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The Current State of the US Auto Market
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The most sales point to the most desirable products. The ones that don't sell or have issues that determine their demise are discontinued.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
Tough luck.
If you want to get picky, the Cobalt was somewhat European, as well. It was built on the Delta platform, as was the Opel and Vauxhall Astra, the Saturn Ion, and finally the Saturn Astra.
The Malibu has some European heritage as well, or at least it did from 2004 until the 2013 redesign. It was based on the 2002 Opel Vectra C.
Just my opinion, but the total number of recalls is secondary... It's the number of recalls to repair severe safety issues and operational malfunctions, coupled with the frequency of those episodes that is most important.
Few would be fearful of their car if a recall was issued stating the steering wheel might fall off if the number of cars recalled was 100 and total production was 1,000,000 units. However, given the same recall, and the same quantity recalled, but total production units at the number of 1000 might cause an owner to feel quite differently.
Now, I have no idea which manufacturer would fall into the "most severe" category. It's entirely possible the listing order might be the same, but I somehow doubt it.
All recalls aren't equal.
A scheduled visit that can be handled during an oil change.
Un-recalled problem areas such as a bad transmission, bad head gaskets, or other failure-prone parts could result in an unscheduled emergency shop visit, or worse yet, a tow truck service.
Being reimbursed for repairs already performed due to a subsequent later recall left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
I think Chrysler needs to recall every vehicle made in the 90's.
Like others, I don't think that's the most important statistic. It's like saying the person with the fewest doctor visits is the healthiest.
However, it's good to find a statistic where one can point to GM being better than foreign competition, right?
When I rented Japanese bottom-feeder cars throughout the '80's, I hated the buzziness, interior vinyl smell, one-inch-thick doors, and 'lost a hubcap' look that was standard equipment.
Seems to me that describe the domestic small cars of the 80's and 90's.
As for cheap plastic/vinyl smell, GM should have had a patent on that for the past few decades. My friend's C5 corvette's cheesy interior gives off such a nasty aroma of cheep plastic it almost makes my eyes water. Same with my Suburban. After sitting out in the sun all day it smelled caustic inside and that wasn't a cheap import.
That was in the past, and most domestics have improved dramatically since those days. Well except for the '13 Dodge Avenger I drove the other day, the interior had that old familiar nasty smell. They rest of the car pretty much stunk too.
My wife's Taurus has a 19 gallon tank which is nice and gives a long cruising range.
Thankfully my Ram has a 32 gallon tank. The standard 26 or so gallon tank in a 1/2 ton just doesn't cut it. Particularly when towing and only getting 8-10 mpg.
Naaah. That was quality design, thrifty and quiet engine design, and good quality overall for the foreign invaders.
As to the US-brands, those are major flaws typical of how awful FCGM designed and built cars and how "behind-the-times" they were.
>
So actually, let's hear about some flaws in the foreign brands from those who are usually critical of those awful US-based cars?
In another forum the usual Honda, BMW, etc., superiority posts were threatened by someone posting about their Hyundai Sonata and the quality offered and present there. The status quo was being threatened and some of the foreign car advocates didn't like someone daring to challenge their opinions. I found the discussion by two Hyundai owners interesting because as I search for a sedan to replace 1 or 2 cars in the near future, I have sat in the various Kia products, including Cadenza, and only escaped being strong-armed into a test drive by allowing the salesman to pull my shirt off as I slipped out of the sleeve to get back to my 98 leSabre. On one of my visits to the local Kia store, I expect to see boots on my car's wheels so I can't leave. Some high pressure there.
But I found interesting when the truthful discussion of the flaws of the foreign brands from the usual advocates started. It was information beyond reading the usual problems embedded in forums about each foreign model here.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
"Yeah, she's a kind loving wife, the sex is out of this world, she's a world-class cook, and a wonderful mother, but she's only 4' 8" and as ugly as a mule's butt!"
If reliability was my first priority, I would have bought a Tundra . I simply liked the Ram better. But I would bet a '14 tundra is more reliable over time vs any domestic truck. But considering many other factors, that doesn't mean it's the best truck.
Well, if she also had a flat head that would be one redeeming feature. Someplace to rest your beer...
Imid, beyond the meaningless hyperbole there, you really should try one of the foreign makes. Then you would have a few years (as opposed to a few minutes) of actual comparison and you could offer us all a really good commentary over time about your experiences foreign vs. domestic.
Just saying it would be a good balancing experience.
"Most parts markers that have pleaded guilty over the last two years are based in Japan."
Oh, I've been checking out those all along. Accord has CVT on 4-cyl otherwise it would be a car I'd test drive. Now that Accord is supposed to be quieter now that they've quit minimizing the weight for soundproofing such as windshield I'd check it out. But with Honda's long known transmission problems and failure to fi them now in the aging Odyssey fleet short of $6000 replacements with rebuilds with same problems, I can't bring myself since owners are reporting problems with CVT in 4-cylinders.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Confirms the old saying - You cannot tell a book by its cover.
Or even another American brand. A while back somebody posted their acquaintance of a senior citizen who through his entire driving life only owned Fords. No problem with that in that here in the U.S., so far, we can buy anything we desire. Wonder if the Ford-for-life guy ever looked at and test drove Chevies, Dodges, Pontiacs, Buicks, etc and foreign brands in the Ford size/price point level he was buying. In all of those years, if he did comparison shop, was there ever, ever some other brand that was a little or much better than the Ford he always chose??
Here they just print up new business cards.
My dad is hard on transmissions. He doesn't come to a complete stop when shifting from reverse to drive (which I've always thought was very hard on a transmission), I'd guess he often is going 1-3 mph when he shifts to drive. Ironically he's never had a trans fail and he keeps his cars to very high miles. Even his '09 v6 Accord has withstood that abuse and he's got over 100k on it. Granted the engine his engine hasn't been so fortunate. But Honda has been more than great with taking care of his engine issues.
As for noise. I don't find his EX-L v6 objectionably loud. Sure, you can hear road noise, but it's not horrible IMO.
And give themselves another huge bonus...
That description fits the early model Chrysler LeBaron K-car that my FIL purchased... The one that talked to you.
Definitely not Chrysler's finest hour...
My uncle briefly owned an early '82 Plymouth Reliant sedan, in 1989. You could tell it was an early '82 because it had stationary windows in back...they didn't start making them roll-down until later in the model year. I drove it, once. Miserable little car. I timed it with a stopwatch, and got 0-60 in around 25 seconds I think. I also remember taking a tape measure to the inside, and being surprised that shoulder room was something like 58.5". I measured door panel to door panel though, and I'm not sure that's where they always take the measurement. I don't think the published specs were that generous. Anyway, it was wider inside than the '89 Gran Fury I owned a few years later. BUT, the doors on that Reliant were paper-thin! The Gran Fury's doors were nice and thick.
My uncle also had an '88 LeBaron turbo coupe, and that was actually a pretty nice car. He sold it to me when I was married, and I let the ex have it in the divorce. It was a total piece by 118,000 miles when it finally got retired, but I'd say it was a pretty good car up to around 90,000 miles.
One of my friends back in college had a 1980 Accord hatchback. It was aging horribly...interior falling apart, rusting, etc. But one thing I'll say for it, its sheetmetal actually seemed pretty thick. It was also a surprisingly good highway cruiser. Took awhile to get there, but at 80 mph, it was quiet, no rattles, and fairly comfortable for a small car.
Another one of my friends had a 1983 Nissan (well, Datsun back then) Stanza. Now that thing seemed about as sturdy as a beer can. Those were popular cars though...seemed like they were everywhere, for awhile. I remember his freshman year in college, he traded it for a 1989 Escort, and the Stanza was pretty much coughing, wheezing, and leaking by then, so the dealer did kind of a mercy trade for it.
What, no prostitutes? Psshhhh....
Child's play.
During a press conference today in Washington, top Justice officials told reporters that price-fixed parts were sold to Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, as well as to the U.S. subsidiaries of Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries, parent company of Subaru
Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130926/OEM10/130929921/9-japanese-suppliers-2-- execs-to-plead-guilty-in-u.s.-price-fixing#ixzz2g1ZXIQVM
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For the folks who don't realize how global the supply chain has become.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/26/toyota-sienna-rollaway-recall/
Last time I got a free car wash. Cleanest condition it's ever been in.
It was the recall for rusty spare tire chains, even though mine was unaffected they still replaced it and washed my van.
I think that was 2011.
I haven't washed it since.
PLEASE wish me luck! Re-call! Re-call! Re-call!
I'll bet your spot on.
Here's a link for the Cobalt.
http://www.alldatadiy.com/TSB/10/091057jT.html
BTW, here's a large recall that just posted today:
http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2006-2010-infiniti-m-recalled-for-accelerator-se- nsor-defect.html
No, I'm not posting only import recalls and not domestics (ahem); I post 'em as they show up.
Really, that is disgraceful.
Free parking, free car wash, excuse to buy new tools. :shades:
Shifting gears a little....
TSBs or recalls compared to quality is a loose association at best. A TSB could give service techs instructions on how to perform maintenance.
I am much more concerned when a manufacturer does *not* issue a recall even when an issue is common and people complain on boards like these. Or no TSB even though nobody knows how to fix a common ailment. That's poor reliability and poor service.
Edit: dealer has Cadillac and Infiniti, so those M owners might be joining me at the same hardware store. LOL
Well course, you're right actually...the NUMBER of TSBs would have to be individually "weighted" for gravity before we made any direct relationship to reliability. However, the circumstantial evidence is compelling.
2009 Altima is a sample they offer, and it has plenty of TSBs as well:
http://www.alldatadiy.com/alldatadiy/DIY~G~C45827~R0~OD~N/0/138181779/138629620/- 138629625/138629629/34853741/34850750/42063452
Plenty of the TSBs are instructions for service techs and not problems, for example:
Navigation System - Map Data Update Index
Suspension - Strut and Shock Absorber Replacement Guidelines
So a TSB is not always for a problem. That's what I meant.
Now, really, is that a TSB that should be necessary to distribute to repair personnel???
Oh, and one for the 1976 LeMans to swap out the idiot light that says "GEN" for one that says "ALT". :-P
Just sayin'.
Matter of fact, you put in 2009 Cobalt for specifically my daughter's car (weird), so any TSB dated prior to Sept. '08 wouldn't apply.
That's 80% of your list.
TSB's like 'normal oil consumption' and 'brake rotor policy' apply to all models, not just one, incidentally.
Was more changed than just the sheet metal and the label?
TSB's aren't issued for future manufacturing.
Although, the TSB never written for my '95 Dodge having spontaneous windshield splitting would still apply to the 2013 Dodge Dart Edmunds bought