GM Quality Control - Page 9

Mike-in-Orange · 12-27-05, 02:47

Since the PT/HHR comments have come up I have this little tidbit to offer:

I've owned a PT Cruiser for two years now (and not a hint of trouble with it, by the way) and recently had the opportunity to rent a new HHR for a full week. While it seemed to be screwed together quite well, rode reasonably well and was fairly quite, the quality of the interior plastics was horrid at best. Plus, for as retro as the exterior is, the interior is just amazingly uninspired. I kept thinking that if you were going to rip off a car that was 5 years old and had sold almost one million units (the PT Cruiser) wouldn't you nitpick the heck out of the thing, find all the little bits that you thought needed improving, and improve them? It looks like Chevrolet did the opposite!! Plus, even though they added 7" to the overall length when compared to the PT, the interior dimensions are almost identical in every regard.

If you give them a blueprint and they still can't hit the mark, then it's no wonder they're in serious trouble.

FalconGuy · 12-27-05, 03:16

Just to clarify I asked a group of Aircraft Mechanics and Pilots, they all seem to drive a varied group of cars.

I wasn't asking an uninformed group, they have a lot of mechanical knowledge and can see quality or lack thereof for themselves.

The parking lot at work is a pretty mixed lot of BMW/MB/Subbies/Honda's/Nissan's heck even some Kia and Hyundai's. There is a few GM cars, but even those guys said they would never buy another.

Im not making this up, just figured I would pass it along since I found it relevant to the topic. GM has lost the next generation of car buyers, im sorry to be the one to tell you that but if you owned GM stock you figured that out a long time ago.

I know some people have a vested interest in GM, I dont mean to step on anyone's toes. I think the markets valuation of GM proves my point.

Im not the only one saying GM is as good as gone, turn on MSNBC or Bloomberg just about any day and hear them say sell your GM stock, the company is dead, they dont make products people want to buy, unless your giving 5 grand in rebates. Time will tell.....

The sucking of tax dollars will come from the already initiated tax credits GM is asking the government for to avoid more layoffs. A bailout if you would, google it the amounts are staggering. All this so they can stick some new plastic on last decades design and say here is our new 2006 model

TortoiseAWD · 12-27-05, 03:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpoiledMan

Tort, I've been meaning to ask you. I'd like to get a trunk monkey and was wondering if you knew of anyone that had them on special after Christmas?

SpoiledMan,

I'm not sure there are "official" trunk monkeys for sale . . . when the joke first started on NASIOC, quite a few guys bought a stuffed monkey (pretty much any toy monkey) and threw it in the trunk. I always thought of it as a good luck thing, and a way to perpetuate the joke . . .

I skimmed the TrunkMonkey website (http://www.trunkmonkeyracing.com), and I didn't see any toy stuffed monkeys. They have a lot of other stuff, though (t-shirts, mugs, stickers, etc.).

Tort

SpoiledMan · 12-27-05, 04:55

LOL, I knew it was a joke.

There is a car dealership here in the L.A. area that advertises the TM. It's a pretty cool joke.

SpoiledMan · 12-27-05, 04:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by FalconGuy

GM's motto should be " Come on, one more car before you die"

Anyone under 60 buying a GM today ( Trucks excluded ) should have their head examined.

Uh ohhhh......

I asked my sister last night if there was *any* domestic brand car that she would buy and her response was that she might consider a truck but none of the cars would even get a second glance. I asked why and she basically said that the cars she sees on the street while still being pretty new don't look to be holding up well.

Aurora40 · 12-27-05, 05:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by FalconGuy

:clipped tirad about how GM is the pits:

I guess all the employees at GM should just throw in the towel then. I mean, MSNBC and you have pronounced them dead. Why bother showing up for work at all?

If you think the stock price reflects their going under, why would the stock have any value at all then? Wouldn't the share price be a lot closer to zero cents?

Believe it or not, an entire generation is not composed of your buddies at work. I am however rather amazed at your lack of recognition of the efficiency fact I tossed at you. Your main point seemed to be GM is bloated and inefficient. But I tossed you that nugget about their plants, and nothing... Is it that you really aren't trying to make an argument, rather just trying to blast a company? It sure seems that way. Like the company or don't like it, but don't just **** on people.

Setec Astronomy · 12-27-05, 07:12

Guys, there will always be brand preference. I think what is instructive here is the bigger picture, that many of you have expressed the opinion that domestic brands are junk not even worthy of consideration, or hope, for that matter. What does that say about our industrial base? I'm glad we're all happy with our foreign cars, because when the dust clears in a few years, there will be virtually no industry here, and any that is, will be foreign-owned. This is kind of a vicious circle, and it's probably better for all of us to think how to be part of the solution, rather than the problem.

If any of you guys here who are dumping on GM (and Ford) think it's better for our country in the long run to have more Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. plants, and less GM & Ford, I'd think about that a little more closely.

PS I'm not sure that suggesting that cars on the street "don't look like they are holding up well" or that "GM buyers under 60 should have their heads examined" are thoughtful, insightful remarks that support your case for not picking a GM vehicle

Tasty · 12-27-05, 07:19

The reason there will be no industry in this country has A LOT less to do with GM sucking than it does things like NAFTA and horrifying trade deficits. We can't keep allowing companies to farm out labor to every country but ours, and have them expect us to be able to buy things back home. How can you spend money when you don't have a damn job?

Setec Astronomy · 12-27-05, 07:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tasty

We can't keep allowing companies to farm out labor to every country but ours, and have them expect us to be able to buy things back home. How can you spend money when you don't have a damn job?

Thanks for pointing that out. This hasn't been adding up for me for a long time. Everything you buy is made in China (or Japan, or India, or somewhere other than here), yet people seem to have plenty of money for new cars, expensive houses, etc. Something is wrong with this picture, and I can't help thinking we are going to find out pretty soon.

SpoiledMan · 12-27-05, 07:30

Maybe it's not thoughtful or insightful BUT it's her perception and perception goes a long way when it comes to making what is likely the second largest purchase that many make in life.

It's not that I'm happy to have the "foreign" (made in Ohio, Alabama, Mississippi etc.) cars taking over the industry here. I grew up on "American Iron" but when it came time for me to start spending my money in the early 90's it was quite easy to pick my '90 Acura and motor on absolutely problem free for 5 years and then trade it in, at a dealer yet, and get over half what I paid for it. The only domestic I would have considered in that day was the Beretta(sp) GTU. I haven't seen one of those around in a very long time. Yet I see many of those '90 Integra's motoring along regularly. What does that say for the GTU? Who knows, maybe they didn't sell/make as many as they did Integra's.

I know that not all the cars are bad. I would like to think that most of the cars are indeed pretty good BUT, I'm not seeing any of them the make me want to go to the dealer either. Maybe it's just a difference in taste/appeal or maybe it's loyalty of some kind. I can't buy a Corvette or a CTS-V(I can get over the looks if it runs like that thing!!!) and the GTO is more than the wife will let me get away with for my "personal" use. I do wish that I had bought that '96 Imp that I looked at though.

Tasty · 12-27-05, 07:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

Thanks for pointing that out. This hasn't been adding up for me for a long time. Everything you buy is made in China (or Japan, or India, or somewhere other than here), yet people seem to have plenty of money for new cars, expensive houses, etc. Something is wrong with this picture, and I can't help thinking we are going to find out pretty soon.

Amen brother! The proverbial turd WILL hit the fan sooner or later. That and health care costs (a major part of GM's woes) are issues that have to be addressed sooner rather than later in this country.

Setec Astronomy · 12-27-05, 07:39

Well, as they like to say in the sales biz, perception is more important than the reality. I've had plenty of GM cars in my family that have lived to ripe old ages, 23 years (junked), 17 years (traded in), and I've got one that's 15. And I've seen plenty of expensive (new) imported cars on the side of the road, or on a flatbed, and wondered what stranded them. I'm a pretty loyal GM guy, but just to prove that I'm not biased on this one, when I wanted to buy a small, sporty hatchback...I had to go elsewhere (Japan), GM just doesn't have that animal.