Should America Let It's Auto Industry Die?
I have only owned American cars, Ford vehicles at that. A Ford Escort and two Ford Explorer SUVs. I'm not sure if my next car will be American-made. I know that a lot of people would lose their jobs, but I'm not sure if the American auto industry is nothing but a bottomless pit.
11 comments:
I actually though the American auto industry was already dead. Aren't a lot if not all American cars built overseas? But, I think if Obama's calling for a bailout for them, it must be really serious. I can't image the uneployment resulting from a lack of action.
American cars depreciated in value too much, too quickly. I say pay all the employees who'd lose their jobs and let the car companies and the executives who continually make bad business decisions have to take the hit. That's far cheaper than $25B and they'll come begging for money again one year from now because their entire model is based on people borrowing money to buy cars they really can't afford anyway.
I have always had a sport type Honda or Acura vehicle (second hand). But three years ago I purchased my first brand new SUV which happens to be a "fix or repair daily". In my living situation, I have sharp curves, steep hills and mountains to climb daily, and I realize Japanese cars are built for their similar hills and mountains. The first week I realized I made a big mistake. So now I am stuck with a "fix or repair daily" that can't even seem to give me the power on the mountains or even the flat highway. People on the American mainland that live on the flats may not be aware of the magnitude of this comparison.
I don't know if I would EVER purchase an American car again. At the same time, I don't want to see the American car industry go down... but just not at the tax payers expense AGAIN.
oh my,
i feel that much of what the auto industry is going through now is of their own making. not the actual workers themselves, but the suits! Greed is their downfall and making crappy products--cutting corners in order to provide a larger profit for themselves has caused this mess they are in--which creates an effect of tumbling into the laps of the innocent workers.
the auto industry will not die--but it does need to be re-organized so that the greed is eliminated--or downsized a lot--they lost touch with the people who work for them and the people who buy from them.
once rec'ing my first car (age 16)--i was a stone honda girl!
then i went to the ford (Lord what was the name of that car-FORD stands for=found on road dead)--it looked good but was always breaking down-- i learned then not to buy a newly designed vehicle that had not been on the road for at least a year or 2 in order for them to work out the bugs. (shoot what was the name of that car???LOLO)
then i went to dodge and got an intrepid--LOVED that car--until the engine started doing things that kept it from running smoothly--
then i decided to go to JEEP!
i have two--a 2 door and the four door!!
LOVING JEEP!!!
i can climb or go down just about anything! lolol--yes i've been jeeping a few times! lolo--I'm a 'Jeeper' now!
i love cars and
i love a powerful engine and always have had a V-6--well after the first 2 honda preludes i owned--they only came in V-4 at the time i bought one.
there's no power in a V-4 unless the torque is strong.
ok, i've rambled on--lol--still can't remember the name of that ford i owned???wheeww--gotta love gettting older!! hahahahaa
oh and i do still own a ford..but it is a 1965 Mustang-navy blue- 3 in the floor! I LOVE my baby-but i want to sell her...
she needs re-furbishing and i don't want to put the $ into doing so. and she is going to dry-rot if i don't sell her to someone who wants to
re-furb her.
my partner drives a honda crv--love it! but i am always going to be a honda girl at heart!
though i don't like the body style of the newer ones--look too much like everything else on the rode.
I have been thinking about this. You can't make us purchase cars if we don't want to. We have paid off our cars 2000 and 2001 and don't want a car note. Let it go, we have enough used car lots as it is, this economy is forcing us all to become a different type of consumer. Large unemployment? They may have to find a new career field. Invest in the workers to help them in this quest. My husband was saying that some of the assemblyline workers make $75 an hour, is this true?
Even if the government put money into the auto industry now, in another year they'd be back for more. Any money given should come with conditions that the industry will be overhauled.
Unemployment insurance for the 5 million laid off workers would far exceed the cost of a $24B bailout, plus those workers would have less than their salaries and thus would do less consumer spending; many would lose their homes.
As I said in my post Will Obama Pimp Our Ride last week, denying help is one of Bush's final shit sandwiches he's serving to the people before he exits.
@oregonsistah
yes that is about right. depending on your position at the factory.
they make very good money in the car factories. in one--it could also be a side company that makes parts that the main manufacturer uses -- tires, upholstry, etc. they also make a good piece of change.
and they used to rec a huge discount to purchase a car from the company they work for.
they could also buy cars for family members.
i think most manufacturers stopped that--again cutting into they profits.
and if you drive a car to work that was not one that they made--you would have problems to deal with.
AHA!!
ford probe!
that is the name of the car.
lololo
whew that feels better...lololo
I say let the dinosaurs DIE. It is not our fault that the Detroit 3 have FAILED to adapt to the market place.
Not our fault that the UAW, like most unions has out lived its usefulness. Bad workers get promotions based on longevity and seniority NOT merit. UAW folks are thugs....
I don't wanna see another bailout without any extensive oversight. Unless a deal can be made that ensures the auto industry drastically changes its operation philosophy.
Everyone -
These are awesome comments here. I was feeling sorry for the auto industry, but after reading these comments, I just can't help feeling that the American people should roll the dice and let this segment of history die.
I completely agree with the crappiness of American made cars. I've never had a FORD lemon, but they alway have multiple recalls on their products. They cut to many corners.
I don't know the living wage that auto workers get, but the forever health insurance is crazy. That's just not a realistic plan.
It would be nice to save them, but simply giving them money is not going to achieve that.
They all had billions and have pissed it all away for years now. Giving them money now just prolongs the inevitable.
If you build crappy cars, pretend they are American (when often they are built in Mexico with Canadian parts), people won't buy them.
The Japanese have managed to produce better cars that are more reliable, last longer, use less gas, hold their value better, and look better. So with all that said, what's to like about these horrible American cars?
I'm not being un-American, I sincerely wish I could buy a quality American car. But I've yet to see one.
My former boss had a $45,000 Cadillac. It was just worthless. It was probably in the shop more than any other car I've seen. In the end the electronics went so haywire his staff would joke about it being haunted.
His business partner had an expensive Escalade. The engine and transmission had to be replaced at 20,000 miles.
My friend had a $47,000 Chevy Suburban. That was always in the shop. One time the wipers started going on randomly and you couldn't switch them off without pulling a fuse out from under the dash.
You can't produce crap like that and expect it to stand up to the ultra reliable cars made by Honda, Nissan, and Toyota.
The big American car companies make too many different cars, own too many brands, and produce poor quality vehicles. Unless they have a radical rethink of their business model, money will not help them.
One final point, why is the CEO of GM making $5m a year, when his is driving the company into the ground? I'd be happy to do the job for half that salary; I certainly couldn't do any worse than he is!
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