More on Auto Makers, Auto Workers, Execs

[Brandonm22]

Because not bailing out our heavy industry carries consequenses we don't want to even consider.
There are certain industries that if they fail a lot more jobs will be lost than the assembly worker the infrastructure in the auto industry is huge. This is a downhill slide that has to be stopped or the depression in the 30's will look like a picnic, 80% of population was on the farm in 1930. Today they are in the city and burbs we can not afford to let these jobs fail in mass.
.

Actually we got Honda about 34 miles down the road from me to the East. ~55 miles to the west Mercedes is making cars and SUVs. Toyota has an engine plant 80 miles to my north. Hyundai has a car plant ~100 miles to my south. We have Japanese midlevel managers that live in my town and a bunch of autoworkers. Volkswagen is building a big car plant just across the state line in Chattanooga. Toyota (I think) is building a truck factory just across the state line in Tupelo. Thyssenkrup is going too build a massive steelworks in Mobile too make steel for the auto industry here (and in Europe and in Latin America). If "these jobs fail in mass"......Michigan, Cleveland, Dayton, etc is screwed; but I highly suspect that longterm we get more jobs down here in Alabama. If I were those crazy UAW autoworkers we would be cutting all the pensioneers checks in half right now. Half of something is heck of a lot better than nothing.

 

[Lammie]

I have two paid off Lincoln Town cars. About 4 years ago, I parked @ work in the morning and didn't drive the rest of the day. Secretary called me about 4:00 PM and said car was on fire. I thought it was a prank, so I started walking to front door, then started running. Grabbed fire extinguisher out of one of the plant buildings hanging on a wall. Put fire out. About an hour later, a co-worker showed me on USA Today's (the national newspaper) web site, on the front page, where Ford products where catching on fire related to a faulty cruise control switch. I surfed the net and found many Ford products with the same thing happening. Wrote Ford a letter and they declined to pay replacement costs. Now read the following:

"November U.S. auto sales results were dismal. On year-over-year basis, sales plunged 41% at GM, 31% at Ford, 47% at Chrysler and 34% at Toyota (TM 62.00, +3.44)."

Moral to the story....If you want to stay in business, always, always, take care of your customers! Let me ask you a question.......how many Ford products do you think I will buy the rest of my life (I am 47 now) and how many people do you think I will tell, and how many people, I will tell, will not purchase a Ford product because I what I am telling here?

How do you spell Toyota?

Call the news. For one time I agree with you. After my Ford caught fire in my driveway, it really made me think about how I feel about driving Ford again. I now have a Chevy but the odometer has gone out on it and it's just an '06.

I loved my Ford and wanted to drive it forever. When I called Ford about it, they really didn't care about how I was going to get to work. In fact, they seemed kinda bothered to hear from me at all. That didn't exactly make me want to rush to the nearest Ford dealership, where I had purchased my last three vehicles.

 

[flaboy]

There were recalls for this but many folks (not accusing) elected to ignore it. I know folks who are the second owners of recalled Fords who got the letter.

I would rather push my Ford than drive a Chevy (substitute Dodge here also) :lol2:

 

[Lammie]

There were recalls for this but many folks (not accusing) elected to ignore it. I know folks who are the second owners of recalled Fords who got the letter.

I would rather push my Ford than drive a Chevy (substitute Dodge here also) :lol2:

I actually had mine scheduled for maintenance when this happened. I had made an appointment to get it fixed. I did buy it used.

I like the Chevy okay. It's a truck. It's a little better ride than the Ford. It seems to tow easier. It took a long time to bond with it, though. I miss my red Ford. Just isn't as nice looking. I don't look as good in the Chevy as I did in the Ford. It just seemed to fit me.

 

[john250]

Yep, the ladies only want to know "does it match my shoes".
Horsepower, towing ability, maintenance cost. Well, yes, those are important, but does it match my shoes. Or will I need new ones. :lol2:

 

[Brandonm22]

Actually my Ford Truck caught fire and burned to the ground (I ran two fire extinguishers out trying to put that gasoline fire out). Of course that was a 1976 model that I was driving back in 1996. Maybe it is just me, but I turned around and bought a 1996 F150. Still have it AND a 2003 Ford Ranger.

 

[HerefordSire]

Call the news. For one time I agree with you. After my Ford caught fire in my driveway, it really made me think about how I feel about driving Ford again. I now have a Chevy but the odometer has gone out on it and it's just an '06.

I loved my Ford and wanted to drive it forever. When I called Ford about it, they really didn't care about how I was going to get to work. In fact, they seemed kinda bothered to hear from me at all. That didn't exactly make me want to rush to the nearest Ford dealership, where I had purchased my last three vehicles.

I would never think of calling the news. My entire life has been avoiding the press.

Try this, if you think about it, next time you go to Wal-Mart and buy an expensive item there..... take the product back the next day and tell them it doesn't work as intended and see what they do. Take the same product back years later to see how they treat you. The employees are drilled into taking care of the customer. The customer is number one and they even chant it at meetings since their doors around here never close. Now, they didn't make the product, they are just a retailer. But they give you your money back if you are not satisified and they get it back from the manufacturer. The manufacture listens. However, Ford ignores car dealers. Try going to a car dealer if you are not satified and take a car back. Then try years later after the warranty has expired and after 2 recall notices have been ignored and see what they say. Let me know what they tell you.

 

[HerefordSire]

There were recalls for this but many folks (not accusing) elected to ignore it. I know folks who are the second owners of recalled Fords who got the letter.

I would rather push my Ford than drive a Chevy (substitute Dodge here also) :lol2:

Those are true statements. If a customer is happy, they will beat at your door more more. They will tell literally hundreds of people. Even if we lose money making a customer happy, it is worth it. The new referred customers will finance the prior product's losses in the event we have to keep someone happy. There is no need to advertise. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire when a business treats people right because most businesses don't risk losing money to make people happy. It is against all accounting philosophies. It is the exact opposite of what one may think.

 

[HerefordSire]

Actually my Ford Truck caught fire and burned to the ground (I ran two fire extinguishers out trying to put that gasoline fire out). Of course that was a 1976 model that I was driving back in 1996. Maybe it is just me, but I turned around and bought a 1996 F150. Still have it AND a 2003 Ford Ranger.

Were you driving while the fire started or was it parked for several hours and then all of the sudden combusted?

The photos I saw on the net showed one Lincoln in a two story house with an attached garage...most of the house was burned down. Didn't read to see if any children were killed in the upstairs bedroom of the house over the garage. The only way to get the money back, and they will more than likely pay (routine after signing a 'silent' contract), is to hire an attorney for a couple of years at $100-200 per hour while waiting for the court date.

 

[1982vett]

I now have a Chevy but the odometer has gone out on it and it's just an '06.

My '03 liked to talk to me in foreign languages and clock never kept time. Didn't make me to much difference. I bought it used and evidently that problem wasn't covered under the warranty. In May all the gauges died which was a problem because I had no fuel gauge. The whole dash died. Figured I would have to shell out some bucks to get it fixed. Took it in and found out they had a recall on the gauge problem which also required them to replace the whole cluster. I think it did have to be under 80,000 on the mileage but I had less than 60,000. Seems they had to take my word for it because the cluster was so fried they couldn't access the memory (or didn't understand french).

They ordered the parts, they called to set an appointment and gave me a Blazer to drive while they fixed it. My cost was $0.00.

 

[Brandonm22]

Were you driving while the fire started or was it parked for several hours and then all of the sudden combusted?

The photos I saw on the net showed one Lincoln in a two story house with an attached garage...most of the house was burned down. Didn't read to see if any children were killed in the upstairs bedroom of the house over the garage. The only way to get the money back, and they will more than likely pay (routine after signing a 'silent' contract), is to hire an attorney for a couple of years at $100-200 per hour while waiting for the court date.

I drove mine ~250 yards too work and it backfired when I cut it off. That was before electronic fuel injection. The gas in the carbureter ignited and the fire just sucked all the gas out of the tank. IF it had been in a garage instead of parked on a hog farm, I would probably have lost the building too.

 

[Lammie]

Mine was sitting in the driveway with a cold engine. It was right next to the house and my husband's car. I was feeding a donkey and started smelling burning plastic. Thought someone was burning trash, then heard the horn start honking. Ran around and the truck was on fire. Pushed the car out of the way and got a hose. Called 911 and had to explain to them where I live. That took a while. Then the tires exploded. I still have a charred place in the driveway. Had to take a shovel to scrape the melted plastic off the concrete. Allstate was real good about it. I just think that Ford should have been real good about it, too. Right after I got the recall notice, the cruise control stopped working and the dashboard lights went out. I was scheduled to take it in.

Heck, you can take things back to Walmart that you didn't even buy there. I have seen folks do it.

 

[HerefordSire]

Mine was sitting in the driveway with a cold engine. It was right next to the house and my husband's car. I was feeding a donkey and started smelling burning plastic. Thought someone was burning trash, then heard the horn start honking. Ran around and the truck was on fire. Pushed the car out of the way and got a hose. Called 911 and had to explain to them where I live. That took a while. Then the tires exploded. I still have a charred place in the driveway. Had to take a shovel to scrape the melted plastic off the concrete. Allstate was real good about it. I just think that Ford should have been real good about it, too. Right after I got the recall notice, the cruise control stopped working and the dashboard lights went out. I was scheduled to take it in.

Heck, you can take things back to Walmart that you didn't even buy there. I have seen folks do it.

You gonna buy another Ford in your lifetime?

Last night I went to a huge local Wal-Mart here. Bought some milk, bred, soda, etc. and had about three plastic bags I was carrying after paying for the stuff. Put receipt in pocket. Was heading out in the lobby area right before you go out and this lady wants to see my receipt with my hands full and receipt in pocket. I asked her if she thought I was a crook. She said shae was required to do that, but I haven't ever had that happen before. I told her I would never shop in Wal-Mart again. She told me, "Yes you will".

 

[perda04]

Ford plant in Brazil

 

[djinwa]

Funny how mad everyone gets at a guy for doing what everyone on the board is trying to do. Provide the best living for their family. We gladly support the foreign worker and execs but are jealous of our neighbor.
Another thing Americans don't look at there are several economies in our on country there are huge differences in different regions of the country. In my area you are a doctor,lawyer or Indian chief making 50k a year, you would starve to death on that wage in the Houston area.

Not really mad Caustic just wondering why we should even entertain bailing out these folks and the CEO's that have retirement benefits that run into the millions.

What about the $15/hour person who lost their jobs? Where is their bailout packages?

Because not bailing out our heavy industry carries consequenses we don't want to even consider.
There are certain industries that if they fail a lot more jobs will be lost than the assembly worker the infrastructure in the auto industry is huge. This is a downhill slide that has to be stopped or the depression in the 30's will look like a picnic, 80% of population was on the farm in 1930. Today they are in the city and burbs we can not afford to let these jobs fail in mass.
It still gets back to be jealous of our neighbor for doing better than "me" . To the guy making 15 bucks an hour is his fault the only person you have to blame is the one staring at you in the mirror. He is satisfied or he he would get a better education to get a better job or move to a better location for work. Little towns are little because they have little money. You stop where you become comfortable or satisfied and whine about the other guy.

There have been many industries go away - what's so different here? You mention the farm jobs have gone away - should the government have preserved all of them?

You mention jealousy. Let me test you out as to how caring you are. How about you just send a check directly to the UAW. That saves alot of money avoiding gov't red tape. I'm guessing you're not interested - you're thinking it's going to be someone else's money. That's the beauty of this whole bailout scam - nobody is actually writing any personal checks, so nobody truly cares. We all pay indirectly.

 

[skyline]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12 ... roits-big/

Does the fact that the government is about to take an ownership interest in the big three bother anyone else? In this case, we will have congress, with all of their associated political agendas, making decisions about the fate of the businesses. Since when did Congress become good at running anything, much less a major business? This just keeps getting more bizarre by the day.

 

[flaboy]

Not to worry. I just heard some big company that owns many newspapers is filing for bankruptcy. Now, I guess they will start bailing out the newspaper companies also.

 

[Limomike]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/08/stakes-detroits-big/

Does the fact that the government is about to take an ownership interest in the big three bother anyone else? In this case, we will have congress, with all of their associated political agendas, making decisions about the fate of the businesses. Since when did Congress become good at running anything, much less a major business? This just keeps getting more bizarre by the day.

That is exactly right.. more bizarre is the correct phrase! I just wonder who they think will even be able to buy new cars with all the layoffs happening around the country?? Sony, Adobe, just to name another couple of companies laying off hundreds or thousands.....

 

[john250]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/08/stakes-detroits-big/

Does the fact that the government is about to take an ownership interest in the big three bother anyone else? In this case, we will have congress, with all of their associated political agendas, making decisions about the fate of the businesses. Since when did Congress become good at running anything, much less a major business? This just keeps getting more bizarre by the day.

That is exactly right.. more bizarre is the correct phrase! I just wonder who they think will even be able to buy new cars with all the layoffs happening around the country?? Sony, Adobe, just to name another couple of companies laying off hundreds or thousands.....

Govt ownership won't work. They'll never be able to build a car that goes straight down the road. They'll all pull to the left. And that OnStar system. Who is going to be listening?

 

[KenB]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/08/stakes-detroits-big/

Does the fact that the government is about to take an ownership interest in the big three bother anyone else? In this case, we will have congress, with all of their associated political agendas, making decisions about the fate of the businesses. Since when did Congress become good at running anything, much less a major business? This just keeps getting more bizarre by the day.

That is exactly right.. more bizarre is the correct phrase! I just wonder who they think will even be able to buy new cars with all the layoffs happening around the country?? Sony, Adobe, just to name another couple of companies laying off hundreds or thousands.....

Govt ownership won't work. They'll never be able to build a car that goes straight down the road. They'll all pull to the left. And that OnStar system. Who is going to be listening?

;-) The Right!
:wave: