18th Sep 2011, 12:46
I don't care if GM, Ford and Chrysler are made on the moon. They are still built, designed and engineered by a domestic brand name company. How domestic is that? Domestic enough for me. If anything is getting old and tiresome, it's the argument of where any import or domestic manufacturing plants are located.
18th Sep 2011, 14:53
Sweeping and unsubstantiated statements such as "all GM V-6's will have gasket (or manifold) failures, or "ALL Ford transmissions will fail" needs to be qualified. I suppose all of those items would occur if you drove a million or so miles.
We have never kept any of our Ford or GM vehicles over 350,000 miles, but in that time not a one of them ever had a head gasket, manifold or transmission failure. Consumer Reports featured a Ford in the October 2009 issue that was just shy of half a million miles on the original engine and transmission. There are millions of 3.8 V-6's on the road that have never had an intake or head gasket issue after 250,000+ miles. There are tens of thousands of Fords that have surpassed 400,000 miles with no transmission failures as taxi cabs.
It's sad that the huge amounts of money spent by Japanese companies to promote myths about domestic vehicles has created such a bogus view of domestic vehicles. Well over 99.99% of people making unfounded and untrue statements about domestics have never so much as sat in, let alone driven one. The other .01% have bought abused used domestics with a quarter million miles on them, and then complain because they have minor problems.
Most of our cars since the 70's have been purchased new. Not a single domestic has ever had an engine or transmission problem in the time we kept it (over 300,000 miles in some cases). Not a single domestic we have owned has ever required a single repair of ANY kind in the first 100,000 miles. That's why I refuse to sit back and let incorrect and unsubstantiated comments go unchallenged.
18th Sep 2011, 19:29
I find this constant bickering back and forth absolutely ridiculous. We have 5 cars in my household, ranging from 1996 all the way up to 2009.
Our '96 Corolla has 195,000 miles on it, and the only major repair it has ever need was a heater core.
Our '97 Saturn was purchased for only $200.00, and after replacing the engine (because the previous owner NEVER changed the oil in over 35,000 miles), it has been great and gets almost 40 MPG.
Our '99 Chrysler Cirrus has only 90,000 miles on it, and not once has the check engine light ever come on.
Our 2006 Honda CR-V has been used dozens of times for off-road excursions it was never designed for, and yet in 75,000 miles it's needed nothing.
We just recently purchased a used 2009 Toyota Camry with only 32,000 miles on it this past July. It already has almost 45,000 miles on it, we absolutely love it.
To claim that any one brand makes total crap (or that any one brand is perfect) is ludicrous. Some of the worst vehicles we have ever owned have been Fords. In fact, if I recall correctly, the only vehicle that has ever actually broken down and left us stranded was a Ford Windstar. However, I'm fully aware of the fact that just because our Fords were bad, doesn't mean all Fords are. If people just drove what works best for them and didn't try to force it on anyone else, pointless arguments like these wouldn't happen. But I guess this site wouldn't exist then either?
19th Sep 2011, 07:05
Manufactured with a foreign labour force. Even if your domestics were assembled in the U.S.A., it uses parts produced globally, how domestic is that? If your domestic was built on the moon, it would be foreign built. Chrysler is only 50% American now. The other 50% is foreign owned by Italians. How domestic is that?
19th Sep 2011, 10:41
But what is that supposed to mean? For example, the new Toyota Tundra was designed, engineered, tested, and now built in the US in a new factory in TX using an all-American workforce assembling the truck from parts made by American-owned companies. 85% of the truck is entirely made in the USA.
So what exactly is the argument here? Is it for the sake of how many American workers work for a company - any company? If it's about everyday workers like you and me - the people who aren't making millions and millions of dollars a year - those who reside in the middle class - then choosing an import or domestic automaker doesn't guarantee that you are supporting more or less workers. If I buy a Toyota Tundra, I know for fact that it will support thousands of US workers. The same would be true if I bought a Ford F-150. It's not a cut and dry argument.
19th Sep 2011, 12:17
If a domestic was built on a moon, it still would utilize parts designed and spec'ed out from United States. If a Toyota is made in America, it is still built to the parent's corporate based specs in Japan. Spinning on the nuts and bolts does not involve the design and parts approval from the parent company. If a manufacturer skimps, it doesn't matter who bolts or welds whatever material, thicknesses, drive trains. Its built to spec.
In turn, a large percentage of major profits goes to the parent based company and pays for its designers, engineers and those that spec out its parts. Companies cannot rest on their laurels as it is us that open our wallet and buy. I find brand loyalty as a current offering as well. I will buy import or domestic, and in fact my driveway is mixed with both. I use to buy exact same brand blindly. My experience is you lose some negotiating power as well... the dealer figures they have you over and over same mfr. same model. I know my new car salesman was surprised I switched lately to others. I use to buy for a different color or just for a new car. When I saw major repairs, I scoured around and tested other brands. I have a 50/50 mix in my drive now. I guess I cannot be labeled either way. I have to be impressed in 2012, and I will and do buy.
17th Sep 2011, 12:23
No, I don't think he meant the 3.8 for the head gasket failures. Had he referred to the 3800 Series 1 and series 2, he would have written they are 100% certain to have upper and lower intake manifold leaks, causing engine coolant to mix with engine oil, leading to engine failure and replacement.
Did GM do a voluntary recall? NO! Some people have distorted views and have double standards. Why is it okay for GM, Ford and Chrysler not to have voluntary recalls. Every single GM 3.1, 3.4 are prone to head gasket failures, every 3.8 series one and two will have upper and lower intake manifold failures. The same for the Ford 3.8, every Ford will need a transmission replacement, Chrysler's too. Ask a 1995-1999 LeSabre, Bonneville owner if their subframe rust ever rusted through, at least check this website.
Some people just love to bring out only the negatives in their arguments, and leave out the positives and think people won't notice.
By the way, I am not Honda or Toyota owner, I drive GM vehicles and am tired of reading about anti-import biases. Sorry, but your beloved domestics are being mass produced in Canada, Mexico and Germany. Currently, GM, Ford and Chrysler import 40% of their cars from Canada, Mexico and Germany. Chrysler is 50% Italian owned, how domestic is that?