Pretty sure my HS Junkers (67 Camaro and 73 duster) with drums were manual. Seemed ok at the time. Unless you drove through a big puddle in which case you had no brakes,
69 Volvo was manual 4 wheel disks. Took a firm foot. Which was interesting first time I drove a PB car (drivers ed caprice) and slammed the nose off the road mashing the pedal.
I remember my 66 Galaxie liked to stall when cold going around corners at maybe 20mph - that was fun. I don't recall it being hard to stop, but the steering was really heavy at low speeds with the engine off.
I'd think the biggest risk with stalling out isn't on the highway, but in city traffic; be it getting rear ended on an expressway during heavy traffic after a sudden stalled stop with no brake lights, or T-boned stalling out as you turn in an intersection. Not much any driver can do in situations like these, except pray.
A left turn across oncoming traffic is probably the most dangerous. On days when my '79 New Yorker is acting fidgety, that's the one I always worry about the most. I make sure there's a big gap in traffic. And if I have to come to a stop, I do it two-footed...one on the brake, and one feathering the gas to keep the revs up!
A right turn usually isn't so dangerous, because if it's going to stall, it usually does it before I pull into traffic. Or if it's a right on green, I usually have enough momentum to get off to the side.
Do you have a picture of your DeSoto you can post? Is it in being restored or just being repaired?
Well, here's part of it...
>
The rest of it, for the most part, is over there...
It's basically getting a full restoration, with the exception of the paint job and cosmetic body work. I bit off a lot more then I could chew, but I'll be happy with it in the long run. Hopefully...
Thanks...I'd actually prefer one of the period greens or blues, but I guess when you go shopping for a '57 DeSoto, 34 model years after the fact (I bought it in September 1990), I guess you can't be too picky! It actually cleans up pretty well, but that pic is showing about 4 1/2 years worth of dust. Maybe even more than that, as it had been awhile since I'd washed it, and I sent it off to the mechanic in late 2009.
That pinkish car is a 1958 Edsel. Corsair I think. It's a 4-door hardtop, one of the bigger, Mercury-based ones. 2-tone black over coral.
Stickguy, "if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand!"...LOL
I'm just kidding, but for me, it's preserving a piece of America's pop culture and also a piece of its former industrial might.
IMHO, too, it takes a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and brains to design, engineer, build, and market a car. There's a lot of thought in the finished product. I like that. And the old cars could be so much more individually tailored to the consumer by choice of colors and bodystyles than now. New-car introduction, with subtle changes every other year and major changes usually every third year, was a huge event, even in a small town. The new models would be kept hidden until 'introduction night'. In our town, the showroom (well, Chevy which we went to, anyway) would be jam-packed, cider and donuts were given out, and door prizes were given out. Great fun.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
@andre1969 said:
Thanks...I'd actually prefer one of the period greens or blues, but I guess when you go shopping for a '57 DeSoto, 34 model years after the fact (I bought it in September 1990), I guess you can't be too picky! It actually cleans up pretty well, but that pic is showing about 4 1/2 years worth of dust. Maybe even more than that, as it had been awhile since I'd washed it, and I sent it off to the mechanic in late 2009.
I think I remember you had a truck come pick it up to take it to the place for the work being done now?
That pinkish car is a 1958 Edsel. Corsair I think. It's a 4-door hardtop, one of the bigger, Mercury-based ones. 2-tone black over coral.
That's the group of cars with that color.
I'm getting anxious for the car cruise ins to start here. I really like seeing the older cars in their more-or-less original forms.
GM Down 14% Shows Barra Challenges From Recalls to China
GM shares are down almost 14 percent since Barra took the helm Jan. 15 through yesterday, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index has risen. Microsoft Corp., which also named a new CEO around the same time, has climbed about 13 percent.
GM delivered a 2014 forecast on Jan. 15 that predicted only modest growth this year, noting that improved performance in the U.S. and China would offset the costs overseas. GM is restructuring operations in Australia and South Korea while facing currency challenges in Russia and South America. Shares slipped 1.6 percent that day while Ford gained 1.8 percent.
Barra oversees a company with 219,000 employees worldwide and $155 billion in revenue last year that slipped from its spot as the world’s second-largest automaker by sales to No. 3 behind Volkswagen. Toyota Motor Corp. was No. 1. VW’s gains were helped by growth in China where the Wolfsburg, Germany-based company unseated GM as the top-selling foreign automaker for the first time in nine years.
GM's most important vehicle, the Chevrolet Silverado, saw sales decline 15% over the first two months of the year compared to 2013. Investors are awaiting sales results for March, when the company offered its steepest discounts on the Silverado to date; if sales still struggle, it'll be a very bad sign for America's largest automaker. Also of interest to investors is General Motors' Cadillac brand, which was a big success story last year, but which has witnessed a sales decline of nearly 8% so far this year.
GM isn't the only automaker having problems early in 2014. Nissan is recalling over 1 million vehicles globally to fix a software glitch that could deactivate the front passenger airbag. The Japanese car maker is expected to begin updating the software for free by mid-April, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Meanwhile, despite multiple smaller recalls of Ford's (NYSE: F ) Escape, sales continue to surge. The Blue Oval said retail registrations of the Escape are up 81% since 2009, which is higher than the overall industry growth.
Last year, Ford gained more market share in the U.S. than any other major automaker. It hopes to take even more share after GM's massive recall this year.
All Steve Isola wanted was to take up General Motors on its offer of a free rental car until the automaker could make recall repairs on his 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. But neither his local dealer nor GM has been able to give him one.
GM says it's had 9,000 requests such as Isola's, and it intends that they all be honored. But sometimes the best intentions don't mesh with practical reality.
Dwayne Haapanen, general manager at Kolar Chevrolet in Hermantown, Minn., near Duluth, says customers have parked nine of the recalled models at the dealership, refusing to drive them until they are fixed.
Isola was in a jam. His daughters won't let their kids ride in his Cobalt. And when he called the GM recall hotline, no one would help. He says he got really "ticked off" when the representative denied him a rental car, saying GM "can't provide that to everyone."
He says he replied: "I'm not everybody. I'm a Cobalt owner with a safety concern. I am not some crackpot."
A major automotive analyst today predicted that General Motors will establish a settlement fund of $1 billion to $1.5 billion for customers affected by the ignition switch recall worldwide of 1.62 million small cars from GM's pre-bankruptcy era.
Escape does well, but has had eight recalls and less-than-stellar reliability. I do think people are remembering the bailout, despite what others think. Overall, a classic example of perception lagging reality.
I do chuckle a little about how folks here say reliability is more important than recalls, until GM has a big recall and I mention reliability reports that are stunning in some instances from 'the source' which is often quoted here as "the best info out there".
What is lost in all the media is that this recall only covers half the total production years of Cobalt.
Million-car recall from Nissan, but the usual pundits are....absolutely silent.
Anyone here who can claim that GM is not piled up on here....is not living in reality. The giddy glee is...well, you can figure it out. I never once started a post on an Edmunds forum during Toyota's travails but hey, that's me.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
My brother-in-law's wife drives an '04 Ion. He just had her take everything but the key off her chain. He claims neither he nor she is worried. My guess is that is why Steve's wife and daughter had the issue in his Ion, but he didn't...bigger key chains.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
A New Recall Risk For General Motors: The Spare Parts Market ****
As General Motors recalls 1.6 million vehicles that have defective ignition switches linked to at least 12 deaths, it faces another potential risk - this time in the spare parts market.
Repair shop owners say it is still possible to purchase GM brand ignition switches manufactured by Delphi Automotive carrying the same parts number as the product at the center of the recall. These switches may not be defective, but it is nearly impossible to tell unless they are taken apart or the manufacturing history is checked.
@uplanderguy said:
My brother-in-law's wife drives an '04 Ion. He just had her take everything but the key off her chain. He claims neither he nor she is worried. My guess is that is why Steve's wife and daughter had the issue in his Ion, but he didn't...bigger key chains.
Steve? I think you meant me.
And yes, IIRC, my daughter did have a lot of "stuff" on her key chain. I never did, but the key did eventually get stuck in the ignition (in the "on" position) and I had to take it to the dealer for repairs.
@uplanderguy said:
Stickguy, "if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand!"...LOL
I'm just kidding, but for me, it's preserving a piece of America's pop culture and also a piece of its former industrial might.
IMHO, too, it takes a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and brains to design, engineer, build, and market a car. There's a lot of thought in the finished product. I like that. And the old cars could be so much more individually tailored to the consumer by choice of colors and bodystyles than now. New-car introduction, with subtle changes every other year and major changes usually every third year, was a huge event, even in a small town. The new models would be kept hidden until 'introduction night'. In our town, the showroom (well, Chevy which we went to, anyway) would be jam-packed, cider and donuts were given out, and door prizes were given out. Great fun.
You captured it! I really looked forward to the Fall new car introduction season as a kid, and visited every showroom in my small town.
@uplanderguy said:
Where did you find your DeSoto? Nice color, and the body looks good!
I first heard about it back in August of 1990, at a local car show in Laurel, Maryland. The Maryland DeSoto Owners club would always have a good turnout there, and in talking to the guy who was the president at the time, he mentioned a '57 up in Pennsylvania that was for sale that he knew about. He gave me the info, and I called the guy. Went up to look at it one day, fell in love, and ended up buying it.
It came from a little town called Pleasureville, nestled in the hills just north of York, maybe about a mile from the Harley Davidson factory.
The body is in good shape for the most part. My mechanic said he was VERY impressed at how well it had held up. There's the typical rust around the headlights, and in the quarter panels, and trunk floor, but other than that, he only found one small spot, in some of the bracing inside the rocker panel area, under the driver's area.
Geez, I was just in York three weekends ago for a big annual Studebaker swap meet and car corral. I've been going there for a couple decades or more. If you're ever back that way, and like prime rib, go to Coombs' Tavern on Pennsylvania Avenue. It's an unpretentious place but the prime rib is the best I've had anyplace in years and years and years. Someone told me about the place a decade ago and our group has gone there every year we're there.
In my mind, DeSotos are similar to Chryslers, and yours must be one of those 'senior' models, but I know some were Dodge-based too. In '57 and '58, Plymouth versus Dodge, I always liked the Dodges a bit better. I can faintly remember riding in our neighbor's white and gold '57 or '58 Dodge 4-door; I think a Coronet.
Do you know any history of the car? I always find that stuff very interesting, probably to replace my lack of mechanical know-how.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
@uplanderguy said:
Million-car recall from Nissan, but the usual pundits are....absolutely silent.
>
Anyone here who can claim that GM is not piled up on here....is not living in reality. The giddy glee is...well, you can figure it out. I never once started a post on an Edmunds forum during Toyota's travails but hey, that's me.
Well, I don't see a recall for "potential right side airbag not going off" as quite comparable to a recall where the entire vehicle can shut off (disabling ALL airbags), and has already killed tens of people. But that's just me.
While GM is a big focus here, I've not seen much glee, unless posting of numerous articles is glee.
Balance=multiple articles per day about the same recall? And nothing else? This is about the U.S. auto industry, not solely a GM forum. I know you really can't possibly believe what you typed. Tens=twelve. A little hyperbole. Don't get me wrong...this is terrible and the worst GM recall in decades. But again...why not a million-vehicle recall mentioned, for vehicles stopping? Same event, which could cause death--just hasn't happened yet.
EDIT: I made a mistake (yes, those words are spoken on this forum!). I thought the recall was for vehicles stopping. In true automaker-speak ...'wasn't our fault....passengers were out-of-position'...;)
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
The media is like a shark---it must always keep moving and it always needs to eat. GM is a much juicier target for a media frenzy than Kia or Subaru. It's the home team!
There's no sense trying to impart a moral sense to officials within a company regarding recalls, as if one CEO were somehow responsible or in charge of "morality". The corporation doesn't weigh moral choices--it just does what it best for the corporation, as it perceives it at the time (rightly or wrongly--American business is not very good at "longterm strategy") .
While individuals within the corporation might be the most morally impeccable of people, somehow that gets lost in the Board Room.
There'll be more articles tomorrow...and the next day...and the next day..about the same old thing. Yeah, that's balance, tlong. And I know you know that.
Trust me, even if this were a Honda recall, I'd have said, "sheesh, enough already".
I look for that other poster to post more unrelated TSB's from a decade before start of production to point out GM's knowledge of the specific problem on a line of cars that hadn't been introduced yet....as he has done before.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
Hey, it worked for Steve Jobs when he told users of the initial iPhone 4 models that they experienced poor reception because they weren't holding the phone correctly...
According to the Times, GM had a pattern of intimidating plaintiffs and their attorneys who dared to file wrongful-death lawsuits after a family member had been killed driving a Cobalt. William Jordan, a South Carolina attorney who filed a Cobalt wrongful death suit, said GM threatened to file sanctions and seek attorneys fees if he didn’t withdraw his lawsuit. Intimidation tactics are also part of GM’s tortured history: the company conducted an aggressive campaign of harassment and intimidation against Ralph Nader that ultimately resulted in former GM President James Roche apologizing on behalf of the company before a Senate Committee. (Nader successfully sued for excessive invasion of privacy.)
GM ultimately will survive its latest crisis. Sadly, it seems we have become so inured to government and corporate wrongdoing that such behavior is considered de rigueur, no longer sparking much more than a fleeting moment of outrage. In the absence of such well-overdue and much-needed public outcry – such as the one that emerged after Nader published his book – political leaders and certain broadcast media pundits will inevitably step in and whitewash GM’s latest reported misdeeds, ultimately championing the company as “too big to fail” and one of the nation’s vital “job creators.” And these apologists will go on maintaining that what’s good for General Motors is good for America – despite the staggering evidence to the contrary.
Funny, only the first chapter of Nader's book was about the '60-63 Corvair. But here we go, bringing up something from FIFTY years ago. FIFTY. Can you imagine someone bringing up something from 1914 about Ford when, say, the Mustang was introduced? LOL
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
tlong, can you count for me the number of posts not related to the GM recall, that circlew has made in the past week? You know...since you mentioned 'balance'.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
Well again, this is just the corporate entity defending itself instinctively---try to draw Mickey Mouse and put it on your website, and you'll see how Disney will intimidate you, same way.
@uplanderguy said:
Balance=multiple articles per day about the same recall? And nothing else? This is about the U.S. auto industry, not solely a GM forum.
Well, the GM recall is big news. I know on my general news page I've seen a lot of GM articles in the past couple of weeks; I can't recall many on other makes (although I believe I did see one on Nissan's recall)
I know you really can't possibly believe what you typed.
I do believe it. But then sometimes I sometimes don't think others believe what they type, either.
Don't get me wrong...this is terrible and the worst GM recall in decades.
Perhaps the biggest automaker in American having their worst recall in decades is why there is so much conversation around this, no?
Under the approved asset sale agreement in GM's bankruptcy, what was called "New GM" agreed to assume liability for products liability claims arising from accidents involving GM vehicles, but only where the accident occurred after July 10, 2009, regardless of when the product was purchased. "Old GM" retained liability for other products liability claims, and "New GM" assumed no liability for injuries prior to July 10, 2009. New GM kept the productive assets, with none of the irritating encumbrances of Old GM.
.....As a cultural consideration, this abdication of responsibility just feels a little strange when applied to, well, virtually every other aspect of life. Nonetheless, readers are encouraged to try the new defense out the next time the boss calls you into the office for a bad review or you get locked up for drug possession, whichever occurs first. Try this excuse out, and report back. Just remind your persecutor: "That was then, this is now."
I think every manufacturer has problems, weak spots and recalls. Most issues are resolved within a model year or two. What concerns me about GM is that it seems like many of their issues just go on and on without a permanent fix. Think Stabilitrak - how many model years now? The Lambda's continue in 2014 models with posts about issues like trannies that started way back in the 07 model year. Those vehicles were updated for 2013, so why are there still some of the same issues? Makes me think that either GM has poorer quality engineers or management just doesn't want to expend the effort and money to fix the issues. That in a nutshell is what keeps me leery about buying another GM vehicle, even though I've liked some of their vehicles I've rented . With what cars cost, I think that's a legitimate reason to be gun shy.
@berri said:
I think every manufacturer has problems, weak spots and recalls. Most issues are resolved within a model year or two. What concerns me about GM is that it seems like many of their issues just go on and on without a permanent fix. Think Stabilitrak - how many model years now? The Lambda's continue in 2014 models with posts about issues like trannies that started way back in the 07 model year. Those vehicles were updated for 2013, so why are there still some of the same issues? Makes me think that either GM has poorer quality engineers or management just doesn't want to expend the effort and money to fix the issues. That in a nutshell is what keeps me leery about buying another GM vehicle, even though I've liked some of their vehicles I've rented . With what cars cost, I think that's a legitimate reason to be gun shy.
I think you're right about every manufacturer having long term problems that take forever to fix. Do a little digging and you can find dirt on any carmaker.
The Lambdas are 'recommended' by 'The Bible', so they must not be showing problems worse than the 'average', overall. I mentioned this a week or two ago, but if you buy into CR, there are serious problems with the 2013 Honda Accord, Hyundai Genesis, Sonata Turbo and Veloster, Nissan Altima and Pathfinder and Titan, Subaru BRZ, and VW Toureg. All these are significantly worse than 2013 Lambdas--but not the conventional wisdom, for certain.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
Well, I'm not saying they are better or worse, I'm complaining that the same problems seem to keep appearing since 2007 without being resolved. I just don't understand that, it's 2014 now? I doubt you'll see those 2013 Accord problems on the 2015's, let alone 2020 models. That's what aggravates me about GM and gives me pause to buy one these days.
I don't ever remember those Japanese and German brands scoring that poorly in earlier years. Could it be that GM is getting better and the foreign makes worse? If one believes in CR (and many here have said I should--LOL), that's one conclusion that might be drawn.
I left out Kia Optima Turbo and Sedona and Sorento V6--multiple, recent years of many problems and in their current iterations, not older versions. Again, not conventional wisdom here.
The Traverse and Acadia are in CR's "Best Overall Midsized and Large SUV" section, along with the Hyundai Santa Fe. None others are listed.
Shifty, as to your earlier comment, like it or not, GM is more of a 'home team' than most other manufacturers. I have never understood the wishes, and hopes, for failure as I've seen by one or two posters on this board. Really--wishes and hopes! I could only liken it some to "Stockholm Syndrome" but I'm sure there'd be another psychological term for it.
This all happens here because of this--a GM-hater or two first posts negative stuff; I or one or two others reply that there is either a fact or two wrong or relevant information omitted from that original post; the original poster insults your intelligence for choosing a GM product; I reply that that poster's choice is actually worse than GM's in that segment according to the "leading magazine", and so the original poster feels the need to continue to flame. That sums it all up in one paragraph. I have never 'flamed'; I respond to false fact and large omissions of fact, but never start a thread by insulting one's intelligence of choice or opinion. No one could ever find a post of mine calling someone's choice a "POS", without my ever having so much as sat in the vehicle. If people had always been so 'uniform', there'd have been no reasons ever to have bought a Chrysler, AMC, or anything else besides GM or Ford back in the day, if we're supposed to pick based on sales figures.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
Apparently you missed the part about "much worse than average" reliability for the '13. The magazine I looked at was rating '14 model cars, not last year's issue. But I wouldn't let CR sway my opinion about a car anyway. But it is interesting that mainstream thinking out there isn't always spot-on. There are other opinions out there and they have validity too, even if it's not 'get in line' thinking.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
Comments
Pretty sure my HS Junkers (67 Camaro and 73 duster) with drums were manual. Seemed ok at the time. Unless you drove through a big puddle in which case you had no brakes,
69 Volvo was manual 4 wheel disks. Took a firm foot. Which was interesting first time I drove a PB car (drivers ed caprice) and slammed the nose off the road mashing the pedal.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Most power brake cars have a vacuum reservoir ( a nothing container?), so you get a few pumps of assist.
I remember my 66 Galaxie liked to stall when cold going around corners at maybe 20mph - that was fun. I don't recall it being hard to stop, but the steering was really heavy at low speeds with the engine off.
I'd think the biggest risk with stalling out isn't on the highway, but in city traffic; be it getting rear ended on an expressway during heavy traffic after a sudden stalled stop with no brake lights, or T-boned stalling out as you turn in an intersection. Not much any driver can do in situations like these, except pray.
A left turn across oncoming traffic is probably the most dangerous. On days when my '79 New Yorker is acting fidgety, that's the one I always worry about the most. I make sure there's a big gap in traffic. And if I have to come to a stop, I do it two-footed...one on the brake, and one feathering the gas to keep the revs up!
A right turn usually isn't so dangerous, because if it's going to stall, it usually does it before I pull into traffic. Or if it's a right on green, I usually have enough momentum to get off to the side.
remind me again, what is the big attraction of these old cars?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Do you have a picture of your DeSoto you can post? Is it in being restored or just being repaired?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
@imidazol97 said:
Well, here's part of it...
The rest of it, for the most part, is over there...
It's basically getting a full restoration, with the exception of the paint job and cosmetic body work. I bit off a lot more then I could chew, but I'll be happy with it in the long run. Hopefully...
That's a great car. It's the right colors for me to remember the originals, dual antennas and all.
What's the car under the canvas next to the frame and engine of your DeSoto? The coral color looks familiar.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Thanks...I'd actually prefer one of the period greens or blues, but I guess when you go shopping for a '57 DeSoto, 34 model years after the fact (I bought it in September 1990), I guess you can't be too picky! It actually cleans up pretty well, but that pic is showing about 4 1/2 years worth of dust. Maybe even more than that, as it had been awhile since I'd washed it, and I sent it off to the mechanic in late 2009.
That pinkish car is a 1958 Edsel. Corsair I think. It's a 4-door hardtop, one of the bigger, Mercury-based ones. 2-tone black over coral.
Two neat cars from that era. They make good roommates!
Where did you find your DeSoto? Nice color, and the body looks good!
Stickguy, "if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand!"...LOL
I'm just kidding, but for me, it's preserving a piece of America's pop culture and also a piece of its former industrial might.
IMHO, too, it takes a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and brains to design, engineer, build, and market a car. There's a lot of thought in the finished product. I like that. And the old cars could be so much more individually tailored to the consumer by choice of colors and bodystyles than now. New-car introduction, with subtle changes every other year and major changes usually every third year, was a huge event, even in a small town. The new models would be kept hidden until 'introduction night'. In our town, the showroom (well, Chevy which we went to, anyway) would be jam-packed, cider and donuts were given out, and door prizes were given out. Great fun.
I think I remember you had a truck come pick it up to take it to the place for the work being done now?
That's the group of cars with that color.
I'm getting anxious for the car cruise ins to start here. I really like seeing the older cars in their more-or-less original forms.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
What's the red car under the cover next to the chassis? Oh, never mind - I saw the answer you gave another poster.
GM Down 14% Shows Barra Challenges From Recalls to China
GM shares are down almost 14 percent since Barra took the helm Jan. 15 through yesterday, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index has risen. Microsoft Corp., which also named a new CEO around the same time, has climbed about 13 percent.
GM delivered a 2014 forecast on Jan. 15 that predicted only modest growth this year, noting that improved performance in the U.S. and China would offset the costs overseas. GM is restructuring operations in Australia and South Korea while facing currency challenges in Russia and South America. Shares slipped 1.6 percent that day while Ford gained 1.8 percent.
Barra oversees a company with 219,000 employees worldwide and $155 billion in revenue last year that slipped from its spot as the world’s second-largest automaker by sales to No. 3 behind Volkswagen. Toyota Motor Corp. was No. 1. VW’s gains were helped by growth in China where the Wolfsburg, Germany-based company unseated GM as the top-selling foreign automaker for the first time in nine years.
GM's most important vehicle, the Chevrolet Silverado, saw sales decline 15% over the first two months of the year compared to 2013. Investors are awaiting sales results for March, when the company offered its steepest discounts on the Silverado to date; if sales still struggle, it'll be a very bad sign for America's largest automaker. Also of interest to investors is General Motors' Cadillac brand, which was a big success story last year, but which has witnessed a sales decline of nearly 8% so far this year.
GM isn't the only automaker having problems early in 2014. Nissan is recalling over 1 million vehicles globally to fix a software glitch that could deactivate the front passenger airbag. The Japanese car maker is expected to begin updating the software for free by mid-April, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Meanwhile, despite multiple smaller recalls of Ford's (NYSE: F ) Escape, sales continue to surge. The Blue Oval said retail registrations of the Escape are up 81% since 2009, which is higher than the overall industry growth.
Last year, Ford gained more market share in the U.S. than any other major automaker. It hopes to take even more share after GM's massive recall this year.
GM dealers scramble to provide recall loaners
All Steve Isola wanted was to take up General Motors on its offer of a free rental car until the automaker could make recall repairs on his 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. But neither his local dealer nor GM has been able to give him one.
GM says it's had 9,000 requests such as Isola's, and it intends that they all be honored. But sometimes the best intentions don't mesh with practical reality.
Dwayne Haapanen, general manager at Kolar Chevrolet in Hermantown, Minn., near Duluth, says customers have parked nine of the recalled models at the dealership, refusing to drive them until they are fixed.
Isola was in a jam. His daughters won't let their kids ride in his Cobalt. And when he called the GM recall hotline, no one would help. He says he got really "ticked off" when the representative denied him a rental car, saying GM "can't provide that to everyone."
He says he replied: "I'm not everybody. I'm a Cobalt owner with a safety concern. I am not some crackpot."
A major automotive analyst today predicted that General Motors will establish a settlement fund of $1 billion to $1.5 billion for customers affected by the ignition switch recall worldwide of 1.62 million small cars from GM's pre-bankruptcy era.
Escape does well, but has had eight recalls and less-than-stellar reliability. I do think people are remembering the bailout, despite what others think. Overall, a classic example of perception lagging reality.
I do chuckle a little about how folks here say reliability is more important than recalls, until GM has a big recall and I mention reliability reports that are stunning in some instances from 'the source' which is often quoted here as "the best info out there".
What is lost in all the media is that this recall only covers half the total production years of Cobalt.
Million-car recall from Nissan, but the usual pundits are....absolutely silent.
Anyone here who can claim that GM is not piled up on here....is not living in reality. The giddy glee is...well, you can figure it out. I never once started a post on an Edmunds forum during Toyota's travails but hey, that's me.
My brother-in-law's wife drives an '04 Ion. He just had her take everything but the key off her chain. He claims neither he nor she is worried. My guess is that is why Steve's wife and daughter had the issue in his Ion, but he didn't...bigger key chains.
A New Recall Risk For General Motors: The Spare Parts Market ****
As General Motors recalls 1.6 million vehicles that have defective ignition switches linked to at least 12 deaths, it faces another potential risk - this time in the spare parts market.
Repair shop owners say it is still possible to purchase GM brand ignition switches manufactured by Delphi Automotive carrying the same parts number as the product at the center of the recall. These switches may not be defective, but it is nearly impossible to tell unless they are taken apart or the manufacturing history is checked.
Shocker.
Steve? I think you meant me.
And yes, IIRC, my daughter did have a lot of "stuff" on her key chain. I never did, but the key did eventually get stuck in the ignition (in the "on" position) and I had to take it to the dealer for repairs.
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and let us know! Post a pic of your new purchase or lease!
MODERATOR
2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
You'll get your money back (even though it was pre-bankruptcy, LOL). Might take a while but you'll see it.
You captured it! I really looked forward to the Fall new car introduction season as a kid, and visited every showroom in my small town.
I first heard about it back in August of 1990, at a local car show in Laurel, Maryland. The Maryland DeSoto Owners club would always have a good turnout there, and in talking to the guy who was the president at the time, he mentioned a '57 up in Pennsylvania that was for sale that he knew about. He gave me the info, and I called the guy. Went up to look at it one day, fell in love, and ended up buying it.
It came from a little town called Pleasureville, nestled in the hills just north of York, maybe about a mile from the Harley Davidson factory.
The body is in good shape for the most part. My mechanic said he was VERY impressed at how well it had held up. There's the typical rust around the headlights, and in the quarter panels, and trunk floor, but other than that, he only found one small spot, in some of the bracing inside the rocker panel area, under the driver's area.
Geez, I was just in York three weekends ago for a big annual Studebaker swap meet and car corral. I've been going there for a couple decades or more. If you're ever back that way, and like prime rib, go to Coombs' Tavern on Pennsylvania Avenue. It's an unpretentious place but the prime rib is the best I've had anyplace in years and years and years. Someone told me about the place a decade ago and our group has gone there every year we're there.
In my mind, DeSotos are similar to Chryslers, and yours must be one of those 'senior' models, but I know some were Dodge-based too. In '57 and '58, Plymouth versus Dodge, I always liked the Dodges a bit better. I can faintly remember riding in our neighbor's white and gold '57 or '58 Dodge 4-door; I think a Coronet.
Do you know any history of the car? I always find that stuff very interesting, probably to replace my lack of mechanical know-how.
>
Well, I don't see a recall for "potential right side airbag not going off" as quite comparable to a recall where the entire vehicle can shut off (disabling ALL airbags), and has already killed tens of people. But that's just me.
While GM is a big focus here, I've not seen much glee, unless posting of numerous articles is glee.
Just trying to keep it balanced, you know.
Balance=multiple articles per day about the same recall? And nothing else? This is about the U.S. auto industry, not solely a GM forum. I know you really can't possibly believe what you typed. Tens=twelve. A little hyperbole. Don't get me wrong...this is terrible and the worst GM recall in decades. But again...why not a million-vehicle recall mentioned, for vehicles stopping? Same event, which could cause death--just hasn't happened yet.
EDIT: I made a mistake (yes, those words are spoken on this forum!). I thought the recall was for vehicles stopping. In true automaker-speak ...'wasn't our fault....passengers were out-of-position'...;)
The media is like a shark---it must always keep moving and it always needs to eat. GM is a much juicier target for a media frenzy than Kia or Subaru. It's the home team!
Agreed, shifty. I've gotten PM's on Edmunds about how ridiculous some of these posts are.
There's no sense trying to impart a moral sense to officials within a company regarding recalls, as if one CEO were somehow responsible or in charge of "morality". The corporation doesn't weigh moral choices--it just does what it best for the corporation, as it perceives it at the time (rightly or wrongly--American business is not very good at "longterm strategy") .
While individuals within the corporation might be the most morally impeccable of people, somehow that gets lost in the Board Room.
There'll be more articles tomorrow...and the next day...and the next day..about the same old thing. Yeah, that's balance, tlong. And I know you know that.
Trust me, even if this were a Honda recall, I'd have said, "sheesh, enough already".
I look for that other poster to post more unrelated TSB's from a decade before start of production to point out GM's knowledge of the specific problem on a line of cars that hadn't been introduced yet....as he has done before.
Hey, it worked for Steve Jobs when he told users of the initial iPhone 4 models that they experienced poor reception because they weren't holding the phone correctly...
LOL busiris!
Oh, that was the BEST Jobs pixie dust E-V-E-R.
And what did iPhone worshippers do? They said: "Oh, I'm sorry. How stupid of me."
Now THAT is star-power!
According to the Times, GM had a pattern of intimidating plaintiffs and their attorneys who dared to file wrongful-death lawsuits after a family member had been killed driving a Cobalt. William Jordan, a South Carolina attorney who filed a Cobalt wrongful death suit, said GM threatened to file sanctions and seek attorneys fees if he didn’t withdraw his lawsuit. Intimidation tactics are also part of GM’s tortured history: the company conducted an aggressive campaign of harassment and intimidation against Ralph Nader that ultimately resulted in former GM President James Roche apologizing on behalf of the company before a Senate Committee. (Nader successfully sued for excessive invasion of privacy.)
GM ultimately will survive its latest crisis. Sadly, it seems we have become so inured to government and corporate wrongdoing that such behavior is considered de rigueur, no longer sparking much more than a fleeting moment of outrage. In the absence of such well-overdue and much-needed public outcry – such as the one that emerged after Nader published his book – political leaders and certain broadcast media pundits will inevitably step in and whitewash GM’s latest reported misdeeds, ultimately championing the company as “too big to fail” and one of the nation’s vital “job creators.” And these apologists will go on maintaining that what’s good for General Motors is good for America – despite the staggering evidence to the contrary.
Funny, only the first chapter of Nader's book was about the '60-63 Corvair. But here we go, bringing up something from FIFTY years ago. FIFTY. Can you imagine someone bringing up something from 1914 about Ford when, say, the Mustang was introduced? LOL
tlong, can you count for me the number of posts not related to the GM recall, that circlew has made in the past week? You know...since you mentioned 'balance'.
Well again, this is just the corporate entity defending itself instinctively---try to draw Mickey Mouse and put it on your website, and you'll see how Disney will intimidate you, same way.
Well, the GM recall is big news. I know on my general news page I've seen a lot of GM articles in the past couple of weeks; I can't recall many on other makes (although I believe I did see one on Nissan's recall)
I do believe it. But then sometimes I sometimes don't think others believe what they type, either.
Perhaps the biggest automaker in American having their worst recall in decades is why there is so much conversation around this, no?
Balance....as defined by GM
Under the approved asset sale agreement in GM's bankruptcy, what was called "New GM" agreed to assume liability for products liability claims arising from accidents involving GM vehicles, but only where the accident occurred after July 10, 2009, regardless of when the product was purchased. "Old GM" retained liability for other products liability claims, and "New GM" assumed no liability for injuries prior to July 10, 2009. New GM kept the productive assets, with none of the irritating encumbrances of Old GM.
.....As a cultural consideration, this abdication of responsibility just feels a little strange when applied to, well, virtually every other aspect of life. Nonetheless, readers are encouraged to try the new defense out the next time the boss calls you into the office for a bad review or you get locked up for drug possession, whichever occurs first. Try this excuse out, and report back. Just remind your persecutor: "That was then, this is now."
I think every manufacturer has problems, weak spots and recalls. Most issues are resolved within a model year or two. What concerns me about GM is that it seems like many of their issues just go on and on without a permanent fix. Think Stabilitrak - how many model years now? The Lambda's continue in 2014 models with posts about issues like trannies that started way back in the 07 model year. Those vehicles were updated for 2013, so why are there still some of the same issues? Makes me think that either GM has poorer quality engineers or management just doesn't want to expend the effort and money to fix the issues. That in a nutshell is what keeps me leery about buying another GM vehicle, even though I've liked some of their vehicles I've rented . With what cars cost, I think that's a legitimate reason to be gun shy.
I think you're right about every manufacturer having long term problems that take forever to fix. Do a little digging and you can find dirt on any carmaker.
The Lambdas are 'recommended' by 'The Bible', so they must not be showing problems worse than the 'average', overall. I mentioned this a week or two ago, but if you buy into CR, there are serious problems with the 2013 Honda Accord, Hyundai Genesis, Sonata Turbo and Veloster, Nissan Altima and Pathfinder and Titan, Subaru BRZ, and VW Toureg. All these are significantly worse than 2013 Lambdas--but not the conventional wisdom, for certain.
Well, I'm not saying they are better or worse, I'm complaining that the same problems seem to keep appearing since 2007 without being resolved. I just don't understand that, it's 2014 now? I doubt you'll see those 2013 Accord problems on the 2015's, let alone 2020 models. That's what aggravates me about GM and gives me pause to buy one these days.
I don't ever remember those Japanese and German brands scoring that poorly in earlier years. Could it be that GM is getting better and the foreign makes worse? If one believes in CR (and many here have said I should--LOL), that's one conclusion that might be drawn.
I left out Kia Optima Turbo and Sedona and Sorento V6--multiple, recent years of many problems and in their current iterations, not older versions. Again, not conventional wisdom here.
The Traverse and Acadia are in CR's "Best Overall Midsized and Large SUV" section, along with the Hyundai Santa Fe. None others are listed.
Shifty, as to your earlier comment, like it or not, GM is more of a 'home team' than most other manufacturers. I have never understood the wishes, and hopes, for failure as I've seen by one or two posters on this board. Really--wishes and hopes! I could only liken it some to "Stockholm Syndrome" but I'm sure there'd be another psychological term for it.
This all happens here because of this--a GM-hater or two first posts negative stuff; I or one or two others reply that there is either a fact or two wrong or relevant information omitted from that original post; the original poster insults your intelligence for choosing a GM product; I reply that that poster's choice is actually worse than GM's in that segment according to the "leading magazine", and so the original poster feels the need to continue to flame. That sums it all up in one paragraph. I have never 'flamed'; I respond to false fact and large omissions of fact, but never start a thread by insulting one's intelligence of choice or opinion. No one could ever find a post of mine calling someone's choice a "POS", without my ever having so much as sat in the vehicle. If people had always been so 'uniform', there'd have been no reasons ever to have bought a Chrysler, AMC, or anything else besides GM or Ford back in the day, if we're supposed to pick based on sales figures.
Apparently you missed the part about the 4 cyl '13 Accord rated Best Overall Midsize Sedan. Sheesh.
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
Apparently you missed the part about "much worse than average" reliability for the '13. The magazine I looked at was rating '14 model cars, not last year's issue. But I wouldn't let CR sway my opinion about a car anyway. But it is interesting that mainstream thinking out there isn't always spot-on. There are other opinions out there and they have validity too, even if it's not 'get in line' thinking.