of producing something of such dismal quality.

[Inyo-Mono]

My Jeep Wrangler runs like a well regulated clock, knock on wood, one of the few products that Chrysler produced well.

[Hot Tabasco]

Chrysler's quality deficit

My friend has a 2 or 3 year old Neon that just had its third engine header installed due to engine problem that has never been diagnosed........

FWIW, he just accepted his buyout from Chrysler this past May.......

[tumblindice]

Father gave me the Chevy, or I took it `cause he was working too hard with it. The work we did with our vehicles, hauling blocks, bricks and other building materials would have flattened foreign trucks.
Do I get a fish?