Buying American Cars What Does It Mean?

isellhondas

He/she could have simply clarified that statement instead of telling me my reading skills were lacking and getting testy at the same time.

Yes, it'll be THREE years in May. Hard to believe. I've been volunteering at our local Food Bank all of this time too.

When I was about eighteen, this "old guy" told me..." Craig, the older you get the faster the time will pass". The old guy was probably 50. I didn't believe him at the time but it's true.

I remember when you bought your Intrepid quite well and wasn't it a 2000 model? 13 years ago??

dieselone

My generation (born mid-late 70s) might have been the last to have been able to experience regular truck bed trips.

Your likely right.

It still happens on occassion out here in rural Illinois. At least once a summer a drunk teenager gets killed or seriously hurt from falling out of a pickup truck bed. But riding around on the farm is a lot different than riding in a truck bed going down the Dan Ryan in Chicago.

Now that would be a ride that could rival Six Flags;)

andre1969

I remember when you bought your Intrepid quite well and wasn't it a 2000 model? 13 years ago??

Yep, bought it November 6, 1999, and it got hit-and-runned on November 18, 2009. With the way the time has been flying by, it feels like I just bought it last night, and it got hit this afternoon.

ateixeira

Ronald Reagan owned one of those.

gagrice

Now that would be a ride that could rival Six Flags;)

An "E" ticket ride. Do they still have E tickets at DisneyWorld???

I know they did in 1985 on my last time there. Got stuck on the Rocky MT Railroad ride for over an hour when it had a glitch.

uplanderguy

Funny you remember the purchase date. I was thinking just yesterday that it was 32 years to the day since I took delivery of my first new car, an '81 Monte Carlo. It was a Saturday, and the first thing I did was drive the one block to our small-town post office where my Dad was working--he and a friend came out the back doors to look at it and I can remember Dad telling the coworker, "it's a small eight". I then promptly drove the 65 miles up to Clarion where I had graduated college less than a year before, to show my buddies who were still there.

A magical day! LOL

marsha7

"So are we all agreeing once and for all that the number of complaint posts on any vehicle is not really evidence of much?"

So let me add that whatever vehicle you were writing about (70 posts back) I am writing that I didn't like it either...and I don't even know what vehicle it was and what was wrong with it, but I like jumping on the bandwagon for ANY reason...:):):)...

It's a slow evening, as you can tell, and I really have nothing to say..... :P

stever

Glad you're here Bob, and not watching cat videos on youtube.

tlong

It's a slow evening, as you can tell, and I really have nothing to say....

Can't you just add your Edmund's posts to your hourly billings? :confuse: :P

marsha7

I can, and I do, but when clients see the itemized bill, I really get annoyed when they have the nerve to question the billing line that reads:

Sat night, intensive research, Edmunds, 4 hours..........$ 4,000.00
Sat night, Edmunds posting, ADD'L 4 hours.................$ 6,000.00

Total: $10,000.00

And that was just for a client who retained me to draft a $100.00 bill of sale............................:):):)

tlong

And that was just for a client who retained me to draft a $100.00 bill of sale....

You could always tell them that since 50% of your income goes to taxes, this is really a way for them to do their part for the government... :P

keystonecarfan

Thanks, Andre. I guess I failed to take into account that not everyone has an understanding of how we use the word "all" in Pennsylvania Dutch country.

isellhondas

Yep, must be different here on the West Coast!

Here, " all" mean ALL and not "some" or " a lot" or "most"

Must be a regional thing I suppose...

keystonecarfan

And, perhaps you shouldn't have jumped on the sentence by saying it was the most inaccurate thing you've seen posted on this site since you began participating in 2000? One harsh response tends to result in another...

At any rate, I'm sorry for questioning your reading comprehension skills. Let's just move on from this, as I do enjoy reading about the experiences of those involved directly in the business.

My concern is that the problems with automatic transmissions on V-6 Hondas and Acuras from the 1999-2004 model years are pretty common knowledge. Minimizing it doesn't do anyone any good. Especially when many people bought those vehicles specifically because they wanted to avoid that sort of major mechnical meltdown, based on Honda's reputation. I don't want to see this company ruin its reputation through denial.

keystonecarfan

If you think I'm bad, you should have heard some of the phrases and words used by my 99-year-old grandmother, who died this summer.

andre1969

how do those '99-04 Hondas and Acuras with the V-6/5-speed auto fare in the CR reliability ratings nowadays?

keystonecarfan

I do remember that the transmissions for those models received black marks after a few years. The black marks REALLY stood out, as the rest of the components earned red dots!

isellhondas

Actually I've been around since (I think) 1996 when these forums began.

And, yeah that may have been a bit strong on my part but I couldn't believe you really said that the ALL failed. now, that I know ALL means differnt things in your neck of the woods I do understand.

I didn't try to minimize anything. I totally agree that the failure rates during that time were much (see, I said MUCH again) higher than normal for Honda.

Still, the majority of owners never had a problem. A cojuple of people even jumped in and recounted their own experiences.

And, yes, I did imply that often abuse plays a part and it certainy does on ANY car. People tend to overload minivans and skimp on service. Some people never bothered to change their transmission fluid for example.

But...I do agree with you. Honda got a well deserved black eye over this. It was only your word ALL that got me going.

I have watched Honda step up to the plate and cover things well out of warranty. This was a good example of this.

isellhondas

Funny, my own grandmother lived to be 99 too and her Norwegian accent was so strong she was mighty hard to understand!

ateixeira

I remember that, too.

For all the accusations of bias, CR actually did show those trans, Mazda (Ford Cd4E) transmissions, etc. The issues we tend to talk about a lot are reflected in their scores.

tlong

how do those '99-04 Hondas and Acuras with the V-6/5-speed auto fare in the CR reliability ratings nowadays?

CR goes back 8 years, so they've pretty much fallen off the charts at this point.

ateixeira

I think the 2011 issue still showed the 2003s.

I have the Buyers Guides at work dating way back. There were black dots...

marsha7

And since Joe Biden said that it is "patriotic" to pay more in taxes (where was his brain when he said that?) does that make me a patriot???

Side question, esp for this topic...someone had posted awhile ago a website or a catalof where everything (and I do mean everything) was made in America, whether clothes, garden tools, you-name-it...

Cam anyone re-post that name or web address???...thanks...(I wouldn't be surprised if the one who knows it was cannon3...:):)...)

gagrice

This is a good place to start. Not all made in America stuff is really Made in the USA.

https://www.howtobuyamerican.com/store/index.php

This is my first go to page.

http://www.buyamerican.com/alpha.php?message=Loading%20Great%20American%20Produc- ts.%20Please%20stand%20by...

keystonecarfan

In Honda's defense, it did step up to the plate when the lights burned out on our radio display unit in the 2003 Accord EX (after the warranty had ended). We have the four-cylinder, and we have 190,000 trouble-free miles on the transmission.

ateixeira

Check out the air in Beijing right now:

http://www.pittsburghtoday.org/CurrentPM25US.html

Sooner or later they're going to have to realize, they have to play by the rules. Dirty production is not sustainable.

ateixeira

http://www.freep.com/article/20130115/BUSINESS01/301150108/1014/rss13

Of course with the Yen the way it is, that would only make sense at this point.

Scion and Lexus not included, though.

robr2

Maybe they'll push Subaru out of Lafayette.

stever

"Auto parts suppliers are primed to boost jobs in 2013 in an effort to keep up with accelerating U.S. auto sales.

Suppliers invested heavily in their plants beginning in 2010, but delayed hiring until the automotive recovery was firmly under way. Now, they plan to expand their payrolls by tens of thousands of jobs.

About 476,000 people work for automotive parts suppliers in the U.S., and those companies are expected to add about 44,000 jobs this year, according to the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor."

Auto suppliers gear up for hiring surge in 2013 (Detroit News)

ateixeira

You know how I feel about that....push Toyota out of Lafayette!

fintail

Our bought off politicos and dirty 1%ers will allow them to be negligent for as long as possible. Don't hold your breath. Rules in China? What rules? Just kiss up/bribe officials, and the world is your oyster.

ateixeira

The rich will just move upwind!

fintail

The ones who don't have enough of an in with the party to dodge their thievery will just buy their way into the west, to avoid the axe which will eventually fall.

andres3

Honda didn't deny my transmission troubles with my '03 Accord Coupe LX V6. It had 42,000 miles and was past warranty, but they took it in on a Monday morning, apologized for the issue over the phone (after diagnosis confirmed), gave me a rental car free of charge (with some insistence on my part), and called me to pick up my car with a brand new transmission that Wednesday (same week) late afternoon.

They also let me know that the new transmission was warranted for at least another 36,000 miles (starting the clock over).

Dodge hasn't sent me any letters or reimbursement checks for their auto tranny that lasted all of 60,000 miles. Now there is some real denial over at Chrysler, for sure. Didn't get a letter about the bad head gaskets that last about 40,000-45K miles, nor a letter for the bad A/C system that lasts 36,001 miles or 3 years and 1 day (literally).

Guess I was a dummy for not buying the extended warranty, but as I said, if it needs an extended warranty then I don't want it.

The way Honda handled my issue made me not hold it against them, and I'd still buy them to avoid having "major mechanical" issues.

Given that the car had great reliability otherwise, and still was drivable when I turned it in for repairs (no tow truck required), it was a minor issue really.

The Dodge required 4 tow truck trips in 65K miles, and when I say require, I do mean require.

gagrice

Our bought off politicos and dirty 1%ers will allow them to be negligent for as long as possible.

The blame falls directly onto the Environmentalist in the USA. They have forced the dirty industries and mining out of this country. The demand for the products still exist so China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Africa etc will do the dirty work. I am still waiting for a Hybrid to be made 100% in the USA. It is a DIRTY VEHICLE in the manufacturing stages. No free lunches.

I see the new governor of Indiana is planning to cut taxes and silly regulations to bring more jobs to his state.

http://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/news/10854305/indiana-governors-budget-cuts-ta- xes-limits-spending-growth

fintail

Does it though? The technology exists to make most dirty jobs not so dirty - but it takes money, which impacts profit margins and compensation for the top few - so it is a no go. Don't forget the impact of glorified slave labor that has virtually no rights, either. No free lunches, but if one wants to play on our playground, they should have to play by our rules.

I wonder if that tax rate goes to zero once you hit 250K.

ateixeira

Forced labor = LOL quality.

Unfortunately they can build so cheap, if they make 10 and only 6 pass inspection, they can probably toss those 4 bad ones and still do it for less $$$. :sick:

gagrice

The technology exists to make most dirty jobs not so dirty

Not so dirty, is still too dirty for many pushing the Green agenda. If we cannot make a CFL in this country because of the mercury regulations, how do you make them without mercury? We were at one time the largest producer of REEs in the World. Now China is far and away the largest producers. We have re-opened a mine and are shipping the ore out of the USA for refining. We have given up much of our industrial base. It is easier to leave than fight the endless red tape and regulations. We do have to compete on the World stage.

The last item in the list refers to the ability of Toronto-based Neo Material, now a Molycorp subsidiary, to process a range of rare earth elements (REEs) from facilities in 10 countries.

http://rareearthinvestingnews.com/7679-molycorp-china-production-boost-rare-eart- h-elements-price-united-states.html

isellhondas

Change your transmission fluid using HONDA fluid at the dealer every 30,000 miles and NEVER let a shop "flush" your transmission (on any car) and you could go another 190,000 miles.

gagrice

I wonder if that tax rate goes to zero once you hit 250K.

I don't see any such reduction. What I am seeing reading the proposals is a positive attempt to get more stuff made in the USA. He has put a moratorium on all new regulations and is implementing the ability to see if existing regulations are needed and are not blocking small businesses from starting. We need governors that are not just tax and spend. While allowing the businesses to leave for greener pastures.

A bill passed in the 2012 session of the General Assembly, SEA 311, requires OMB to review its cost-benefit analysis after a regulation has been in place for three years. Taking a time-out from new regulations will allow OMB to shift resources from reviewing new regulations to reviewing
existing regulations as well as examining business fees, regulatory performance metrics, and its new responsibilities under SEA 311. Indiana has 35 boards that regulate 70 occupations through more than 200 permits that directly regulate the occupations of more than 460,000 Hoosiers. Fully one in seven Hoosier workers is in an occupation regulated by the state of Indiana. Recent research cited by the Regulated Occupation Evaluation Committee (ROEC)10 indicates that occupational regulation can create barriers to entering job fields and also raise prices for consumers.11 The sheer number of licensed occupations has been growing for some time (see Chart 2). ROEC was created to review all existing licenses and issue reports and recommendations to Indiana lawmakers. We will restructure ROEC for the express purpose of reducing the number of occupational licenses. The restructured board will be renamed the Eliminate, Reduce And Streamline Employee Regulation Committee (ERASER Committee) and should utilize crowdsourcing to solicit input from the public on occupational licenses under review.

http://www.roadmapforindiana.com/pdfs/Regulation.pdf

gagrice

What are the stumbling blocks to more cars & car parts being made in America?

Moreover, onerous federal regulations hamstring Hoosier businesses. According to the Small Business Administration, there are currently more than 400 federal regulations that directly affect small businesses. These regulations burden the nation’s economy to the tune of a staggering $1.75 trillion annually. Why has hiring still not picked up across the country? Part of the reason is that the cost of complying with regulations averages $10,585 per employee. The problem is only getting worse. Since 2009, the Obama administration has finalized 193 “economically significant” rules that cost the economy $100 million or more, and there are more than 4,000 new federal regulations in the federal pipeline. The federal regulatory thicket is growing at a frightening rate (see chart).

http://www.roadmapforindiana.com/pdfs/Federalism.pdf

fintail

100M, a few weeks worth of money wasted on Israel alone. I suppose it is "part" of the reason. Treacherous corporations and racing to the bottom labor policies are the biggest hamstring on a national level.

I agree there are problems, but labor costs and the social issues intertwined with them are the key. The environmental overregulation is just a blip.

gagrice

None of which could happen without a totally corrupt Federal Government. Corporations do what it takes to make a profit. That is what they are supposed to do. If politicians become seduced by those corporate leaders, which are people, the politicos are to blame for succumbing. Why do we need more and more regulations? I happened to think States that cut taxes and waste are better positioned to get the few jobs that will come along.

fintail

Corporations run government, not vice versa. Seems to have been that way for a long time, and with the wealth consolidation over the past few decades (the real direction of trickle down), shows no signs of changing.

We need some regulations, but not all of them, no doubt.

When it comes down to it, the states who can offer the most kickbacks, or have the most skilled labor, win.

gagrice

I agree there are problems, but labor costs and the social issues intertwined with them are the key. The environmental overregulation is just a blip.

CA has regulations for no good reasons: Only an insane person would start a business in CA. Or a corporation looking for losses to offset huge profits like Apple for example.

By Laer Pearce

California’s hostility towards business, and willingness to tax it into oblivion, is storied. As State Senator Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, is quoted in my recent book, “Crazifornia“:

“I am tired of my constituents and other business owners here being treated like pinatas by regulators and politicians who smack them around until some fine or penalty falls out.”

Crazy tax policies also play a huge part in states that are anti business like CA.

Or, for that matter, some newly created tax liability — like the new retroactive (to 2008) tax that’s going to smack the Golden State’s golden goose upside the head. Henry Blodget explains in Business Insider:

“As a way of encouraging entrepreneurs and investors to start companies in California, the state has long offered a tax deduction for those who start, invest in, and eventually sell companies.

“This tax deduction allowed entrepreneurs and [investor] angels to exclude 50 percent of any gain on the sale of ‘Qualified Small Business’ (QSB) stock.

“California’s capital gains taxes are a high 9 percent, so the deduction reduced the capital gains rate to 4.5 percent. This encouraged the entrepreneurs to start and keep their companies in California, instead of decamping to lower-tax states.

“And, for many years, California entrepreneurs and investors have taken advantage of the deduction.

“But now the state has apparently decided that it no longer needs to encourage entrepreneurs to start and keep their companies in California.

“So it is eliminating the tax deduction.

“Far more startling, the state is eliminating the deduction retroactively–going all the back to 2008.” (Emphasis in original)

As you can imagine, those QSBs, the companies that qualified for the reduction in taxes but now suddenly don’t qualify, are not reacting positively to this news.

http://www.calwatchdog.com/2013/01/22/crazifornia-franchise-tax-board-kills-the-- golden-state-goose/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

gagrice

Corporations run government, not vice versa.

Only because corrupt politicians allow and or encourage them. Why would someone like Meg Whitman spend $144 million of her own cash to become governor of a bankrupt state? Politicians are power hungry and corporations feed that hunger. Which makes the politicians the criminals not the corporations or capitalism. Guys like Obama CHOOSE to become puppets of the oligarchy to be the Monarch of a powerful government. Yes they are figure heads because they sell their souls for the glory and power.

stever

Could we get back to buying American cars please?

fintail

If you want to go down that street, guys like Dubya chose to be puppets too, and the replacement who some claim was out to "save us" :shades: is a card carrying member of that evil oligarchy. No soul there, though. If I pay you to kill someone, I am still a criminal even if you do the killing. All three you name are the criminals.

Anyway, as population in NA continues to grow, and mass transit continues to not exist, there will still be cars built in the US - maybe that counts for something. The race to the bottom that pseudo-capitalists espouse hasn't killed that demand yet.

Probably won't be in California though, where residents whine, but won't leave :P

bpizzuti

Could we get back to buying American cars please?

No thanks, I'll stick with imports.

ateixeira