GM and Ford

[Kartracer]

Those damn mis-managed domestic automakers putting out pure crap...I cant believe them.

And they are more foreign than my Honda because it is assembled in Canada

[JUPITER PULSARE]

OK, now it's time to hear from somebody that's been in the auto industry for over 18 years. I've been everything from a salesman, used car manager, new car manager, finance manager, finance director, and General Sales Manager. I'm currently a finance director at a Honda Store. The current state of affairs for the domestic brands has nothing to do with quality. They are currently building the best products in their history and have done so for the last 6 years. I will put up any GM/Chrysler/Ford vehicle to any import..and the quality, fit and finish, and technology is there. The crisis arrises from the publics perception and bad media rap. The media thrives on beating the domestic auto industry to death. Yes, at one time the domestic vehicles were inferior to the imports but it hasn't been that way for some time. GM builds more economical cars than all the imports put together..but is that publicised by the mass media..NO! GM's factories have recieved more awards and recognition by JD Powers & assoc. than any import factories..is that publicised by the mass media..NO. When Toyota or Honda or Mazda have a recall, they make no big fuss about it..but the minute GM, Ford or Chyrsler have a recall..NEWFLASH, it spead all over the world in a heartbeat....and the minute word gets out that sales are down and rumors start spreading that the us auto makers are losing money, the public looks elsewhere to buy their cars...and the us automakers lose even more money. IT'S A SNOWBALLING EFFECT, and a very sad one. It's the US auto industry that this nation was built on. It was the US auto industry that jumped in and produced much of what was built during WWII to save our asses...and yet we buy Japanese cars (and German cars) WTF!!! If I didn't need a paycheck, I would not be working for Honda..but unfortunately, my multi franchise dealership sends me where the most business is. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to save this great nation, throw every import; Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Lexus, Infinity, Hyundai, Kia, VW, etc. out of this country, CLOSE THE GATES..the hell with fair trade and the import/export market. Half these cars are not even built in the countries they are titled from yet the American $$$$$ goes to those nations. Again, WTF!! We now have Hondas sold in America that are being built in India because the labor is so cheap there..so lets see, the ignorant American is buying a Honda (or Toyota, etc,) because they have been brainwashed into thinking that the import is better and gets better fuel economy. Honda is using the $$$ from the ignorant American to pay some poor cheap Indian laborer in a foreign country to build this "Japanese" car. The money Honda saves goes to Japan...who already owns most of the US anyway!!!! And if all these imports are such great cars..why do they have service departments??? Just like the domestics...all cars, no matter where they are made, eventually break down.

[1BadAction]

Hey, all you pro-domestic guys, look to your right, and look to your left, see those walls? Good, because you would get them to talk back to you before the america haters agreed with anything you say.

[sho305]

They say 1 in 10 jobs is connected to the auto industry. Just today they said GM alone spends $2 Billion a year in advertising. You want to see chaos, if they go down you will see it. This is mostly a matter of the credit crunch not allowing people to buy cars just like in housing. Any large item needing credit has been hit hard by this financial system failure, in addition to credit a company uses to implement daily business. Sure the automakers have done a poor job of dealing with unions, but they have reduced big pay union workers by huge numbers. Most they just moved out of the country, a loss for the worker! They need to do more but that is not today's issue that is hurting them. Some of you need to take an economics class before you say things, right now you are talking about another great depression happening and you DON'T want to live through that. We need to save these companies and need to keep people in their mortgages, and stimulate the economy; the flow of money. If we don't you can be guaranteed your life will be tough for some time and you can kiss boating and whatever you American dream is goodbye for a while. GM makes money outside the US, they are even the largest automaker in China.

I am amazed nobody wants to blame the people that caused this financial mess and fix the underlying issues. Our lives could well turn to complete *&%# if this does not happen soon, I figure once Christmas shopping season is over we are hosed if no action is taken. If the consumer is 66% of the economy and 10% of them lose their jobs (providing only automakers go under) just what do you think will happen? Yes, another big round of mortgage defaults to kill financials again as well. We already have layoffs starting and no large companies have hit the dirt yet, that means unemployment is already higher than stated. That adds up to double digits easy, not a pretty situation.

I don't think protectionism is the answer, I think it is mostly a matter of government (I mean lack of) policy on health care and pensions/etc. US companies can't operate well under that weight and so you get outsourced labor. The government taking some small steps towards fixing this could have larger effects, such as reducing health care costs, government waste and corruption, energy market speculation, and so on. Of course this has little to do with the financial meltdown they largely set in motion.

Here is typical example of the state government here: A while back they had a big union go around with the auto makers, on how many plants would go away and what pay would be. From what I heard they came up with X plants would close and present workers left still get the big money but not any new workers they get half pay or something....same deal they always make; save the old farts at the cost of jobs. The democrat governor could have gone in there and tried to save jobs by keeping the plants here and getting the union to deal but no, she stayed far away. She helped the unions and us by letting thousands of great jobs go out of the state, didn't she? Once they shutter that plant do you know what it takes to open one again? Those are the best paying blue collar jobs in the state, so just what is this state government trying to do? So of course, that means higher taxes for the rest of us or less services. Automakers are the economic base of this state and the government here is happy to wave bye-bye to them, they have taken lessons from the federal government is the only thing I can figure out.

Hate America is right, and we are gonna pay for it too.

[Pro300x24LD]

OK, now it's time to hear from somebody that's been in the auto industry for over 18 years. I've been everything from a salesman, used car manager, new car manager, finance manager, finance director, and General Sales Manager. I'm currently a finance director at a Honda Store. The current state of affairs for the domestic brands has nothing to do with quality. They are currently building the best products in their history and have done so for the last 6 years. I will put up any GM/Chrysler/Ford vehicle to any import..and the quality, fit and finish, and technology is there. The crisis arrises from the publics perception and bad media rap. The media thrives on beating the domestic auto industry to death. Yes, at one time the domestic vehicles were inferior to the imports but it hasn't been that way for some time. GM builds more economical cars than all the imports put together..but is that publicised by the mass media..NO! GM's factories have recieved more awards and recognition by JD Powers & assoc. than any import factories..is that publicised by the mass media..NO. When Toyota or Honda or Mazda have a recall, they make no big fuss about it..but the minute GM, Ford or Chyrsler have a recall..NEWFLASH, it spead all over the world in a heartbeat....and the minute word gets out that sales are down and rumors start spreading that the us auto makers are losing money, the public looks elsewhere to buy their cars...and the us automakers lose even more money. IT'S A SNOWBALLING EFFECT, and a very sad one. It's the US auto industry that this nation was built on. It was the US auto industry that jumped in and produced much of what was built during WWII to save our asses...and yet we buy Japanese cars (and German cars) WTF!!! If I didn't need a paycheck, I would not be working for Honda..but unfortunately, my multi franchise dealership sends me where the most business is. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to save this great nation, throw every import; Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Lexus, Infinity, Hyundai, Kia, VW, etc. out of this country, CLOSE THE GATES..the hell with fair trade and the import/export market. Half these cars are not even built in the countries they are titled from yet the American $$$$$ goes to those nations. Again, WTF!! We now have Hondas sold in America that are being built in India because the labor is so cheap there..so lets see, the ignorant American is buying a Honda (or Toyota, etc,) because they have been brainwashed into thinking that the import is better and gets better fuel economy. Honda is using the $$$ from the ignorant American to pay some poor cheap Indian laborer in a foreign country to build this "Japanese" car. The money Honda saves goes to Japan...who already owns most of the US anyway!!!! And if all these imports are such great cars..why do they have service departments??? Just like the domestics...all cars, no matter where they are made, eventually break down.

Good post, I emphasized a few things for our slow readers.

[Hydrophobic guy]

OK, now it's time to hear from somebody that's been in the auto industry for over 18 years. I've been everything from a salesman, used car manager, new car manager, finance manager, finance director, and General Sales Manager. I'm currently a finance director at a Honda Store. The current state of affairs for the domestic brands has nothing to do with quality. They are currently building the best products in their history and have done so for the last 6 years. I will put up any GM/Chrysler/Ford vehicle to any import..and the quality, fit and finish, and technology is there. The crisis arrises from the publics perception and bad media rap. The media thrives on beating the domestic auto industry to death. Yes, at one time the domestic vehicles were inferior to the imports but it hasn't been that way for some time. GM builds more economical cars than all the imports put together..but is that publicised by the mass media..NO! GM's factories have recieved more awards and recognition by JD Powers & assoc. than any import factories..is that publicised by the mass media..NO. When Toyota or Honda or Mazda have a recall, they make no big fuss about it..but the minute GM, Ford or Chyrsler have a recall..NEWFLASH, it spead all over the world in a heartbeat....and the minute word gets out that sales are down and rumors start spreading that the us auto makers are losing money, the public looks elsewhere to buy their cars...and the us automakers lose even more money. IT'S A SNOWBALLING EFFECT, and a very sad one. It's the US auto industry that this nation was built on. It was the US auto industry that jumped in and produced much of what was built during WWII to save our asses...and yet we buy Japanese cars (and German cars) WTF!!! If I didn't need a paycheck, I would not be working for Honda..but unfortunately, my multi franchise dealership sends me where the most business is. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to save this great nation, throw every import; Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Lexus, Infinity, Hyundai, Kia, VW, etc. out of this country, CLOSE THE GATES..the hell with fair trade and the import/export market. Half these cars are not even built in the countries they are titled from yet the American $$$$$ goes to those nations. Again, WTF!! We now have Hondas sold in America that are being built in India because the labor is so cheap there..so lets see, the ignorant American is buying a Honda (or Toyota, etc,) because they have been brainwashed into thinking that the import is better and gets better fuel economy. Honda is using the $$$ from the ignorant American to pay some poor cheap Indian laborer in a foreign country to build this "Japanese" car. The money Honda saves goes to Japan...who already owns most of the US anyway!!!! And if all these imports are such great cars..why do they have service departments??? Just like the domestics...all cars, no matter where they are made, eventually break down.

Good post, I emphasized a few things for our slow readers.

I cut to the chase.

[Pro300x24LD]

I cut to the chase.

beautious

[transomstand]

OK, now it's time to hear from somebody that's been in the auto industry for over 18 years. I've been everything from a salesman, used car manager, new car manager, finance manager, finance director, and General Sales Manager. I'm currently a finance director at a Honda Store. The current state of affairs for the domestic brands has nothing to do with quality. They are currently building the best products in their history and have done so for the last 6 years. I will put up any GM/Chrysler/Ford vehicle to any import..and the quality, fit and finish, and technology is there. The crisis arrises from the publics perception and bad media rap. The media thrives on beating the domestic auto industry to death. Yes, at one time the domestic vehicles were inferior to the imports but it hasn't been that way for some time. GM builds more economical cars than all the imports put together..but is that publicised by the mass media..NO! GM's factories have recieved more awards and recognition by JD Powers & assoc. than any import factories..is that publicised by the mass media..NO. When Toyota or Honda or Mazda have a recall, they make no big fuss about it..but the minute GM, Ford or Chyrsler have a recall..NEWFLASH, it spead all over the world in a heartbeat....and the minute word gets out that sales are down and rumors start spreading that the us auto makers are losing money, the public looks elsewhere to buy their cars...and the us automakers lose even more money. IT'S A SNOWBALLING EFFECT, and a very sad one. It's the US auto industry that this nation was built on. It was the US auto industry that jumped in and produced much of what was built during WWII to save our asses...and yet we buy Japanese cars (and German cars) WTF!!! If I didn't need a paycheck, I would not be working for Honda..but unfortunately, my multi franchise dealership sends me where the most business is. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to save this great nation, throw every import; Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Lexus, Infinity, Hyundai, Kia, VW, etc. out of this country, CLOSE THE GATES..the hell with fair trade and the import/export market. Half these cars are not even built in the countries they are titled from yet the American $$$$$ goes to those nations. Again, WTF!! We now have Hondas sold in America that are being built in India because the labor is so cheap there..so lets see, the ignorant American is buying a Honda (or Toyota, etc,) because they have been brainwashed into thinking that the import is better and gets better fuel economy. Honda is using the $$$ from the ignorant American to pay some poor cheap Indian laborer in a foreign country to build this "Japanese" car. The money Honda saves goes to Japan...who already owns most of the US anyway!!!! And if all these imports are such great cars..why do they have service departments??? Just like the domestics...all cars, no matter where they are made, eventually break down.

Pretty good post

I have 37 years in the industry, about 30 of those in fixed operations. I gave up with these arguments a long time ago, because as you say, your not arguing against reality, your arguing against a perception.

[JR IN JAX]

So because I [and most others] don't want to buy a car that is mostly made in Mexico and the rest is by a radical Union that supports everything I am against, I am an America Hater?

Get real.

Surely you all can come up with a better reason than that to Steal Tax money and give to your Union Bosses.

I support my country but not the Communists who want to take over it's Government.

[JUPITER PULSARE]

I will continue to buy American..including Mercury, MerCruiser, and Evinrude!!!! If you want to buy Japanese..buy freakin TV or clock radio or electric razor...........but leave the car buying within the USA!!!!!

[Pro300x24LD]

So because I [and most others] don't want to buy a car that is mostly made in Mexico and the rest is by a radical Union that supports everything I am against, I am an America Hater?

Get real.

Surely you all can come up with a better reason than that to Steal Tax money and give to your Union Bosses.

I support my country but not the Communists who want to take over it's Government.

Uhhhhh yes you do, you readily admitted that you buy Honda and Toyota's over american made cars.

You are the type of person who causes US manufacturing to be forced over seas, forced into mexico, forced offshore call centers and you will probably be the first to turn around and go gee.....what happened to the economy, I need Barack to share his wealth with me now that it finally affected me.

[Kartracer]

So because I [and most others] don't want to buy a car that is mostly made in Mexico...

That is a very ignorant comment.

[Hydrophobic guy]

I [and most others] don't want to buy a car that is mostly made in Mexico.

Hola, por favor explique que a mí.

[RED ALERT]

Well if Obama, Pelosi and Reid think it's a good idea. Who am I to argue?
Besides, you Michigan guys really scared, er uh convinced me into seeing the way.
And I sure wouldn't want 1BadAction to think I'm unpatriotic because we don't agree that socialism is bad.

I've been everything from a salesman, used car manager, new car manager, finance manager, finance director, and General Sales Manager.I'm currently a finance director at a Honda Store

But this post really closed the deal for me, because I know you cannot attain these positions within a dealership by being less than honest or trustworthy. Sounds like JUPITER is acting as a secret double agent, Detroit's man on the inside, so to speak.
Positioning himself inside the Honda store is genius. He can then warn off potential Honda clients by grinning and flashing his Capt America underpants.


Thanks for re-educating this 25 year veteran of the auto business. You really can teach an old dog new tricks

[JR IN JAX]

Uhhhhh yes you do, you readily admitted that you buy Honda and Toyota's over american made cars.

You are the type of person who causes US manufacturing to be forced over seas, forced into mexico, forced offshore call centers and you will probably be the first to turn around and go gee.....what happened to the economy, I need Barack to share his wealth with me now that it finally affected me.

I have never asked the Gov for a penny, I am a payer not a taker.

I have no confidence that I will ever get back the 40 years of Social Security my Wife and I have paid, or the Medicare .