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LOL My Jeep goes through taillights/brake lights every few months. Every Jeep product (4) I've ever had has done this, not sure why. I actually just keep a stash of the right bulbs for our Jeep so I don't have to be inconvenienced by having to drive to the auto parts store when one blows out LOL.
This is why, taken from the car lounge forum:
Me asking why a new Dodge Caliber had water sloshing around in the taillights:
"That makes me sad, I worked at the factory that those lights were made in... They really did their best at that plant (great people! lots of talent) - but they had some money-losing product lines (like Caliber) that had to be run on a shoe-string... it's also possible/likely the car was damaged. I don't recall Calibers being a known trouble-maker in terms of defects... We had some issues with early Impala and water leaks, but I think they were fixed by the time Caliber came around.... Those tail lights were glued/sealed all the way around - we used some of the best glue available - should never have let water in. Caliber lights were also all 100% leak tested (every single part), and the only entry point would be a small ventilation hole covered by a breathable (but water resistant) patch.
Chrysler really didn't seem to care much about quality in those days either - it was all about making everything for as cheap as possible - or they send it to China (their threats). It was sad actually. I remember the Nitro tooling had to be re-done (I honestly think, at our expense, because we were sick of warranty returns coming back) because the light quality was so ****-poor owners thought the lamps were actually broken... but that's how cheap Chrysler wanted the tooling. We had so much Chrysler business, and it saddened me to see most of it... because we weren't making good money on it, and Chrysler quality levels were no where near GM or Ford (let alone Aston Martin, which we also made). With GM they wanted and paid for a quality part, and worked with us to achieve that goal... Chrysler, it almost felt like "does it light up?, does it pass the laws?... okay, we'll take it... but for less money". Only good Chrysler products were the 300 and the Dodge Ram. Both used the latest technology/lines."
And the same problem we hear over and over about GM yet people still buys them.
They are not the cheapest car maker, does not make the prettiest cars, and not the most reliable yet people continue to buy them because they are American.
They are not the cheapest car maker, does not make the prettiest cars, and not the most reliable yet people continue to buy them because they are American.
SOME people continue to buy them... like our illustrious thread starter. Some of us know better.
I read on wsj that GM fell down to #3 in sales. Are some readers here delusional? what is next?....some people here must think GM makes the best car ever as though time has never moved.
GM is absolutely boned in Australia. Holden sales have tanked and they have insulted most of the public by saying they will still sell vehicles as Holden down there though they will all be imported and they expect no backlash from their announcement that Holden manufacturing will cease.
I think part of the reason is that GM supplied (still supplies?) Americans with good paying jobs. This was especially true over the decades. Thus the workers probably felt loyalty and pride in GM so they bought GM cars and got their friends and neighbors to do the same. The workers' kids grew up with the GM mindset and for a lot of them it carried over into their purchases, jobs, etc. So you may have two or three generations of "Buy GM, support GM" thinking. My wife's neighbor used to work for GM (Pittsburgh area had an assembly plant until about 2006 or so) and he practically begged my wife's parents to take the remaining employee discount vouchers he had becuase no one else wanted them and they were going to expire, so my wife got a new 2004 Cavalier for cheap.
SOME people continue to buy them... like our illustrious thread starter. Some of us know better.
Yep some of you know better...only some. I seriously doubt the millions and millions of GM vehicle owners would buy stuff from GM if it was crap. GM has been #1 in global sales for 77 consecutive years longer then any other automaker from 1931-2007. Then in 2011 GM regained it's position as #1 in sales.
I doubt that incredible track record would exist if they produced junk.
Regardless if GM fell to #2 or even #3 I will still only own GM vehicles until I can't drive anymore.
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(their threats). It was sad actually. I remember the Nitro tooling had to be re-done (I honestly think, at our expense, because we were sick of warranty returns coming back) because the light quality was so ****-poor owners thought the lamps were actually broken... but that's how cheap Chrysler wanted the tooling. We had so much Chrysler business, and it saddened me to see most of it... because we weren't making good money on it, and Chrysler quality levels were no where near GM or Ford (let alone Aston Martin, which we also made). With GM they wanted and paid for a quality part, and worked with us to achieve that goal... Chrysler, it almost felt like "does it light up?, does it pass the laws?... okay, we'll take it... but for less money". Only good Chrysler products were the 300 and the Dodge Ram. Both used the latest technology/lines."
