Toyota's high reputation

GM sources car parts from Mexico. So does Ford. Ford builds autos in Mexico.

How much of the value of the car is in the parts?

 

You are mising the big picture. This country is not broke because Ford and GM build a few cars in Mexico and sosurce some parts in mexico. I am not condoning that, I am just saying you are missing the big picture. You do know Toyota builds cars and trucks in Mexico and has parts sources in Mexico, right?

 

GM failed to build a better car (efficiency wise).
GM lost this customer's business.

It really is that simple, in my case, Malorn.
To get my business back, all they need to do is build the most efficient car. Heck, even tie or come very close (as I like the home team guys).
GM's not getting this customer's business isn't due to any big injustice, international trade deals or lack, protectionism, or any conspiracies.
Build me a more efficient car than your competitors and I will buy it.

 

I agree in the case of the prius that Ford and GM have been very late coming to the party. I am much more concerned about the other 3,000,000+ vehicles imported into the US each year. I am much more concerned about the countless industries that the US has seen exported and the millions of good paying jobs that went with them. Aren't they debating a "jobs" bill in congress? What a joke.

 

I think that I'm not missing the big picture. We have had this discussion before, it seems to be your favorite topic. I think we just disagree on who is responsible for the decline of the auto industry. You seem to believe that the customers are somehow responsible, I think it has something to do with the management of the auto companies.

 

You blame the customers for trying to get the best deal to survive in a country where 3/5 of the income goes to 1/5 of the people. Vehicles account for about 20% of the trade deficit, electronics such as TVs and computers make up a greater percentage.

Blaming the customers doesn't explain why our businesspeople aren't interested in manufacturing things. We have more than enough low wage-earners to make televisions. We could make notebook computers if we wanted to. It's been shown that a call center in rural America (or spread out with work-at-home people) can be more cost-effective than sending calls to India and Bangladesh.

 

Absolutely. Hyundai's reputation for quality is very high today. Who here remembers the Excel? Hyundai didn't hire all new workers to replace the workers that made those POS's. Hyundai's management decided that they had to make a quality product and they have. And with the same nasty blood-sucking unionized auto workers.

 

I agree with assigning partial responsibilty to the management. What about the dozens of other industries, were those purely the fault of management too? Electronics, textiles, toys...the list goes on and on. Yes it is my favorite topic because it holds the key to so many of our porblems in the US. Namely jobs and deficits.

I was just emailed a link to this:

Toyota Deception Runs Deeper Than Recalls | Autos | Smart Spending | Mainstreet

 

No union.

 

Honestly, nothing published by "The Street" has any credibility with me after Jim Cramer was exposed admitting that he planted rumors to drive up the value of his hedge fund(s).

 

Somebody trying to make money in america with smoke and mirrors, shocking isn't it? The United States of Madoff.

 

Ok, now we are getting somewhere.
Now, next question, do you think I am the only one buying foreign because the domestics won't build something as efficient?

 

I think most of the hybrid segment purchases based on effciency. What about the other 98% of the car and truck market?

 

Yes. It's all Gm's fault. GM sucked so bad for so long, and it cost the American public driving these pathetic vehicles so much money to repair them, they were unable to buy clothes or food for their children, and therefore, had to refinance their homes at ridiculous balloon rates, and then they defaulted, & had to file bankruptcy. Hence the housing market crash. I think the American public finally decided enough was enough, and said no more. I WONT drive cheaply made, overpriced automobiles. How about the bragging they did with their "budget engineering? If you skimp on something as basic as the engineering of the automobile, you WILL develop core issues. I cant explain Spain's or Greece's economic crisis, but I imagine if you look deep enough, you'd see GM written all over it. They probably house a manufacturing company producing trim panels for GM which all rattled excessively. One more reason to buy a Toyota, Honda, or Subaru. I'm just sayin.

 

Hear, hear...finally, someone willing to pin the blame on the guilty party. All the suffering in the world is Pandora's (strike that) GM's fault.

 

Why don't you go to their forum and ask them?

 

So you are willing to throw away at minimum 2% of the market? How about 3%, 5%?
Now, right or wrong, Toyota for many years has had a rep as being fuel efficient because they had the most fuel efficient car.
GM was VERY late in trying to combat this image, so people who bought non-hybrids but still wanted fuel efficiency ALSO avoided GM cars.
While desire for efficiency isn't the only issue GM faces, it is one that is completely under their control.

 

Actually, I didn't eliminate GM when car shopping because of their lack of fuel efficiency...I eliminated GM because they make crap. It just happens to be inefficient crap. This is likely the image they have with a large number of potential buyers.

"Lack of care, little to no quality control, and a really dumb design. These things don't just happen. They're part of the standard we set for ourselves at the Large Detroit Car Company."

Couldn't have said it better, myself.

Conversely, I did visit the Ford dealership.

 

CBC News - Canada - Toyota problems surfaced in 2004: documents

Papers Say Toyota Canada Knew of Safety Threat - NYTimes.com

I know I am pretty biased against toyota but this is getting pretty serious pretty fast. What did Toyota really know and when?