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CANADA OR USA WHICH IS BETTER

cr3cr3 Member Posts: 42
in General
I presume more trucks are built in u.s.a. but i
wonder which [if any] are built better.i have had
canada trucks before an found them exceptional in
build quality.i know that canadian home builders
are top knoch.if you have a problem,list it.then
list origin and build date.is the usa slipping in
this area?i would not be suprized.
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    powerisfunpowerisfun Member Posts: 358
    Just to add my support, my '98 GMC Z71 is a great truck. No problems whatsoever, gobs of power and great gas mileage. It was built in Oshawa, Canada.
    -powerisfun
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    RoclesRocles Member Posts: 982
    No difference IMO. Most of my Fords have been great and they were all built here--either Kentucky or Virginia. Other brands of mine have fared just as well and I don't suspect there is any neglible difference.
    One note on Canadian builders: How does it relate and what is your basis? I have found that in the building industry--that quality varies by region. For instance, when building is on an incredible pace (Las Vegas and Phoenix come to mind), it takes the local industry time to catch up and generally build lesser quality homes compared to a more established area. (Philadelphia, New York, Boston, etc.)
    Ultimately it comes down to the builder and what you want. Most people don't know much about construction and get fooled by design layout and decor when they should be looking at beams and roofs. ;) One can still get a well-built house--you have to pay for it more and request it.
    I could ramble on more but it would bore you...........

    Roc
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    markcordmarkcord Member Posts: 113
    I just sold my Canadian built 88 GMC. Had it for 11.5 years and not one squeak or rattle. Amazing! Especially considering the crap roads around here. Now my brother-in-law has it and he is happy as the proverbial pig-in-sh_t. Not only is it tight but everything (power accessories, etc.) is original and still working fine.
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    powerisfunpowerisfun Member Posts: 358
    What I'm thinking is not a general statement of "Canadian is better than American", but I'm curious if the Canadian GM plant has better quality control, or perhaps just pumps out fewer trucks and therefore is able to build each one a little better. For all we know it may simply come down to 3 or 4 guys on the line doing a better job in one plant than in the other.
    It could also all be in our heads and there is absolutely no difference in quality. The anecdotel "evidence" of a few people with Canadian trucks that appear to have no problems may be purely coincidence. But it's fun to discuss, especially if your truck is made in Canada.
    -powerisfun
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    cr3cr3 Member Posts: 42
    its not proven but,i also heard sheetmetal quality differs from country to country.were do all of the parts come from?i do agree that even though the material may be made the same, the sum of parts assembled can add up to different quality.
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    RoclesRocles Member Posts: 982
    I was responding to cr3's statement to the Building industry.

    Trucks? Nah.....;)
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    artpartp Member Posts: 156
    I've always thought the design and engineering of a vehicle have far more to do with overall quality than the assembly line.

    If a person took Yugo parts and designs to a BMW factory, do you think the output would be more like BMW or Yugo?
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    powerisfunpowerisfun Member Posts: 358
    Rocles:
    Oh... never mind! (a la Rosanne Rosannadanna).

    artp:
    That's a good point, but it's definitely a people thing too. One lazy guy on the line that doesn't torque down a bolt well enough or doesn't align something right is enough to make a vehicle rattle or vibrate, etc. I know they're supposed to check those things, but what if the lazy guy happens to be the checker. :)

    -powerisfun
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    afs11afs11 Member Posts: 86
    I have just ordered a 2000 Silverado 4WD Ext.Cab 4-dr. P/U. It will most probable be built in the Oshawa, Ontario truck plant. Almost all of the customer orders from Canada are built in Oshawa.

    I have had other cars & trucks built in both the United States & Canada, and have not found quality differences. I really don't care where my truck is built, either the USA or Canada.
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    northernbassernorthernbasser Member Posts: 20
    It would seem to make logistical sense to build a truck (or anything of any size) as close as possible to its end-user destination to help cut overall costs, etc.

    It would appear however, that this is not the case as my 1999 Silverado Ext, Z71 was built in Ft. Wayne, and I live a short 30 minutes from the Oshawa assembly plant.

    The trucks are built in runs of similarly configured batches: all regular cab, long boxes are built at plant "A" at the same time extended cab short boxes are being built in plant "B", etc.

    This also helps explain why frieght charges are constant regardless of how far your dealer is from the assembly plant: you'll pay the same frieght in Oshawa that you will in Vancouver - it all gets averaged out so that the guy in Vancouver dosen't have to pay $3000 for frieght.
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    northernbassernorthernbasser Member Posts: 20
    ...that my truck was factory ordered, and not one that was sitting on the lot.
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    elmer2uelmer2u Member Posts: 9
    Could someone please tell me what determines which factory builds certain trucks: Oshawa, Ft. Wayne, or Pontiac.

    Thanks
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    BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    I believe the factory of origin is listed on the window sticker and/or somewhere on the truck (maybe the driver's door). My 92 F-250 was built in Canada. No factory related build problems. My 99 Superduty was built in Kentucky. At 9,300 miles, the engine threw a rod and Ford replaced it with a new one. It was a factory flaw, but they said it had to do with the way they cast the engines now. It appears to have been a fluke.

    Personally for me, I like the idea of having a new engine after 9,300 miles. Some of those miles were pretty hard, too. I made a cross country trip from Dallas to Alaska in the winter, towing a U-haul trailer half the way, and carrying a large slide-in camper the other half. I've got 15,000 problem free miles on the new engine (24,000+ on the truck).

    I don't know the construction business in Canada, but I do have opinions on the long distance truck drivers. In the US, the long distance truckers on the hwy (not talking about around town) are some of the most courteous drivers around. In British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, they are some of the most inconsiderate driver's I've ever encountered. They'll pass you on turns on two lane hwys in blizzard conditions before you even have a chance to move over and let them by. They don't even slow down. All of sudden, they are behind you and then past you, leaving you blinded by the snow they are kicking up. I'm one of those drivers who moves out of someone's way as quickly as I can when they get behind me and I rarely had the opportunity to move over. It was all I could a couple of times to hold the road and slow my rig down until the snow settled and I could see again. I would never wish an accident on anyone, so I feel a little guilty for feeling some satisfaction when I saw a couple of those truckers jack-knifed in the ditch.

    With that said, BC and the Yukon are gorgeous Provinces.
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    cr3cr3 Member Posts: 42
    all canada truck vins start with a 2, all usa trucks& cars start with a 1.
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    meredithmeredith Member Posts: 575
    After 30 or more days of inactivity....

    this topic is being "frozen." It will be archived or deleted in the next 10 days or so.

    Front Porch Philosopher
    SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
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