I thought the Accord was somewhat production constrained, and the 360-400K or so sales rate they are at represents about all they can do?
I really like the new style, and if I do end up needing a car soon, will give it a serious look. I hated the last generation though, and probably would not have considered that.
I also am trying to talk myself into the idea of a Camry (it makes financial and MPG sense at least!), and I suppose I will eventually drive one, but I am having a lot of trouble envisioning buying one and driving it 90 miles/day commuting without going insane. Unless of course, they have a power seat moonroof model they want to sell for 20K, in a color I like! At some point, my cheapness overrides common sense. And who knows, with a 45 mi each way commute that is almost entirely highway, it might be a good choice. Just wallow along in silence, hoping it does not lull me to sleep.
Speaking of land yachts, I drove a REAL "truck", when trucks were trucks and men were men---a 1968 Dodge D300 Power Wagon 4X4 dualie. Somebody rear-ends you in that thing, you'd get an e-mail days later alerting you to the fact that you had an accident. You'd never even know.
No power steering, no power brakes, top speed maybe 60 mph. Towing capacity? How much you got?
I also am trying to talk myself into the idea of a Camry (it makes financial and MPG sense at least!), and I suppose I will eventually drive one, but I am having a lot of trouble envisioning buying one and driving it 90 miles/day commuting without going insane. Unless of course, they have a power seat moonroof model they want to sell for 20K, in a color I like!
My uncle bought a 2013 LE last July. Power seat, but no sunroof. I forget the specifics, but I want to say it was about $23,000 out the door. At least, I'm remembering he got $2K in trade for his Corolla, put $7K down, and financed $14K at zero percent. But, it might have been cheaper than that. He got it at CarMax, and I just checked their website and now see that they have a ton of 2014 LE's starting at $19,768, including freight. By the time you throw on tax and dealer processing, that might push it to $21,500 (MD has a 6% tax on cars), so unless the Camry took a price cut for 2014, I might be a bit off on my uncle's figures. He also might have gotten an extended warranty that I'm forgetting about, too.
Anyway, he's already getting kind of tired of the car. He doesn't like the seating position, and says that it starts hurting his knee after awhile. He's already offered to sell it to me, if I'm interested! I've driven it a few times though, and after a few miles, I find that it's just not that comfortable to me, either. I just prefer something with more room, although it's leaps and bounds ahead of his old '03 Corolla.
As for the latest Accord, I've only sat in them in auto shows, so I don't have any longer-term experience with them. However, I noticed that it seemed like the seats were kind of small, and thin, as if they put compact car seats in a midsize to free up some interior room. But, if they're well designed, they might still be comfortable for a longer trip.
I remember reading that the 1976 Aspen/Volare were the most recalled cars in history, until the 1980 Citation and other X-cars came out. And then, supposedly, the 2000 Ford Focus was recalled enough to knock the Citation off its perch.
Interesting though, that none of those show up on that chart. Maybe the statistics I'm thinking of were how many recalls were issued on a given vehicle, versus how many vehicles total it affected?
I wonder what the issue was with the 1971 full-sized Chevies (I'd presume it was all models, not just the Bel Air). I never heard anything really bad about them. Now, there was a recall of the 1965 full-sized Chevy, that might not have been issued until 1971 or so, that involved an engine mount failing, which would let the engine tilt over and jam up the steering, brakes, and transmission shift linkage all at the same time, giving you a setup for a "CHiP's" episode, or a bad made-for-cable tv movie. IIRC, that issue only involved Chevy, as the other divisions had their own engines and mounts, and was only the V-8 models.
The Bel-Aire and a whole swath of General Motors cars from the late 60s and early 70s were recalled in 1971. The problem? Motor mounts, which hold the engine down under the hood. Yes, they’re as important as they sound – unless you like your engine flying around on the street!
1965-1969 General Motors
In 1969, owners of V-8-powered General Motors cars began experiencing a small problem. The rubber parts in their vehicles' engine mounts would give out, causing the engine to come free, twist upward and pull open the throttle, resulting in rapid acceleration. It would often disable brake assistance, making it harder to stop the car.
By 1971, 172 cases of engine-mount failure had been reported, resulting in 63 accidents and 18 injuries. GM initially resisted a recall, with Edward Cole, GM's president at the time, claiming that a failing engine mount was no more serious than a flat tire. The government disagreed and GM issued a voluntary recall of 6.7 million vehicles.
@andre1969 said > As for the latest Accord, I've only sat in them in auto shows, so I don't have any longer-term experience with them. However, I noticed that it seemed like the seats were kind of small, and thin, as if they put compact car seats in a midsize to free up some interior room. But, if they're well designed, they might still be comfortable for a longer trip.
The seats were passable for me but not what I would like. The interior is quieter from road noise and wind than before, finally. The ride is tight. But the CVT transmission I don't like and don't trust with Honda's record on transmissions.
AND Motorweek talked about the buzziness of the 4-cyl engine when they reviewed taking their Accord out of their test fleet. If zenophilic Motorweek didn't gush all over it like they usually do, it must have some noise problems. I didn't notice the buzziness being different, but I was feeling the transmission and road more than the engine.
@imidazol97 said:
AND Motorweek talked about the buzziness of the 4-cyl engine when they reviewed taking their Accord out of their test fleet.
That's interesting. I find most 4-cyl engines to be too buzzy sounding, but in the past I always thought Hondas sounded the best. I do remember driving a 2002 Altima though, and liking the fact that it was very quiet at highway speeds. I think it was geared a bit tall and had good sound insulation, so it almost sounded like it wasn't running! But in local traffic it sounded buzzy.
I think I'm just used to the sound of a V8 engine though, and that might have warped my hearing a bit.
"Bel-Aire"? Somebody needs a spell-check...and what would possess someone to pick that one, low-selling model to represent all of them that were recalled? LOL
andre is spot-on as usual; it was only Chevrolets and no other GM products.
As is so frequently the case, the only recall on that whole chart that warrants mention by a particular poster is the GM one.
I don't think too many folks were enjoying their '65 Datsuns and Toyotas in the northeast, where I lived, by 1971. They'd be waiting for normal parts probably longer than the motor-mount recall parts for Chevys.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
I have the 4 cyl Accord. It is quiet and the engine is not buzzy at all. Seats are very comfortable for long road trips (I have taken 4 in the last year) and many reviews have commented on their comfort. It is not as cushy a suspension as Altima or Camry so it handles better. You might check out Altima as it is nice compromise between Camry and Accord.
If I was shopping for a car, I'd still give the Accord a try. I only sat in a few at the auto shows, and you can't really get a good long-term feel from doing that. I remember people complaining about Mercedes Benzes, once they started becoming more common in the United States, that their seats were too hard and uncomfortable, compared to the plump, cushy Caddies, Lincolns, etc they were used to. But, once they really sat in them for awhile, they realized that they really were comfortable for a long ride.
@uplanderguy said:
"Bel-Aire"? Somebody needs a spell-check...and what would possess someone to pick that one, low-selling model to represent all of them that were recalled? LOL
I also have to confess, that thanks to the automotive industry, I tend to mis-spell "Galaxy" as "Galaxie"...a bit embarrassing as I work for NASA! I also tend to type "taylored" instead of "tailored". I can probably thank "The Andy Griffith Show" for that!
That was my favorite recall of all time. The engine fell off its mounts, yanking the throttle to FULL ON; then, the vacuum hose to the power brake will be pulled out, resulting in a very hard brake pedal with no assist--but wait, it gets better! THEN, thee engine would fall on the steering arms, and you couldn't steer the car, while at full throttle, with no brakes.
The fix?--- a little clamp and some wires that didn't FIX the mount, but rather held the engine down when the mount broke.
@circlew said:
The Bel-Aire and a whole swath of General Motors cars from the late 60s and early 70s were recalled in 1971. The problem? Motor mounts, which hold the engine down under the hood. Yes, they’re as important as they sound – unless you like your engine flying around on the street!
1965-1969 General Motors
In 1969, owners of V-8-powered General Motors cars began experiencing a small problem. The rubber parts in their vehicles' engine mounts would give out, causing the engine to come free, twist upward and pull open the throttle, resulting in rapid acceleration. It would often disable brake assistance, making it harder to stop the car.
By 1971, 172 cases of engine-mount failure had been reported, resulting in 63 accidents and 18 injuries. GM initially resisted a recall, with Edward Cole, GM's president at the time, claiming that a failing engine mount was no more serious than a flat tire. The government disagreed and GM issued a voluntary recall of 6.7 million vehicles.
I'm rather a spelling [non-permissible content removed], thanks to certain old teachers and being in the business I'm in, where we point out errors and others love to point out errors in our work! The word that drives me crazy is 'judgment', when people put an 'e' in the middle. It might be in the dictionary, but if so, with an 'e' is the second, not preferred spelling, and you'll never see it in a newspaper or magazine that way. LOL
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My favorite non-recall was Fords falling out of park. Somehow they got away with putting a sticker on the dash as the fix. I remember seeing footage with one going in circles, the door hitting a guy each lap.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
@uplanderguy said:
"Ah, go get yourself a skateboard; it's faster!" LOL.
Coincidentally, these guys go on a highway rampage later on in that same episode, using a Mercury Montego, to try and up the car-crash count. One of the cars they wipe out is a 1970 Catalina 4-door hardtop in a light cream, that has prior body damage to the rear. And now I see why...they also used it in this chase and that '63 Chevy wagon clips it in the rear! They actually run that '70 off the road twice in the finale. Either that, or the '70 Catalina 4-door hardtop really WAS that common!
You can also tell this is an early episode because not a single car flipped over. They hadn't figured out how to use ramps yet, I guess.
@uplanderguy said:
I don't believe I ever even rode in a 225, but I know a lot of folks who said they were everything a Caddy was! I admire them for what they were.
The Electra 225 was truly aspirational in the 1960s -mid-1970s. A real dream boat.
@Stever@Edmunds said:
hehe, the first TPMS system. No washer fluid, better put some air in the spare.
I had a college friend that had, I believe, an old Chevy in-line 6 pickup, with the spare mounted up under the hood. He rigged up an air horn, powered by the spare, and a valve he could control from the cab by pulling a cable.
He would pull up behind cars crossing RR tracks, and as they crossed, blow that air horn, laughing his behind off the entire time.
That behavior nowadays might just get you shot today...
@hpmctorque said:
The Electra 225 was truly aspirational in the 1960s -mid-1970s. A real dream boat.
From 1971 to 1984, I think I'd actually prefer an Electra to a Caddy DeVille! I always thought they were a bit more smooth, tasteful, and understated, compared to the flamboyance of the Caddy. Plus, Cadillacs usually had leather interiors, whereas the Electra usually came in some really tasteful (for the period) fabrics and velours that I really liked.
I also like the Olds Ninety-Eight, although it seems a bit more conservative than the Electra. I think the one year I'd pick a Ninety-Eight over an Electra though, would be 1974. I thought that year's Olds looked especially handsome, while the Electra, with its widely-spaced headlights, seemed a bit garish and pimpy.
Honestly, during many of those years I think I'd have taken a LeSabre or Wildcat over the Electra and Caddy. They had become behemoths and land barges that are softly suspended can be a handful at times. Not so much with the downsized ones from 77 out, but those models never seemed that different from the LeSabre compared to the sticker price difference. I know what you mean about some of those ornate cloth seats back in the old days before leather became so popular. They were kind of neat.
In '60's and '70's Buicks and Olds, I'd have preferred the not-too-often-seen luxury mid-line models, like 'Delta Custom' and 'Wildcat Custom', over Electras and Ninety-Eights I think. You still got the swoopy fastback rooflines but with luxury interiors. Some time in the '70's, GM decided that sporty rooflines and luxury interiors don't belong together, sadly IMHO.
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'I know the Justice Department is taking a hard look at this.'
Another member of the subcommittee, Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte, said GM's actions amounted to criminal deception.
McCaskill also joined those calling for GM to establish a victims' compensation fund.
'Now it's time for them to come clean, be transparent and most of all make all victims whole no matter when this deadly ignition caused heartbreak in their families,' she said.
A friend of mine, who is unhappy about the bailout, even says he wishes Mary Barra would tell Claire McCaskill and Barbara Boxer to go to hell! He said she should ask both if they've ever run a company that has contributed one thin dime to the GNP. I had to laugh.
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Congress is a joke, but their grandstanding doesn't really help GM. While it's not fair to Mary Barra to pin all this on her I do appreciate her statement that she owns the response.
GM's problem is that Toyota, Honda, etc. haven't given customers a major reason to deflect and seek out other options. They aren't the gold standard they were back in the 80's and 90's when GM was rolling out pure junk but they haven't done anything to erode the public's trust and confidence. The UA issue with Toyota wasn't their greatest moment, but the public forgave them because they had years of reputation behind it. GM doesn't have that and hasn't had it in decades.
It's not enough that GM finally started building comparable cars, until they build a game changer or until their rivals really screw up and start producing horrible products like GM did in the past, they'll have to be content with trying to hold on to market share. Who cares if a new Malibu will go 150 or 200K miles with little problems, it's not on the main buyer's radar, and that's GM's real problem.
@jpp5862 said:
Congress is a joke, but their grandstanding doesn't really help GM. While it's not fair to Mary Barra to pin all this on her I do appreciate her statement that she owns the response.
GM's problem is that Toyota, Honda, etc. haven't given customers a major reason to deflect and seek out other options. They aren't the gold standard they were back in the 80's and 90's when GM was rolling out pure junk but they haven't done anything to erode the public's trust and confidence. The UA issue with Toyota wasn't their greatest moment, but the public forgave them because they had years of reputation behind it. GM doesn't have that and hasn't had it in decades.
It's not enough that GM finally started building comparable cars, until they build a game changer or until their rivals really screw up and start producing horrible products like GM did in the past, they'll have to be content with trying to hold on to market share. Who cares if a new Malibu will go 150 or 200K miles with little problems, it's not on the main buyer's radar, and that's GM's real problem.
Excellent post and very true.
GM should be trying to hit a home run like nobody has seen yet. THAT would get people into their showrooms in great new numbers.
This will rankle some, but it was a recent automotive news story which I have not seen posted here. I'll assume it was over on the 'Buying American...' forum but I have not looked.
Toyota does seem a bit worried about their rep though.
"Toyoda, 57, is remaking the company founded by his grandfather as the chief executive officer has pledged to tilt priorities back toward quality and efficiency from a growth mentality."
That sounds more like "taking care of business" instead of trying to hit a home run.
The other one that's interesting is Kia; they got slammed pretty good for their incorrect reporting of gas mileage on several models, and if you go to the Kia web site, there's a link about the settlement. Not a real prominent link, but it's gotta be a sore point.
@jpp5862 said: > GM's problem is that Toyota, Honda, etc. haven't given customers a major reason to deflect and seek out other options. They aren't the gold standard they were back in the 80's and 90's when GM was rolling out pure junk but they haven't done anything to erode the public's trust and confidence. The UA issue with Toyota wasn't their greatest moment, but the public forgave them because they had years of reputation behind it.
I disagree about this. There have been coverups on sludge--errrr, gel as the purists want to rename it, and then the SUA and the rejections of that along with rumors of someone who had been with toyota in the NHTSA group helping. Then there are the problems with Honda's transmissions and brake linings and Civic engines being replaced now.
But people are forgiving of their flaws in a politically correctness manner. If they speak out in forums about their Odyssey's transmission and Honda's not covering cost of replacing and replacing with the same flawed tranmission setup, there always is someone to stand up for Honda. But I see more and more folks saying they'll never buy another toyota or Honda in forums.
However, as shown in posts here about the errors in Honda and toyota's builds, there is an attitude of they don't have flaws and they just need to be overlooked. It's a PC attitude from peer pressure is my initial take on it. People are reluctant to criticize the "perfect" cars now that they have flaws.
On the other hand, there are some who think that continually criticizing GM for their flaws in the past is going to change minds. This setup almost parallels the politics with the government PC where the big media won't critique what goes on because of political correctness, and they criticize the opposition party just because they are GM--I mean the other party. Do you get my parallel?
So one has to look for the truth using your own brain. Are some cars "perfect"? Or are others just as good? The problem as clearly posted here by thoughtful posters is that many minds require a BOOM to make them see something as equal: it has to be extra good. While in reality the product from GM/Ford/C is equal.
Notice I don't mention Kiunda. I think they got a pass from some on their mileage scam. But I saw a vehicle that showed the sheer lack of strength other than where needed to pass the crash tests.
@uplanderguy said:
BTW Steve, you know that no one wants to hear about any recalls other than GM ones, sheesh.
Not sure why you have such a chip on your shoulder about GM and the recalls? I get you're a fanboy but no one else gets upset over Toyota and Honda recalls. It's not that no one wants to hear about them...it's just that you seem to be the only person who doesn't want to hear about GM recalls.
@imidazol97 said:
Notice I don't mention Kiunda. I think they got a pass from some on their mileage scam. But I saw a vehicle that showed the sheer lack of strength other than where needed to pass the crash tests.
I said in the last part of my post that GM was now building comparable cars but no one cares and that's their problem.
Like a coworker who drives a 10 year old BWM 330 that has issues. She likes her car in spite of the issues but knows it needs to be replaced. We had a Buick Regal for a rental on a recent trip, she got in and said "Well this isn't bad for a Buick, of course I'd never buy a Buick."
There was nothing wrong with the Regal, but for a late 30's professional looking to give up a BMW, she'll never walk into a Buick or a Cadillac dealership. It wouldn't even cross her mind, and that is GM's problem. People aren't avoiding GM because they build bad cars, they just don't consider them as an option.
Comments
I don't believe I ever even rode in a 225, but I know a lot of folks who said they were everything a Caddy was! I admire them for what they were.
It was a true American luxury car in every sense of the definition.
I used to kid him, telling him all the car was missing was a naval steering wheel like the old wind driven clipper ships had back in the 1800's.
I thought the Accord was somewhat production constrained, and the 360-400K or so sales rate they are at represents about all they can do?
I really like the new style, and if I do end up needing a car soon, will give it a serious look. I hated the last generation though, and probably would not have considered that.
I also am trying to talk myself into the idea of a Camry (it makes financial and MPG sense at least!), and I suppose I will eventually drive one, but I am having a lot of trouble envisioning buying one and driving it 90 miles/day commuting without going insane. Unless of course, they have a power seat moonroof model they want to sell for 20K, in a color I like! At some point, my cheapness overrides common sense. And who knows, with a 45 mi each way commute that is almost entirely highway, it might be a good choice. Just wallow along in silence, hoping it does not lull me to sleep.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
LOL!
That's rich! But, it would have looked right at home in the 225...
Speaking of land yachts, I drove a REAL "truck", when trucks were trucks and men were men---a 1968 Dodge D300 Power Wagon 4X4 dualie. Somebody rear-ends you in that thing, you'd get an e-mail days later alerting you to the fact that you had an accident. You'd never even know.
No power steering, no power brakes, top speed maybe 60 mph. Towing capacity? How much you got?
Nice!
Remember these?
.> @stickguy said:
My uncle bought a 2013 LE last July. Power seat, but no sunroof. I forget the specifics, but I want to say it was about $23,000 out the door. At least, I'm remembering he got $2K in trade for his Corolla, put $7K down, and financed $14K at zero percent. But, it might have been cheaper than that. He got it at CarMax, and I just checked their website and now see that they have a ton of 2014 LE's starting at $19,768, including freight. By the time you throw on tax and dealer processing, that might push it to $21,500 (MD has a 6% tax on cars), so unless the Camry took a price cut for 2014, I might be a bit off on my uncle's figures. He also might have gotten an extended warranty that I'm forgetting about, too.
Anyway, he's already getting kind of tired of the car. He doesn't like the seating position, and says that it starts hurting his knee after awhile. He's already offered to sell it to me, if I'm interested! I've driven it a few times though, and after a few miles, I find that it's just not that comfortable to me, either. I just prefer something with more room, although it's leaps and bounds ahead of his old '03 Corolla.
As for the latest Accord, I've only sat in them in auto shows, so I don't have any longer-term experience with them. However, I noticed that it seemed like the seats were kind of small, and thin, as if they put compact car seats in a midsize to free up some interior room. But, if they're well designed, they might still be comfortable for a longer trip.
I remember reading that the 1976 Aspen/Volare were the most recalled cars in history, until the 1980 Citation and other X-cars came out. And then, supposedly, the 2000 Ford Focus was recalled enough to knock the Citation off its perch.
Interesting though, that none of those show up on that chart. Maybe the statistics I'm thinking of were how many recalls were issued on a given vehicle, versus how many vehicles total it affected?
I wonder what the issue was with the 1971 full-sized Chevies (I'd presume it was all models, not just the Bel Air). I never heard anything really bad about them. Now, there was a recall of the 1965 full-sized Chevy, that might not have been issued until 1971 or so, that involved an engine mount failing, which would let the engine tilt over and jam up the steering, brakes, and transmission shift linkage all at the same time, giving you a setup for a "CHiP's" episode, or a bad made-for-cable tv movie. IIRC, that issue only involved Chevy, as the other divisions had their own engines and mounts, and was only the V-8 models.
The Bel-Aire and a whole swath of General Motors cars from the late 60s and early 70s were recalled in 1971. The problem? Motor mounts, which hold the engine down under the hood. Yes, they’re as important as they sound – unless you like your engine flying around on the street!
1965-1969 General Motors
In 1969, owners of V-8-powered General Motors cars began experiencing a small problem. The rubber parts in their vehicles' engine mounts would give out, causing the engine to come free, twist upward and pull open the throttle, resulting in rapid acceleration. It would often disable brake assistance, making it harder to stop the car.
By 1971, 172 cases of engine-mount failure had been reported, resulting in 63 accidents and 18 injuries. GM initially resisted a recall, with Edward Cole, GM's president at the time, claiming that a failing engine mount was no more serious than a flat tire. The government disagreed and GM issued a voluntary recall of 6.7 million vehicles.
"Old GM" at it's same old game!
The seats were passable for me but not what I would like. The interior is quieter from road noise and wind than before, finally. The ride is tight. But the CVT transmission I don't like and don't trust with Honda's record on transmissions.
AND Motorweek talked about the buzziness of the 4-cyl engine when they reviewed taking their Accord out of their test fleet. If zenophilic Motorweek didn't gush all over it like they usually do, it must have some noise problems. I didn't notice the buzziness being different, but I was feeling the transmission and road more than the engine.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
That's interesting. I find most 4-cyl engines to be too buzzy sounding, but in the past I always thought Hondas sounded the best. I do remember driving a 2002 Altima though, and liking the fact that it was very quiet at highway speeds. I think it was geared a bit tall and had good sound insulation, so it almost sounded like it wasn't running! But in local traffic it sounded buzzy.
I think I'm just used to the sound of a V8 engine though, and that might have warped my hearing a bit.
"Bel-Aire"? Somebody needs a spell-check...and what would possess someone to pick that one, low-selling model to represent all of them that were recalled? LOL
andre is spot-on as usual; it was only Chevrolets and no other GM products.
As is so frequently the case, the only recall on that whole chart that warrants mention by a particular poster is the GM one.
I don't think too many folks were enjoying their '65 Datsuns and Toyotas in the northeast, where I lived, by 1971. They'd be waiting for normal parts probably longer than the motor-mount recall parts for Chevys.
I have the 4 cyl Accord. It is quiet and the engine is not buzzy at all. Seats are very comfortable for long road trips (I have taken 4 in the last year) and many reviews have commented on their comfort. It is not as cushy a suspension as Altima or Camry so it handles better. You might check out Altima as it is nice compromise between Camry and Accord.
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
If I was shopping for a car, I'd still give the Accord a try. I only sat in a few at the auto shows, and you can't really get a good long-term feel from doing that. I remember people complaining about Mercedes Benzes, once they started becoming more common in the United States, that their seats were too hard and uncomfortable, compared to the plump, cushy Caddies, Lincolns, etc they were used to. But, once they really sat in them for awhile, they realized that they really were comfortable for a long ride.
Well, I was driving Bugs in the early 70s but I don't remember that big one in 1972. Anyone know what that was about?
Maybe for the heaters, or for using the windshield washers depleting air in the spare tire.
hehe, the first TPMS system. No washer fluid, better put some air in the spare.
Looks like us Marylanders have been spelling it wrong for years, too! Even though this place is just a few miles away, I've always spelled it Bel Air, rather than Belair...
I also have to confess, that thanks to the automotive industry, I tend to mis-spell "Galaxy" as "Galaxie"...a bit embarrassing as I work for NASA! I also tend to type "taylored" instead of "tailored". I can probably thank "The Andy Griffith Show" for that!
That was my favorite recall of all time. The engine fell off its mounts, yanking the throttle to FULL ON; then, the vacuum hose to the power brake will be pulled out, resulting in a very hard brake pedal with no assist--but wait, it gets better! THEN, thee engine would fall on the steering arms, and you couldn't steer the car, while at full throttle, with no brakes.
The fix?--- a little clamp and some wires that didn't FIX the mount, but rather held the engine down when the mount broke.
I'm rather a spelling [non-permissible content removed], thanks to certain old teachers and being in the business I'm in, where we point out errors and others love to point out errors in our work! The word that drives me crazy is 'judgment', when people put an 'e' in the middle. It might be in the dictionary, but if so, with an 'e' is the second, not preferred spelling, and you'll never see it in a newspaper or magazine that way. LOL
Here's a video of what can happen when those motor mounts fail... Just try to ignore the fact that it's a '63 Olds, which was not affected by that recall...
My favorite non-recall was Fords falling out of park. Somehow they got away with putting a sticker on the dash as the fix. I remember seeing footage with one going in circles, the door hitting a guy each lap.
"Ah, go get yourself a skateboard; it's faster!" LOL
Coincidentally, these guys go on a highway rampage later on in that same episode, using a Mercury Montego, to try and up the car-crash count. One of the cars they wipe out is a 1970 Catalina 4-door hardtop in a light cream, that has prior body damage to the rear. And now I see why...they also used it in this chase and that '63 Chevy wagon clips it in the rear! They actually run that '70 off the road twice in the finale. Either that, or the '70 Catalina 4-door hardtop really WAS that common!
You can also tell this is an early episode because not a single car flipped over. They hadn't figured out how to use ramps yet, I guess.
The Electra 225 was truly aspirational in the 1960s -mid-1970s. A real dream boat.
Heater???
What heater?
In the bugs I owned, heat was only temporary, unless you continuously held the heater lever in the pulled up position...
I had a college friend that had, I believe, an old Chevy in-line 6 pickup, with the spare mounted up under the hood. He rigged up an air horn, powered by the spare, and a valve he could control from the cab by pulling a cable.
He would pull up behind cars crossing RR tracks, and as they crossed, blow that air horn, laughing his behind off the entire time.
That behavior nowadays might just get you shot today...
From 1971 to 1984, I think I'd actually prefer an Electra to a Caddy DeVille! I always thought they were a bit more smooth, tasteful, and understated, compared to the flamboyance of the Caddy. Plus, Cadillacs usually had leather interiors, whereas the Electra usually came in some really tasteful (for the period) fabrics and velours that I really liked.
I also like the Olds Ninety-Eight, although it seems a bit more conservative than the Electra. I think the one year I'd pick a Ninety-Eight over an Electra though, would be 1974. I thought that year's Olds looked especially handsome, while the Electra, with its widely-spaced headlights, seemed a bit garish and pimpy.
Now this is a recall:
Mazda is updating car software to fix problems with real, living bugs (engadget.com)
Honestly, during many of those years I think I'd have taken a LeSabre or Wildcat over the Electra and Caddy. They had become behemoths and land barges that are softly suspended can be a handful at times. Not so much with the downsized ones from 77 out, but those models never seemed that different from the LeSabre compared to the sticker price difference. I know what you mean about some of those ornate cloth seats back in the old days before leather became so popular. They were kind of neat.
In '60's and '70's Buicks and Olds, I'd have preferred the not-too-often-seen luxury mid-line models, like 'Delta Custom' and 'Wildcat Custom', over Electras and Ninety-Eights I think. You still got the swoopy fastback rooflines but with luxury interiors. Some time in the '70's, GM decided that sporty rooflines and luxury interiors don't belong together, sadly IMHO.
'I know the Justice Department is taking a hard look at this.'
Another member of the subcommittee, Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte, said GM's actions amounted to criminal deception.
McCaskill also joined those calling for GM to establish a victims' compensation fund.
'Now it's time for them to come clean, be transparent and most of all make all victims whole no matter when this deadly ignition caused heartbreak in their families,' she said.
A friend of mine, who is unhappy about the bailout, even says he wishes Mary Barra would tell Claire McCaskill and Barbara Boxer to go to hell! He said she should ask both if they've ever run a company that has contributed one thin dime to the GNP. I had to laugh.
Congress is a joke, but their grandstanding doesn't really help GM. While it's not fair to Mary Barra to pin all this on her I do appreciate her statement that she owns the response.
GM's problem is that Toyota, Honda, etc. haven't given customers a major reason to deflect and seek out other options. They aren't the gold standard they were back in the 80's and 90's when GM was rolling out pure junk but they haven't done anything to erode the public's trust and confidence. The UA issue with Toyota wasn't their greatest moment, but the public forgave them because they had years of reputation behind it. GM doesn't have that and hasn't had it in decades.
It's not enough that GM finally started building comparable cars, until they build a game changer or until their rivals really screw up and start producing horrible products like GM did in the past, they'll have to be content with trying to hold on to market share. Who cares if a new Malibu will go 150 or 200K miles with little problems, it's not on the main buyer's radar, and that's GM's real problem.
That is sad because their cars test well, but perception is reality, very sadly.
Excellent post and very true.
GM should be trying to hit a home run like nobody has seen yet. THAT would get people into their showrooms in great new numbers.
This will rankle some, but it was a recent automotive news story which I have not seen posted here. I'll assume it was over on the 'Buying American...' forum but I have not looked.
http://www.american.edu/kogod/autoindex/2014.cfm
Toyota does seem a bit worried about their rep though.
"Toyoda, 57, is remaking the company founded by his grandfather as the chief executive officer has pledged to tilt priorities back toward quality and efficiency from a growth mentality."
That sounds more like "taking care of business" instead of trying to hit a home run.
‘Gods’ edging out robots at Toyota facility (japantimes.co.jp)
The other one that's interesting is Kia; they got slammed pretty good for their incorrect reporting of gas mileage on several models, and if you go to the Kia web site, there's a link about the settlement. Not a real prominent link, but it's gotta be a sore point.
(@uplanderguy, I wound up posting that "American" car list over in Are American Cars Coming Back In Favor? yesterday - had road fatigue; couldn't find the other discussion.
)
By most accounts, the Impala blows other similar cars out of the water, but that is not a major market now.
BTW Steve, you know that no one wants to hear about any recalls other than GM ones, sheesh.
Did you notice the title tweak to at least try to encourage people to post about cars being sold in the current century?
Hm, maybe we can add "recall" to the banned words list and prevent any post mentioning a recall from going through.
Let me know how that works.
Easy for me to say, but I do chuckle how people get bent about 'topic drift'.
I disagree about this. There have been coverups on sludge--errrr, gel as the purists want to rename it, and then the SUA and the rejections of that along with rumors of someone who had been with toyota in the NHTSA group helping. Then there are the problems with Honda's transmissions and brake linings and Civic engines being replaced now.
But people are forgiving of their flaws in a politically correctness manner. If they speak out in forums about their Odyssey's transmission and Honda's not covering cost of replacing and replacing with the same flawed tranmission setup, there always is someone to stand up for Honda. But I see more and more folks saying they'll never buy another toyota or Honda in forums.
However, as shown in posts here about the errors in Honda and toyota's builds, there is an attitude of they don't have flaws and they just need to be overlooked. It's a PC attitude from peer pressure is my initial take on it. People are reluctant to criticize the "perfect" cars now that they have flaws.
On the other hand, there are some who think that continually criticizing GM for their flaws in the past is going to change minds. This setup almost parallels the politics with the government PC where the big media won't critique what goes on because of political correctness, and they criticize the opposition party just because they are GM--I mean the other party. Do you get my parallel?
So one has to look for the truth using your own brain. Are some cars "perfect"? Or are others just as good? The problem as clearly posted here by thoughtful posters is that many minds require a BOOM to make them see something as equal: it has to be extra good. While in reality the product from GM/Ford/C is equal.
Notice I don't mention Kiunda. I think they got a pass from some on their mileage scam. But I saw a vehicle that showed the sheer lack of strength other than where needed to pass the crash tests.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Exactly, same with new the Corvette. GM put their resources into niche/declining markets. Not really a great way to run a company.
I did catch that change in title.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Not sure why you have such a chip on your shoulder about GM and the recalls? I get you're a fanboy but no one else gets upset over Toyota and Honda recalls. It's not that no one wants to hear about them...it's just that you seem to be the only person who doesn't want to hear about GM recalls.
I said in the last part of my post that GM was now building comparable cars but no one cares and that's their problem.
Like a coworker who drives a 10 year old BWM 330 that has issues. She likes her car in spite of the issues but knows it needs to be replaced. We had a Buick Regal for a rental on a recent trip, she got in and said "Well this isn't bad for a Buick, of course I'd never buy a Buick."
There was nothing wrong with the Regal, but for a late 30's professional looking to give up a BMW, she'll never walk into a Buick or a Cadillac dealership. It wouldn't even cross her mind, and that is GM's problem. People aren't avoiding GM because they build bad cars, they just don't consider them as an option.
jpp, no offense, but you can't be serious if you look at this particular forum on a regular basis. I mean that in total sincerity.
One person has posted probably almost 50 messages on the Cobalt recalls. I'm totally serious.
I have not seen that here about any other recalls....ever.