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Automotive News & Views United Automobile Workers of America (UAW)
16701 messages, Last post on Nov 20, 2009 at 3:39 AM
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Replying to: dallasdude1 (Dec 01, 2008 6:33 pm) As for the Washington Mutual CEO who pockets millions for a few months of work, more power to him. If you were a senior executive who had his choice of position, would you have taken the WAMU job without a big upfront bonus and severance if the bank was bought? Come to think of it, an executive that can negotiate that deal ought to be Waggoner's replacement at GM to negotiate with the unions and suppliers. "The judicial branch is independent of the executive branch." And by the way, federal prosecutors are in the executive branch and answerable to the Attorney General, who answers to the President. The judicial branch can't prosecute anyone for anything.
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Replying to: lemko (Dec 02, 2008 6:57 am) The fact that yours didn't fail on you is why you kept buying them. Remember that just about every middle-aged or older person you see driving a foreign nameplate bought a domestic car at some point, suffered as a result, and said "never again".
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Replying to: bumpy (Dec 02, 2008 7:27 am)
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Replying to: lemko (Dec 02, 2008 7:35 am) Or maybe it's you that are exaggerating. In my neck of the woods there are many that have owned one of the domestics but few who currently do. That's been the trend the last 15 years I've been in Florida. My older brother has always been a die hard GM buyer. We've had some brutal family discussions at holiday time. He's now on his 3rd piece of crap GM in a row and he's now looking at a Toyota Tundra, says he's had enough. His current vehicle is a 2002 GMC pickup with about 70K miles and needs about $3K in unexpected repairs (starter, both window regulators, check engine light on, and rear end work). Viva Viagra!
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Replying to: mikefm58 (Dec 02, 2008 7:56 am)
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Replying to: mikefm58 (Dec 02, 2008 7:56 am) Just out of curiosity, do you know how much it cost to have the window motors replaced? I just had to have the motor in the driver's door of my '85 Silverado replaced. Total bill came out to about $280, but that also included replacing some rubber seals, and I bought them separately. Figured that while the door was pulled apart that much, might as well do the seals, too. My uncle has had the 4L60E transmission go out in his 1997 Silverado twice now. I think the first time was around 70,000 miles, and it was covered under an extended warranty. Second time was around 108,000, and that time it was around $1860 to replace. Sad thing is, it's not like he ever does anything heavy-duty with that truck. He's never towed anything with it, and never hauled anything really heavy. Whenever there's any real work to be done, we'd usually just use my old '85. |
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Lemko, you have to face the fact that your experience is the anomaly, regrettably, and not the rule. If the American manufacturers were making consistently making cars of the desirability and quality of the Japanese, they wouldn't be in this situation. Almost everyone I know has a 'bad Detroit' story. My Dad's 1980 Accord was his revelation. I remember him saying - "I'm amazed. 90,000 miles and I haven't done anything but change the oil and the tires." This after a 78 Chevy Caprice that came from the factory with the rear axle misaligned, the ugliest 'Rubbermaid' dash, I've ever seen to this day, and persistent starting problems. He never went back to U.S. cars. After he passed away, I tried HARD to get my mom to buy a Buick. Great car, and great local dealer only 10 miles away. She absolutely refused. She bought an Avalon. My 23 year-old niece asked me for advice for her first car. She started out with "I know, no American cars!" Her Dad, who drives Dodge trucks. told her that. And it's not just family. I have a co-worker who changed to Japanese cars about 5 years ago. She is always saying she wished she had stopped trying to be so patriotic sooner. It didn't have to be this way. Caterpillar Tractor company bit the bullet and rebuilt the company back in the 1980's- it took a 200-plus day strike with the unions to do it, though. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,923617,00.html They not only survived the Japanese invasion - against exactly the same odds and playing field that Detroit faced - but prospered as well. Now it's time to reinvent themselves again, and they're ready. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/08/20/100166166/inde- x.htm Now, I'm not saying that GM's situation is all the fault of the UAW. The UAW had nothing to do with the design of the Aztek, et al. However, over the years, they've been part of the problem just as much as management's bad decisions. Anybody else remember when Consumers Reports published a decoder so you could avoid American cars built on a Friday or a Monday? Those were the worst build-quality days. I really think that bankruptcy is the answer. GM is like an alcoholic in denial, and nothing is going to change until they hit bottom. Bail them out, and they'll keep drinking -in this case - the koolaid that says that these problems are somebody else's fault. Oil prices, the Japanese, misinformed consumers. But in the end, it comes down to my 23 year old niece, and the lessons she's absorbed from the experiences of her relatives. That's another 10 years of lost sales for GM, Ford, and Chrysler, unless something dramatic happens that might change her mind.
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Replying to: andre1969 (Dec 02, 2008 8:09 am) No, he hasn't had the work done. It's cold where he lives so he's gonna drive it through the winter and then dump it. But it's probably comparable to a Mustang I had a few years ago that cost $260 to have one regulator done. And that was at a small repair shop, not the dealer.
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Replying to: lokki (Dec 02, 2008 8:12 am)
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Replying to: lemko (Dec 02, 2008 8:02 am) Maybe it is because you are extremely good to your cars. Most people I know just drive em. Change the oil at various intervals when it fits their schedule. Your experience with Cadillac and Buick are similar to my wife and her LS400. Though looking back at her records she was screwed over on routine maintenance by the dealer. My experience with GM dealers service is overall better than the imports. The worst being Subaru in Alaska. The sad part for me is not GM going down it is the dealers that have treated me well over the years with my GM trucks. Most were bought in one state and serviced here in CA. I am not enthused with Toyota service. My complaints were all given the brushoff. Sorry about that. I still consider the UAW the key to GM survival. |
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