Posted on 10/26/2008 5:20:18 PM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
If the American people are so lazy why can the Japanese build high quality cars here?
The problems at Chrysler aren’t from America loosing any edge, they’re from Chrysler willingly designing and shipping crap. They’re too addicted as a company to the words “good enough”, you can have the best minds in the world at a company but if the culture accepts crap outputs they’re going to output crap.
I have a five cylinder turbo diesel Dodge van that gets 23 mpg day in day out at 65 mph on the interstate. The quality is exceptional.
The Sprinter manufacturer is Mercedes, in Germany.
“The whole concept of American cars versus foreign cars is passe. Nissan cars and trucks are made in America and lots of Chryslers are made outside of the United States.”
True but management and design are different. Toyota folk for instance know how to run a factory better than anyone from GM could ever dream of.
“Why? Because Honda and Toyota don’t make real trucks, like my 2008 Ram 4500 2-ton. And Toyota’s commercial line of trucks (Hino) SUCK big time.”
Something like the new Tundra will more than satisfy the needs of 95% of people who buy trucks.
Message to Detroit: When you stop making junky cars, I will consider buying one. Until then, it is Honda all the way for me and my family. I just hope it is not too late. Because you have a long way to go.
Sebrings are assembled in Mexico.
Chrysler started bringing out minivans and my wife started bringing out babies in the mid 80’s. So I gave up an Olds Toronado and bought an 84 Plymouth minivan, an 89 Plymouth minivan and a 94 Town and County minivan. The 84 blew several transmissions and one engine. The 89 ate transmissions but the engine held together. I still have the 94 and use it for Scouting so it only gets a couple of thousand miles a year now but quality wise has been ok. The minivans were unique at the time and great family vehicles so the quality issues were just endured.
I bought a 2000 Chrysler Concorde for the styling and interior room, but quality wise, it really was bad. Everything from all door locks to all seat motors, steering rack and pinion replaced. The gaskets around all the doors shrank and you could see daylight when closed. Imagine the noise going down the road. The Mercedes buyout didn’t help service any so that was my last Chrysler...period.
Chrysler got shafted when Mercedes bought them, then refused to share parts and technology with Chrysler, for fear of cheapening the Mercedes brand.
My Jeep has 60,000 miles on it. Few problems with it.
Buy American is a sham. If we would have bought American all through the ‘70’s, and not bought Japanese, Detroit would not have had any motivation to change their style and make better cars. (1970’s)I will be damned if I buy an AMC car when there are Japanese models that are 10 times better. How about Unions being a reason for high overhead?
Baloney.
If we’d have been buying American since the 1970’s.
We’d still know how to make stuff, and we wouldn’t owe all our money to foreigners who hate us.
Wake up.
Failures in the last year included: brakes. starter, electrical, air conditioning, heat, tires, steering, coolant, and transmission. The doors worked, but I can't think of any other moving part that didn't get repaired.
Final straw: repair shop replaced starter for $700. I asked them to check coolant. Said no problem, despite the fact that their was *no* fluid in any part of the radiator. When transmission failed to tran, sold to a junkyard for about the price of the tires.
A company I know of has hired a bunch of ex-Chrysler guys to run manufacturing operations - to a man they are only concerned with production, never quality.
No it's not, it's called patriotism. As an American, I want my purchases to help my countrymen, and I want my country to be self-sufficient, not dependent on or subservient to foreigners.
The major problem that I have with GM, Ford and Chrysler is the poor post sales and maintenance service which is the cause of the demise of the American Car Companies.
The dealership of Toyota provides much better service.
I was speaking of the Chrysler division specifically...
Can it haul 4 ton in the back and pull 20K?
I think not. The Tundra is a glamor toy. A F150 will outdo it in a workout.
Toyota is very overrated. My neighbor's 2000 Tacoma was “repurchased” in a secrete recall due to the frame being completely rusted out (I believe it was the 1996 - 2000 models that had a major frame defect).
I had a 95 Dodge Neon 5 Speed. The brakes constantly squeaked. Went back to the AAFES Auto Sales (Germany) twice. AAFES said there were no problems. Finally found out there had been a recall. AAFES gave in and did the work.
I usually changed my own oil. On one occasion, I didn't have the time so I took it to AAFES. The next time I tried to change the oil the drain plug "turned free" and wouldn't come out. I went back to AAFES who said I had no proof it was their fault. Even though it was still under warranty, I voided the warranty by "performing maintenance" aka "changing the oil myself." The Dodge dealer called AAFES HQ and argued with them.
I paid to replace the oil pan. several months later a new local manager reviewed the documentation from rejected warranty work. She called me in and gave me a refund check.
I owned the car for 8 years and PCSd back to the CONUS. I gave it to a member of my church who had just gotten married. I didn't have problems with the car, so much as problems with AAFES...
Chryslers are pure CRAP. The three worst cars Ive ever owned were all Chryslers. Why in the world would a struggling GM want to merge with CRAP????!!!! The real problem with all domestics is the greed of the UAW union who have loaded Detroit down with so many per car costs that the US makes cant compete, so corners are cut, and fat lazy Union workers make shoddy cars.
I used to love those old Chrysler Imperials.
http://www.shirleyreade.com/images/ArtGallery/59Imperial-Crown.jpg
I will buy that if it ever comes out again.
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