Why did American car companies wait so long to step up their game?

45

Asked by Natalli Sep 23, 2009 at 03:49 AM

Question type: General

The subject says it all . . .

21 Answers

10

The real reason is 'taking the prospective buyers 'for granted'.in business it's a 'no no' ,it'll be interesting to see,the quality of future GMCorp. products,Our wisest president in his wisdom bet on improvement,when he bailed them out ,and so far GM shows some efforts,but time'll tell,what it's really needed it's quality,dependability,and attention to clients needs,please note that Ford of Europe design at least in styling and size met some global expectation,as some models 'll be imported into the USA ,yet we like to hope that quality and longevity and safety'll be inc. in the package(note Ford Focus,and Fiesta)

45

Yeah I totally agree. I just get mad because they waited til it was almost too late. Why wait til your company almost goes bankrupt to think about the general public??? Many people say shit like... "I want to buy American so I can help stimulate the economy!" WHY?! These companies never really thought about you til their asses were in trouble!!! They aren't even making them more stable and efficient for you, they are doing it to stay in business! I'd rather buy an import and say f*** the domestics. I used to work at a car wash for 4 years. I have seem many things wrong with American cars, mirrors falling off, antennas falling off, bumpers FALLING OFF! Pontiac still hasn't really have done much to step their game up, so they are calling it quits. I was in my friend's G6 coupe. He is the original owner and the car is about 3 years old. His factory radio looks trashy already, the numbers and letters are rubbed off from the interface. TALK ABOUT QUALITY! I had a 97 Infiniti I30. I got it at a dealer car auction. It had 2 owners prior to me. It was 10 years old and everything on it was in perfect shape. I would have still had the car if the cops didn't impound it at a bad time. Ford has made the new Ford Taurus. I was a Taurus fan back when it was reliable. Years 1992-1996. Even my 89 Taurus Station wagon has went through a lot of hell and made it out on top. But after they made them look all crappy and plastic, I lost faith. American auto makers... They hate us, but love our hard earned money.

16,725

I assume you primarily referring to GM since Ford had relatively few problems and Chrysler has been in the crapper for decades and has flopped hands more times than a juggling ball. Because the process to design a car isn't instantaneous. You forget that in 2005 GM was still the big dog. And the changes they are making are sweeping changes including the addition of whole new vehicle platforms. Consider this... How long do you think it takes to design a car from the ground up? How much time do you think they put into testing and then making changes? (Look at what the Volt started as and ended up as) How long do you think it takes to go through government red tape as well as certification testing. (EPA testing, NHTSA, SAE, Insurance testing) How long do you think it takes to design an assembly line and develop a supplier network for a new vehicle? How long after everything is designed and ready till they have a full assembly line ready and spitting out cars How long till they are in the lot ready for you to buy? I hate to tell you they didn't really wait... They've been working on it since the mistakes became apparent. It just takes a long time for things to be redone. And all the car makers were hurting recently not just the domestics. Now the question is why did they fair worse than others? There are a lot of reasons for that. Size of the labor force, the size of the market share they had slowly decreasing with more competition, greater infrastructure size, pension plans... They had a lot of problems to deal with most of them the result of having been so huge in the past. This was all exacerbated by a poor market position during the down turn, but blaming them for that is like me blaming you for not winning the lottery last week. It's pointless and meaningless. (God I'm sick of these pot stirring topics)

1 people found this helpful.
8,295

Speaking of efficiency, I didn't think the fuel efficiency of the Chevrolet Impala was that bad, for its size. The Impalas are used as company cars at work, since 2007 and still runs and holds up okay. At around 197,061 miles my 2000 Chevrolet Malibu is still going. Mine happened to survive car washes. Though I wish I'd see more Pontiac G8 like BMW fighters sooner in the states.

10

Natasha (Natalie in French),I take my hat off to you,You're such an astute observer,You should join the Ombudsman office in the White house!,You know I'm a surviver of a GM that lost its rear wheels on the usually busy freeway,fortunately when it happened it was Labor day,I was the only one driving to work that faithfull day,and I slowed down drastically,when I heard the strange noises from the rear,That saved my life,I (I mean We all)need to cry about the lost lives in the Ford Explorer Firestone FIASCO!,but never mind we still alive (so far) ,Please be safe and watch out like a lioness for the other drivers,too many are drunk,and/or stoned!

16,725

Curious question how did the rear wheel come off? Did the studs shear off or did the suspension give way?

45

Wow! I am glad you survived that!!! And yeah I understand the whole situation. I just believe that American car companies are taking slow measures. They should have BEEN on it sooner! And once again I am really glad you are ok. Stay safe, drive imports! LOL

10

Appreciate your kindness,Here in the USA,very unfortunately,too many mfrs.(manufacturers) taking the locals 'for granted',due to the reason of patriotism,without criteria,as a results ,they assume a 'monopolistic' position,which's why too many products made in this USA has inferior quality,that's inc. computers and external zip drives,as well as Hard drives,No accountability,It took many lives overseas and only when US American consumers died as a results of the infameous Ford Explorer Firestone Fiasco,that the local legal system forced to act to protect the consumers by the locals survivors of the deceased,In this USA people needs ethics!and honest caring about bone another,not only about themselves and their income,as example is the case now ,with our magnificent current president that try almost in vain to improve this country by introducing humanitarian form of medical care systems,his oponents,mainly the businesses that make Billiuons of US dollars on the miseries of this society, with the oppositionparty,that support them ,concocted visious lies to defeat his humanitarian measures Health care for all US Americans residents.since they may not earn crazy profits,they came up with lies ,and caused the hope for a better medical care in this country almost to fail,they got a lot of support of folks with self serving financial interests as well as folks that their 'opinion' is influenced by others. so this country is dooomed almost to the current misories and inhumanitarian treatments of its disabled.the local car mfrs. neglected their responsibilities,and by right,they should be paying the price,but it'll cause the USA economy to collapse farther ,permanently,in order to save jobs,and some of the economy our best president in a decade OBAMA!,helped these auto mfrs.it'll give this country another chance ,in Dutch it's said:Jer kans is verkeken! (Your chance is lost) on such a try,but,never the less,in spite of many exuses (US culture based on such),let's watch and see,if they 've learned their lesson,I'm very skeptical,but trust Obama,he's a little more rational then the outgoing hypocrite!.best evidence,He don't turn Iran into another Iraq excuse,he also work with Russia and China,so he has some excellent logic,and above the average IQ!.

1 people found this helpful.
10

This Reply to Adam Morgan:The way I've been explained all these Chevrolet Malibu Fisher F type body designation,had the 2 axles of the rr. wheels that lead to the Universal joint gear box or rear axle held by a clip,or a pin,type of mechanism ,and on both side of the box it gave up,meaning the two rear wheels got separated,while I was driving,and each one was traveling away from the rear sides of the car,it's beyond belief,as I mentioned before,I was very fortunate to slow down drastically,once I heard strange grinding sounds from the rear of this station wagon car,that saved my life,otherwise once the car hit the Santa Anita street bridge on the 210 Freeway,it would,due to impact,and low retainig wall,most likely would have been turned over sideways due to the impact and would have landed on its roof that would have been caved in,on the Santa Anita thoroughfare in Arcadia,S.california.sometimes,it's good idea,to be tuned constwantly to sounds emitting from your car,as they've some meanings.

16,725

Dang that is an unfortunate case, glad to hear you were fine afterward. I was half expecting the usual case where the wheel studs shear off. You said it had a Fisher body, like the 1980s station wagons, correct? I'm surprised you heard much of anything prior to the failure, the one I had (for a day) had terrible road noise even at moderate speeds.

10

Fisher Body Div, of GMC mfd. bodies for various Divisions,This one was same as The Cadillac Seville that preceeded it,but slightly different diamensions,very attractive formal traditional design,However,the problem was lousy and extremely irresponsible quality controls.as well as cheap materials,really a criminal neglect,same as the 'Corvair' problems,as well as the Ford Explorer,Firestone fiasco.Even Ford Police cars cars as well as their Mercury Grand Marquis equivalent I assume had some serious 'situations'

45

Wow that's crazy. I really am glad you are ok though! This all shows to you how American car companies can really care less about your well being. Such carelessness. Never had any problems out of any foreign cars I had except for the Mitsubishi Galant '99. The trunk springs popped more than twice while driving. Sounded like a gun shot almost scared my mother into an accident. But really mistubishi's really don't count. I don't like them nor Mazda's. Can you say P.O.S.!?

10

Toyota and Honda were the only reliable marks,but recently there were some 'situations',Hyundai,and VolksWagen' inc. BMW are on the way up.We need GAZ and VAZ to pay attention!,otherwise Russo Balt and Marussia may be ascending.(CVhto/kak ty znayetch?!).

10

Nye'Mnosh'ka ( a little bit,I speak many languages) I visited to day an Armenian friend,here in S.California,He's from Yeravam(Yeravan,on lake Sevan) He teach me Armenian a little bit too,being West Texan,Naturally we learn Spanish so we could get along Ok with our Mexian neighbours.What languages do you speak,And since You've Russian name,What part of Russia Are you from,as a kid I visited Russia and the Ural Steppes there where I found my pet 'Ural' the 2nd a Siberian Steppe gray timber wolf pup was between a week to 2 weeks old stepped out to our roadside rest area looking for affectoion,I decided to adopt him right in and there My great Grandfather who was a Cossack told me,it was not a German Shephard as I thought but a wolf,that was long ago in Kuban,anyway Me vand my family managed to frisk him back to the USA ,My Cossack ancestors on the Russian sides like My English,Scotch.Irish,ancestors on the other side,Were also mixed with Viking invaders from Sweden ,and Norway,I'm a descendent of the Rus tribe,that arrived at lake Ladoga,and eventually ended in Kiev,where they established the Kievian Empire ,the proto Russian Ukrainian Empire They mixed with the Mongolian Cossacks once moving eastwards ,so are my Eastern side of the German and Austrian ancestors,Same also are the origin of my English ancestors (The Saxons).came from Sachsen (Saxony) to England,My Celtic Ancestors who Ended up min Scotland,England,and Ireland originated in the Caucasus mountains moved west S.West theru the Alps to Switzerland,Austria,then Germany ,France,Spain and Portugal.and moved to the British Isles most likely thu France Belgium,and even denmark (Danes are the original Germans),Quite interesting history of human movements,not to mention,the Mongolian 'Golden Hords that took over most of Europe Up to Finland Lappland,and even Greenland ,so we're all mixed (may be with the turks as well).However on My Russian Cossack side They were Bolsheviks,Whuile the other sides were mnsheviks (fought for the Tzar Romanov,and hiis Tzarina which oppressed the populance,therefore they were traitors).none of My Cossack ancestors side of the family joined the White army.They were with,Vladimir,Illych Uliyanov,Some ended as Truck designers at UAZ (Uliyanovsk,Avtomobilny,Zavod).They designed the reinflated tire compressor system.

8,295

I know with the Ford Police cars the fuel tank is behind the rear axle which has sharp corners and not protected with a shield to minimize fuel tank puncture if the car got rear ended on say a traffic stop or accident. Unfortunately it appeared that Ford took a long time to come up with that fix. The reason they are used widely in the US is that it is the largest sedan in the market with rear wheel drive (which their driving training is based on). What I like least about GM is their thinking that people will buy what they build. That is also evident with not offering a manual transmission on their full size pickup trucks, taking EV-1s away from people that wanted to buy it, and not building a 1/2 ton pickup truck with a diesel that many people want. I am not sure this is limited to domestic auto manufacturers, but they are definitely greedy or maximum profit at a high cost.

375

New chevy malibu hybrid got 19 mpg by car and driver. Isnt that a great car or what(rolls eyes).

375

Yeah. I guess we can all agree gm wins the douche bag award in the the auto motive industry for completely disregarding costumers so they could gain more "profits"(that worked will, considering no one is a gm costumer anymore). Right now I want gm to go under enron style(considering that they no longer own saab(high five)), but I want fiat to really help chrysler and fords global one program to be a success.

375

As I recall, the exaust flumes of the corvair were pumped into the cabin via the a/c.

375

I think this is a great way to describe chevy consistently has every vehicle recalled over lousy engineering techniques

Your Answer:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Paul
    Reputation
    56,390
  • #2
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    46,950
  • #3
    Ed92626
    Reputation
    41,930
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.