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#21
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My extended family hasn't bought anything but Honda, Toyota and Mazda for many years now. Excellent cars. Sorry for you troubles My2rotties. |
#22
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But...I agree. Well my last car was an Audi, so European. I don't think I would buy anything but Audi now...not going to help though if you need a truck. My TT couldn't even fit more than 2 people, LOL. I "leased" it to my brother as I am doing my best to go "green" and a car was just a luxury and not a necessity for me since I live downtown basically. I kept the tank as my main environmentally unfriendly luxury ![]() I also have a huge problem with the bail out. Actually FORD has not needed the money and I feel should be the last one standing. I understand the implications to the economy if they allow the others to go under but so be it. If the other two company could not manage their business properly, why should WE bail them out. I have a real problem with this... Last edited by GreenSpottedPuffer; 01-05-2009 at 07:37 PM. |
#23
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__________________
28g Nano Cube drilled with 13g sump in stock stand. Vertex IN80 Skimmer, Phosban 150 Reactor, Apex Controller, DIY LED with stock hood, dimmable Established March 2006 |
#24
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__________________
90 gal cylinder tank with 10 gal sump... work in progress |
#25
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![]() Again, because I'm in the industry (and deal with all manufacturers) I thought I would kick in my 2 cents. I don't want this to sound like I am preferential to any brand as my job would be affected negatively if anyone disappeared.
Many of our perceptions of quality are exactly that...perceptions. One of the things I'm involved in at all my stores is service and warranty rates and reviews. I have been doing this for a good number of years now and have realized that import warranty rates are low because they just refuse to do the work under warranty. It is always the customers fault and only after a lot of fighting do things get fixed under warranty. Sometimes I get pulled into these battles and I'm shocked at how obvious the warranty issue is that is being debated. Vehicle quality in Canada and the US is rated by various parties, but the most respected of them is JD Powers who do an independent review of customers of every make. I see these numbers monthly and for the 2008 model year, Fords quality was rated significantly above that of Toyota...who fell the most in quality of any brand. I think that most people are confused on the bailout. Yes the domestics have lost market share to the imports...but that doesn't mean they were run poorly or doing badly financially. The massive collapse of the banking system in the US is what has affected these auto makers. They were doing okay given their circumstances...until suddenly the banks were in trouble and wouldn't loan people money to buy cars any more. The domestics have also had to deal with the UAW while the imports have built factories in the "right to work" states where costs are cheaper and unions have little to no power. I guess it pays to be the late arrival to the party. Lastly, what I don't think people realize is that the picture is bigger than the domestics. Toyota had a huge loss last quarter...something they haven't done in years. All three of the big imports are laying off thousands of people in Japan (I believe the number is 16,000). Do you think it will be long before those layoffs start in North America? All imports are projecting losses again this quarter. If the big 3 go down, so do the suppliers and though I hate to tell you this, Ford, GM and Chrysler share a lot of parts suppliers with Toyota, Honda and Nissan. In the end, if the 3 US automakers go down, everyone will lose.
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Mark... ![]() 290g Peninsula Display, 425g total volume. Setup Jan 2013. |
#26
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![]() I drove a 1993 Chev Tahoe until I sold it to get my Toyota. I put over 500000km on it. It never has a problem with the drive train. Over the years I fixed the starter and alternator. It was lifted with over sized tires, cold air intake, exhaust and a bunch of other goodies. It NEVER let me down. I sold it since the truck was rusting inside out, plus with the 5.7 it was a hog on gas. I love Chevys and always will.
I obtained all the records of service, some 60 pages today. My hubby went to the manager and they will fix the truck this one last time and then no warranty what so ever. Management will put us into a new truck straight across, since we just cannot trust the F350 anymore. The next thing to go would be the turbo and injectors... We don't want to go through this crap again and again to get it fixed beyond this any ways. It is the nicest F350 you will ever see, but don't get enticed by it's beauty and buy it people. When I went to get paperwork out of it today, the battery was stone dead, and its warm out today. This truck is just cursed and maybe not all of them are like this one... I can't speak about warranty for other makers, since I never had anything go really wrong before. If something goes wrong with my FJ, perhaps Toyota will void my warranty for the cold air intake and exhaust, who knows. I can't blame Ford for what they did, but it sucks for us... We will probably be getting an F150 FX4 fully customized, (hubby can't have a factory vehicle to my dismay, no exhaust or cold air intake this time). BUT there will be so many additions and clauses to the warranty to protect us better. Advantage Ford has been good to us. You have no idea of how many fresh off the lot trucks we have driven while the F350 was being repaired. The boxes got scratched form tools, the dogs were in them, and Frank ate his lunches and drank coffee in all of them. The windshields got busted, and trucks got dirty. We generally put 3000km on a truck with literally no km on it all when we got it. That must cost the dealer some money since it is not a brand new truck anymore. I don't really want another Ford again, but with business slowing down these days we cannot afford to go elsewhere. At least we can get into a new truck again, and not lose any money or pay any new money out at this time. We will be financing this one at 0% with no down, and no payout on the lease. Once I get back there tomorrow I will know more of what is going on... I feel really sorry for the person that buys our old truck... I know it will go fast and I will see it on a flat deck on the way for repairs... It really is a hot looking unit with the cut out fender flares and 38" tires. I will be sad to see it go, since it was eye candy. ![]() Last edited by my2rotties; 01-05-2009 at 10:55 PM. |
#27
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![]() You have good points and I do understand the implications if the big three fall but again...so be it. I just lost around $20 000 of my income this year because of the US economy, some of my family in the US lost homes, jobs, everything. One is now bankrupt. They got no bail out or help. My industry doesn't suddenly get tax payers money because the work or demand is not there anymore. I do understand it creates a mess and a bunch of unemployment but I still just don't agree. I don't have industry numbers but I can tell you that amongst my friends in my industry, well over 50% are unemployed right now and have no job prospects in sight. Some are trying to ride it out on EI and others have gone back to school. Many, many people are experiencing this and I just don't think its fair for the big three to be "exempt" (I know they are feeling it and are not actually exempt but you know what I mean). I have lost enough money this year and hate to see my tax dollars going to this. Oh well...Not much that can be done now... Last edited by GreenSpottedPuffer; 01-05-2009 at 11:55 PM. |
#28
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![]() This is how I see it
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#29
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![]() My friend has gone through this with 4,
Yup, 4, Trucks. 3 f350 and 1 f450. Needless to say he has since gone back to chev. |
#30
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