american cars suk!!
 

no wonder there going outta buisness:rocketem:
think they would learn from the japanese and the germans:doh:
mirror for ford 375 bucks and then you gotta pay to get it taken appart,painted,put back together, installed takes a friggin hour. 75 screws in the door to get it out.takes two days to get the parts.
you get a toyota. bingo 150 bucks it's allready painted. in stock. shows up in an hour 15 minutes to put it on and done!
my friggin sloburbans got 80,000 miles on it, it's falling appart rattlebox. everything starting to break.front end is junk. they can't even make a stupid power window switch last more than 5 years:doh:

i'm getting a foriegn car!! frig this!!
made bye, paid bye, and driven bye an american---> whoopie-frickin'-do...

fourty grand for a piece of junk no thanks!!



carry on:)

No realy
 

No realy, what do you realy think??? WOW
:hidin:

What do I really think? Well, lets put it this way,your the type of guy that will be blaming big business for moving your job over seas!!

Well, lets put it this way,your the type of guy that will be blaming big business for moving your job over seas!!
Reply With Quote

Realy?? Do you know me so well?? I didn't think so..

nope. trust me the way these things are made, my job is very seccure.

Yep...I am with you 100%. Couldnt AFFORD to keep up with vehicle repair costs....been with toyota for about five years and dumped less into repairs in the last five years on TWO vehicles that we did on just one ford in one year! Sorry I dont make $100,000 a year....I need something I can afford and rely on to get me there every day if ya know what I am saying.

oh and might I also add, how many "American" car companies have plants in Mexico these days??? bet more than many realize!

I read recently that car manufacturers are all using very sophisticated technology in their vehicles and the high-end German manufacturers as well as the Americans are having lots of problems with it. The article continued to state that the Japanese seem to be getting it right.

Whenever I can, I purchase American goods, especially if it means NOT buying something made in China. As far as American cars go, I think they have gotten better, but I still buy Japanese cars. I would love to buy an American car, but I'm not going to do so at my financial loss. Unfortunately.

That's certainly true. But let's not forget that many foreign cars today are so in name only and are actually manufactured right here in the U.S.
Perhaps it's the design and management that makes some foreign cars superior to American ones.

Same here...

So..
In June 2004, I bought a Chevy Silverado 1500 Xtended Cab 4WD. I've had very good luck with it. It still does not even have 12000 miles on it yet. A "rattle" developed in the front end that I could "feel" through the steering wheel. I brought it to the dealer and they replaced the steering shaft because it was worn.
Excuse me, but how does a steering shaft become worn in less than 12000 miles?
There are over 100 "service bulletins" for this particular truck. All stuff that they KNOW is gonna break, but hopes that it does so AFTER the warrenty expires (which, by the way, is one of the chinsiest in the industry: 3 yrs/36000 miles).
So then, I'm chatting with my wife's uncle who claims to LOVE Chevy trucks and owns a 2004 Silverado and a 2005 Colorado. He tells me that the rear end of his Silverado crapped the bed within 4 hours of leaving the dealership and that the Colorado is on it's third tranny!
And this guy LOVES Chevy trucks????

:fishslap:

they all suck, american, foreign, that's why mechanics and autobody guys have job security. new cars are overpriced, so if you can figger out which one will break down less, buy it, 'cause your payin' thru the nose, right up front, no need to continue the agony after.

that being said... How many purchase the extended warranty.. and is it worth it?

karl i bought it on my durango for close to 2 grand thank god. trans went. intake gasket.abs controller.a/c pump. and a host of other things. all under 60k miles.
if you don't just pray you get a wedsday made one. 'cause the monday and friday cars..........:hidin:

Karl , got the 7 years on my ford ...lol
It should pay for it's self......

VB

ohh try this too..
everyone go out to there car/truck.. right... open the drivers door and bend down to look at the bottom lip of the door, whear they fold the door skin over..i betya money there's allready rust there if it's more than a year old :rtfm: :humpty:

American auto engineers are some of the most brilliant people in the world !!!
Sure, Toyota can (and does) build a vehicle that will last forever !!!
But the way American car makers can design and build a car that will start to fall apart after the warrarty or length of the auto loan is up, so they can keep taking your money!
Now thats brilliant !!!

We got the xtended warrenty on our 2004 Trailblazer, but I haven't got it yet on the Silverado. I can still get it and probably will, it'll just cost a bit more. I have a soliticitation from GM on my desk right in front of me asking me if I'm interested as we speak.

Nope. Definately not here. We wash & wax these things VERY regularly, even this time of year. When we do, we detail them inside and out, and always take care to treat ALL the nooks & crannies.
Sure we want them to look good, but also NEED to protect our expensive, overpriced purchases (it cracks me up when people call a new car an "investment". It's NOT; it will make me NO money. It's a straight-up purchase).

(it cracks me up when people call a new car an "investment". It's NOT; it will make me NO money. It's a straight-up purchase).[/QUOTE]


"straight up purchase"
More like a Necessary evil !!!!

Many Toyos/Hondas made here in the states now
 

By American workers

Well my Ford is 10 years old and I dare you to find rust under any of the doors(all 3) You gotta take care of them and they will care for you, how many people actually wash the salt off the bottom of there doors 1x a month??? I do and that probably why my truck looks new still with nearly 170k on the odometer and started as my work truck for my business and now takes me hunting in Maine and pulls the boats all summer:kewl: It is like anything else you get out what you put in, granted some vehicles have engineering prob's from the get go, you do your homework and avoid them. And before you tell me I got lucky and got a good one DONT because I can take you next door to my neighbors and show you the 93 E-250 van I sold him a year and half ago that had 276K on it and now has well over 300K and is driven daily :-)

Mike... do many people, (rough guess, % wise), do the extended warranty, at time of sale.. where you are? Or, are most people figuring, I'll own it 3-5 years, dump it, get another? :huh:

It will be a while before we spring for a new car, but, if we do, it will be a long term ownership, and was just wondering, if it is worth it.

My Nissan truck is made in Mississippi. Before this I had a Ford that was made in Canada and a Honda made in the USA. It aint the labor, it's the parts and the design.

If i had a choice it's US made for me.

I bought a bumper to bumper 6year/100k warranty for my Tacoma and I've actually had occasions to use it. Several times though, imo, something that should have been covered was denied. Starting this past summer, I've had to be careful with the truck on warm days since it will occasionally overheat. When it was brought in for diagnosis they said it had poor coolant flow, yet they wouldn't replace anything suspect such as the radiator, water pump or t-stat. They just left me hanging. The ultimate kick in the nuts was that the next step in finding out what is wrong would be on my dime, pulling the radiator for a flow test to the tune of $600. This is a '01 truck with 70k warrantied to 100k. I was ready to blow stuff up at that point. The additional bonus is that in a couple cases some of the dealerships acted as though it was a huge chore, complete with an eye roll in my direction, to contact Toyota to get clearance for a warranty item.

Overall customer service has been a disappointment nevermind that the truck hasn't exactly been a Toyota. Now that I'm thinking about it here's another little gem. I bought the truck as a "Used Certified Vehicle" with the whole "bumper to bumper 115 point inspection" they brag about. A week after I drove it off the lot the brake pads were scraping the discs. Some inspection. Later I discovered it had an aftermarket windshield that was leaking water into the inside of the truck. I had to pay to have it resealed, they wouldn't cover that either. Only "the best of the best used vehicles" my ass. I love Toyotas but at this point they probably won't be getting any more of my money unless I really fall in love with that new FJ.

On the customer service front I may be forced to buy another Mercedes just so I can enjoy service visits at Viti Inc. again. That company BY FAR understands customer service and the concept of repeat business more then any other business, automotive or otherwise. I always left with an empty wallet, but I always felt it was worth it. I even had a few unrelated small things fixed for free that I didn't even ask to have fixed while my car was in for service, and this was on an out of warranty car. I honestly model SWE customer service after that place, it's that good. 90% of it is the way they treat you, which was with respect, something seriously lost in most of my recent automotive experiences. I really don't care to be treated like my warranty service visits are a chore for the dealership after I drop 25k on a vehicle...

ok, that's enough ranting for tonight. I'm sure I'll have something new to be fired up about tomorrow.

american cars=lease
foriegn cars=own

I have a 97 Chev 1500 only replaced a water pump on rust no rattles.
regular oil with Mobile 1
my fathers 97 Totota T100 has had the top end redone (recall)and front end done 3 times. Steering box(recall)also the bed is rotted thru at the wheel wells & replaced the rear bumper

I think I'll stick with the American

Yep. And I'm more meticulous then almost anybody out there when it comes to car care. Anybody who's been to the shop has seen the shiniest silver paint ever on my truck in the lot. A few have even been treated to me yelling at a tourist opening their door into it. My door jambs get waxed regularly, nevermind the rest of my truck. I'm up in the wheel wells with a brush and everything (especially the bottom lip of the door since it rusts there) gets dried carefully after a wash. The truck, top and bottom, gets hand washed almost weekly even during the winter. Yet there's rust... :lossinit:

squirt PeNaTrating oil in there from day one, with the straw:cool:

Yep an ole trick I learned from watching my Dad take care of the sand sled when I was a kid

American or foreign
 

and used/new car warranties


There is good and bad stories for both foreign and American
but the stats show certain foreigns to rate considerably better on average. Toyota and Honda are tops but none is perfect. Read MikeCCs post...there you go.


I have bought them and will only buy ones from the manufacturer...NO 3rd Party ! And I`d only buy if planning on long term ownership. Its the year or mileage whichever comes first remember.
You figure your mileage and time and buy accordingly. Plus they have a cost and an MSRP which is negotiable.

Thanks Mike, good info.

You can often tell all you need to know by the cost of an extended warranty. They're cheap for a Toyota or Honda and expensive for most domestics.

one day .....
 

sometimes you just have to know when to walk away from a project car....you know...the fix or repair daily's vehicles you've owned...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(expanding on FF's request to look for rust)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
one day at the junk yard where i had my 20 year old
"escape california van"
parked for maybe the last time... i walked around it several times thinking time to let her go....there's NO friggan way,,,,
as i stared at LONG gaping rust holes and rot.... EVERYWHERE
24" to 48" and 2 inches wide had rotted away....
and it was on all doors and side panels....ok ---
so much work it was mind boggling and way beyond repair
.....or SO it seemed......

then.....i started to formulate a plan involving a secret organization called HOME DEPOT.... 25 years of fabrication , a lust for tools,
FIXING anything and a sense of nostalgia began to emerge....
i can do this.... just .....imagine it... no dont....i need to do it...

suddenly the theme song to mission impossible started dancing
in my head
and i was off like a shot .....goin'
Dant DANT -dant dant dant dant, dant dant dant....dant.
badda DAHHH Badda Dahhh BADAH.... :hihi: ZOOOOOOOOOM

at the domed heapo....
i bought several sheets of pre -bent galvanized duct work( sheet metal ) and several tubes of liguid nails, sand paper, fiberglass resin, fiberglass cloth, bondo and several boxes of self tapping hex head screws.
--------------------
i sand back the rust with coarse paper ,prime and slap on a bead of glue and then attach the pre fitted dry sheet metal with the self tapping screws til the next day.... then i back out the screws that show on the body...the ones underneath i leave in... and i grind
down the edge where the sheet metal overlaps the body....and apply a thin coat of hot pink (dry fast) bondo ...which is resin based...
and let that almost dry....where i criss cross score it with a blade.
after thats dry ...i mix up some fiber glass resin and paint it on top
of that seam and add a layer of cloth to cover it all....sometimes
two.... and soon - i had no more gaping rust holes anymore...!!!

i drove that sucka for a few more years....i love no car payments.

Guys dont for get to figure the Insurance into the cost of ownership.
I looked at a Honda for the wife a year ago. Screw that we could not afford to insure the dam thing. Highest in theft rating & highest insurance rate for $$amount.

Hondas
 

Also to consider in cost of ownership:

Had four different models over the years
all over 130K miles (some more) and not one breakdown.


change the oil at 4K, tranny fluid at 30K, timing belts around 100K,
plus the usual wear and tear

That's a joke, it's just another word for "Used car". I worked as a tech for Chrysler since '87, they have the kids. that don't have a clue, do the inspections on the Certified vehicles because it is cheaper to pay them to do it rather than having us, higher paid, techs do them. The only difference between used and certified used, is the friggin' checklist, who needs a checklist to check a car out if ya know what the %$#@ your doing?

I just bought the 06 Honda Pilot 3 months ago for the wife. I got it loaded with leather and navigation, I think the thing is made really well, It came with a 5 year powertrain warranty, so I opted not to buy the extended. It only costs me 200 more a year for full insurance on it, than it does my 97 Ford Expedition, don't ask me why I still have full on it, it's all paid for ..

Yep - the $10 per hour guys check them out, not the $15-20 Flat Rate guys... Otherwise the FR guys would be cranking out checklists in 30 minutes a pop (and finding stuff that the Used Car Department would need to fix and pay for)...

One thing to keep in mind - all car makes brake - some more so than others and some more conspicuously than others.

Couple things I noticed in 7 years of working in dealer service departments in the 80s-90s with Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Buick, & Jeep:

American Cars run well despite tune ups inthe sense that it is usually a problem with something that causes a poorly operating car.

Japanese cars are more dependent on tune ups to run well and are more susceptible to run like crap when not tuned up.

Japanese cars will last longer on the engine less so on the body (though that has improved considerably)

American factory paint jobs usually suck (far diffferent environmental regs).

Every manufacture has had BIG problems. some, like Toyota, hide them well, sometimes...

Most Tercels from 86-91 went thru expensive carburetors for years. The carbs would run rich and burn out the catalytic converters increasing the cost. A small handful of exceptional carb mechanics could overhaul them - once - and extend the life by about 18 months...

Most - as in MANY MANY MANY - V6 Toyota trucks, Tacomas, and especially the 4 Runners from 88-93or 94 (when they went from 3 liter to 3.4 liter V6) would blow thru headgaskets at dizzyingly expensive cost to the owners as it often happend a couple years after the warranty expired. This went on for years of 2000 dollar headgasket jobs until Toyota came out with some "fixes" and started buying some of the headgasket jobs

There was a recall on 87-90something Camrys to add a heat sink on the radio. Little problem was the radio would overheat and start a fire. - Happened to my mother's car outside a store in Westwood Mass....

Subarus leak like seives - oil and anti-freeze and often at the same time. Chew thru CV boots and axle shafts like Skoal in W Virginia

GM Quad 4s went thru headgaskets almost as fast as Toyota V6 trucks

GM Iron Duke 2.5L 4 cyls eat timing gears (pull up next to 80s-90s GM small & mid sixe cars sounding like marbles in a coffee can from the engine).

Ford power steering sucks

GM power steering REALLY sucks

Ohhhh could go on and on...

All good points John.
Fingers tired now???:cool:

Telle something I don't know. Bought a new Honda accord for the wife. lOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! BTW, My insurance did not go up a red cent from the van. Go figure?

I notice a lot of you talk about foreign cars but only speak about Toyota and Honda. Makes me think I was right about my wife's decision to get another Nissan Pathfinder. She had one for about 9 years and decided she wanted new. The dealer she got the first one from was top notch, but couldn't meet the price of the dealer she bought the second one from, and that has made all the difference. The newer Nissan is a piece crap. The doors sound like disposable tinfoil pie pans when you close them. Had it in for 30K service recently and I asked them to also check the squeek I was hearing. They call back and say it needs a new fanbelt, but as usual with this place, they don't have it in stock. I say, "The car's barely 2 years old. How can it need a new fanbelt? What caused it to go?" The guy says, "I'm surprised it lasted this long. It's pretty common" WTF! In my mind for anything that's mass produced you'd like to think new means perfect, but no matter the brand you always have lemons. Fortunately for me, I've owned an Escort, a Ranger and and F150 SuperCrew since 1983 and never had a problem with any of them.