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Detroit roars back after years of quality issues
NBC ^ | May 20, 2013 | Paul A. Eisenstein The Detroit Bureau

Posted on 05/20/2013 5:09:14 PM PDT by TwelveOfTwenty

Is Motor City getting its mojo back?

After years of losing loyal customers frustrated by quality and reliability problems, domestic automakers are showing a new-found focus on customer service that is winning back skeptics – boosting sales, market share and profits.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: automakers; chrysler; detroit; ford; fordmotor; gm; manufacturing; michigan; uaw
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21 posted on 05/20/2013 5:42:22 PM PDT by RedMDer (May we always be happy and may our enemies always know it. - Sarah Palin, 10-18-2010)
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To: TwelveOfTwenty
Years of quality issues?

Try decades of quality issues.

22 posted on 05/20/2013 5:45:18 PM PDT by Steely Tom (If the Constitution can be a living document, I guess a corporation can be a person.)
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To: Erik Latranyi
I see nothing noble about supporting communist foreign unions and foreign corporations who give a large percentage of your purchase price to a socialist government.

They don't support the socialist government here. There's a huge difference.

Besides, most "foreign" makes are made in America by Americans who aren't forced to pay union dues (that support a socialist government here).

23 posted on 05/20/2013 5:46:24 PM PDT by EricT. (Another Muslim terrorist. Who saw that coming?)
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To: Vladiator

The Japanese aren't trying to turn us into a socialist gulag. The UAW supports politicians who are.

24 posted on 05/20/2013 5:48:11 PM PDT by EricT. (Another Muslim terrorist. Who saw that coming?)
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To: Vladiator
Maybe before, but not any more. But keep helping out the Japanese. I'm sure they'll thank you in the long run.

The Japanese aren't trying to turn us into a socialist gulag. The UAW supports politicians who are.

25 posted on 05/20/2013 5:48:37 PM PDT by EricT. (Another Muslim terrorist. Who saw that coming?)
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To: Erik Latranyi
If you want to buy an American-made vehicle, your best bet is to go with a Toyota, a Honda, a Nissan, a Kia or a Hyundai.

Go figure.

26 posted on 05/20/2013 5:54:35 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I am the master of my fate ... I am the captain of my soul.")
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To: jjotto

I agree with you. I think longevity, not short-term reliability, is what really distinguishes a well-made vehicle from its competitors. You aren’t likely to find much of a difference in the quality of most vehicles until you get out past the 150,000-mile mark.


27 posted on 05/20/2013 5:56:08 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I am the master of my fate ... I am the captain of my soul.")
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To: Erik Latranyi

2008 silverado. Tickled pink!
68k no problem.

0


28 posted on 05/20/2013 5:58:21 PM PDT by Iron head mike (The government will soon make criminals of us all.)
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To: Alberta's Child

Toyota didn’t get a reputation of being good for over 300,000 miles by building junk, and Americans didn’t choose to abandon American cars and put Americans out of work in spite of being the best built cars available. Reputations are earned, and if UAW built cars have a reputation for being poorly built...


29 posted on 05/20/2013 5:59:48 PM PDT by TwelveOfTwenty (Ho, ho, hey, hey, I'm BUYcotting Chick-Fil-A)
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To: Erik Latranyi

I just buy the most reliable car. They happen to be Japanese. When American cars become competitive I’ll consider them, but I’ve been burned one too many times by gm and ford.


30 posted on 05/20/2013 6:04:52 PM PDT by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: TwelveOfTwenty

I will never buy another UAW made car. I would be happy to buy a GM or Chysler or Ford, after they get rid of the UAW. The UAW can have their political hacks the Democrats steal my tax money to give it to them, but they’ll never get another dime from me any other way.


31 posted on 05/20/2013 6:06:55 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Erik Latranyi

Well, my family owns 3 Hyundai Sonotas 04,06,07

Good cars, largely made in the US now. Not supporting commies (domestic or foreign).

Cars are a major expense for folks like me, and the bottom line is that I have to buy the best product, best price and best service. I got screwed by GM multiple times, just had enough of sh1t customer service from the corporate level on down [not] backing up the aforementioned shoddy products.

Had Toyotas for a decade, got fed up with arrogant dealers and over priced products.

Next car purchase time I will talk to Ford and Hyundai and may the best maker win.


32 posted on 05/20/2013 6:14:52 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there)
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To: TwelveOfTwenty
Unless someone else bought a Corvette for me, no way would I own something by Government Motors. They can suck eggs, not a dime from me.

I do wish there was a viable alternative to the Jeep Wrangler available. Need to buy something rugged enough to survive backroads strewn with lava rock and do not want a truck.

33 posted on 05/20/2013 6:21:53 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: TwelveOfTwenty
My Honda Pilot rocks. Smoothest ride I've ever been in.

A side benefit => if I ever wreck, the SUV gets all the blame!

34 posted on 05/20/2013 6:46:52 PM PDT by Ken H
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To: Alberta's Child
The Truth About Cars

...After 64,049 vehicles tallied, the brands with the highest percentage of models with over 180k are…

1. Honda

2. Toyota

3. Lexus

4. Acura

and a surprising 5th…

5. GMC

The first four have 20+% of their trade-ins with over 180k. GMC is at just over 17%.

Now for an even bigger shocker…

13% of Mitsubishis are now traded in with over 180k. I happen to finance an awful lot of them these days with a clear conscience. So this is no surprise from where I sit.

Meanwhile, Mercedes tallies a mere 6.9%. BMW yields 5.9%. Audi barely hits the mileage pedal with only 4.5%, while VW does little better, even with dozens of TDI models, at 4.9%.

To further crown the European propensity for penurious plentitude when it comes to all things mileage related, the two absolute worst marques for mileage are Jaguar at 2.6% and Land Rover at 2.8%. Porsche is even worse at 0.52%. But since a Porsche daily driver is an exception rather than the rule, we gave it a bye.

On the homefront, we have one other surprise. Cadillac is barely beating the bad old Kias of the 90′s and early 2000′s. 3.8% for the former Northstar division vs. 3.7% for a company that brought us shitboxes such as the Sephia and the early Kia Rios...

35 posted on 05/20/2013 6:50:59 PM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: jjotto
Hmm, the first four are primarily passenger cars, GMC is solely a truck maker.

I suspect there is a lesson there that explains this.

36 posted on 05/20/2013 6:59:17 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: TwelveOfTwenty

03 Silverado - just over 295,000 miles.


37 posted on 05/20/2013 7:21:07 PM PDT by Pikachu_Dad (Impeach Sen Quinn)
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To: doorgunner69

FJ Cruiser is the closest thing to a Wrangler competitor I can think of. Land Rover LR2 if you’re a mechanic with money. Maybe Nissan Xterra.


38 posted on 05/20/2013 7:32:49 PM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: Standing Wolf
None for me, thanks all the same. If the UAW built it, I won’t even consider buying it—and anyway, the Japanese make better cars.

That's my thinking too. First, if NBC is pushing it, I don't believe it without independent proof. Second, every single UAW built vehicle I have had over the last 33 years has had major problems - repairs costing hundreds, even thousands of dollars. That is over and above the normal preventative maintenance. Yes, I'm one of those people that actually follow the manufacturers guidelines and get all the recommended maintenance done. Not that it has helped.

My Japanese built car is nearing 6 years and 100K miles and literally all it has had done/added/replaced: fuel, washer fluid, oil & filters, tires, radiator flushed, fuel filter, K&N air filter, one set of wiper blades. No brakes, brake fluid, belts, clutch hydraulic fluid, power steering fluid, original battery, not even light bulbs.

The UAW "American Made" vehicles I've had have never made it past even 60k miles - by that time I've sunk thousands into them for mechanical failures. Sure, I'd love to buy American, etc. but I simply cannot afford the lost $ and I need something that when I turn the key in the morning I know is going to get me to work. That has not been my experience with UAW vehicles - every single one has left me stranded on the side of the road or in a parking lot somewhere. Every single one. My Japanese car has never failed to start, no matter how cold, wet, hot, high or low altitude, sit for two weeks...

39 posted on 05/20/2013 7:46:47 PM PDT by ThunderSleeps (Stop obarma now! Stop the hussein - insane agenda!)
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To: TwelveOfTwenty

Detroit can shove it, as far as I’m concerned. The UAW owns that place, and with our money, they own Michigan politics (at least at the federal level) and have substantial influence in neighboring states.

I have never bought a new car made by those America-haters and I never will.


40 posted on 05/20/2013 7:53:18 PM PDT by BobL (To us it's a game, to them it's personal - therefore they win.)
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