Most US made cars....technically speaking (auto, Japanese, purchase, biggest)

[Samrai309]

Did not know if anyone was interested, but this morning yahoo had a list of the top ten cars (foreign and domestic companies) that were US made and contained the most domestic made parts content. They used 75% as the basis. Just an interesting study IMO. Personally, I would have preferred if they could identify major country of origin for the parts, be it Mexico, Canada, Japan, etc. just because I like to know. I also feel that there are quality issues with certain countries. But that is all my opinion and preference. If a car did not make the list, but is US made and has a lower then 75% domestic parts rating, that doesnt mean they are not a good car IMO as well.


The-Cars-com-American-Made-Index- Yahoo! Autos Article Page

[CortlandGirl79]

Very interesting article. Glad to see the Cobalt and G5 are high on the list since they are made just 15 minutes from me in Lordstown, Ohio. Our whole area depends on this plant as GM is our biggest employer.

Also, as a former employee one of our former largest employers, Packard Electric Division of GM, now Delphi Packard Electric, i can tell you that almost all of GM's wiring harnesses are now made in Mexico (Not that any other car maker buys their wiring from US suppliers). At one time just about every GM vehicle harness was made here in Warren, Ohio. At one time we had over 15,000 employees. After Delphi moved most of their operations overseas, Delphi now employs about 1000 in Warren. Today the only parts they make here are: insulated copper wire, terminals, and connectors.

Unfortunately, GM and other car manufactures won't reward anyone (suppliers
) a contract unless they are quoted Chinese labor wages.

I'm sure that US content will continue to decrease and i'm actually shocked that some percentages are as high as they are. Pretty sad if you ask me.

[BudinAk]

Hmmm...interesting. I see my 2008 Subaru Outback didn't make the list. On one of the windows is a sticker that says "Proudly Made in Indiana, USA". I guess too many of the parts were imported....(?)


Bud

[Samrai309]

Originally Posted by BudinAk

Hmmm...interesting. I see my 2008 Subaru Outback didn't make the list. On one of the windows is a sticker that says "Proudly Made in Indiana, USA". I guess too many of the parts were imported....(?)


Bud

Well I assume that most of the Outback parts come from Japan. Your car was "assembled in Lafayette, Indiana by US workers so technically it was made in the USA. As for the japanese components,thats not a bad thing as they have a better than average record related to repair. The quality is there. My 2003 WRX listed the plant in Japan where it was manufactured. I remember the window had a sticker that said US made parts: 0%, Japanese parts 100%. I am all for supporting US manufacturing as I feel the quality can be expressed here but I also do not regret my Subaru purchase. i love this car. I feel the quality from countries like Mexico are just not the same standard. Good luck with your 2008 Outback.

[Samrai309]

Originally Posted by CortlandGirl79

Very interesting article. Glad to see the Cobalt and G5 are high on the list since they are made just 15 minutes from me in Lordstown, Ohio. Our whole area depends on this plant as GM is our biggest employer.

Also, as a former employee one of our former largest employers, Packard Electric Division of GM, now Delphi Packard Electric, i can tell you that almost all of GM's wiring harnesses are now made in Mexico (Not that any other car maker buys their wiring from US suppliers). At one time just about every GM vehicle harness was made here in Warren, Ohio. At one time we had over 15,000 employees. After Delphi moved most of their operations overseas, Delphi now employs about 1000 in Warren. Today the only parts they make here are: insulated copper wire, terminals, and connectors.

Unfortunately, GM and other car manufactures won't reward anyone (suppliers
) a contract unless they are quoted Chinese labor wages.

I'm sure that US content will continue to decrease and i'm actually shocked that some percentages are as high as they are. Pretty sad if you ask me.

Its the sad truth.

[anonymous]

I don't think it is sad, I think American auto workers brought it upon themselves. You can't expect to pay union wages/benefits and compete with countries who don't.

[CortlandGirl79]

Even if US autoworkers didn't get paid.........i'm saying worked for free........the cost of just doing business in the US is more costly than the 30 cents an hr. they pay chinese autoworkers and supplier employees. Here in the US we have environmental standards that cost money, ever hear of the EPA???? It really doesn't have a whole lot to do w/union wages. Import manufacturers pay comparable wages to keep unions out. Besides there are plenty of non-union companies sending work over seas. If it's the unions, why are they leaving too????

Just think about it, even if autoworkers were paid a minimum wage of $7/hour they still wouldn't be able to compete w/30 cents. Not to mention if you paid $7/hr the turnover would be atrocious. Can you imagine the added costs of having to train new people all the time to do those jobs????? I mean, god the line would be shut down constantly because the constant flow of new people wouldn't be able to keep up. Productivity would plummet! I believe Ford had the most productive plant in the US a few years ago and guess what? they closed it, so much for productivity.

Sorry for the rant, i just had to state my case.

[anonymous]

Originally Posted by CortlandGirl79

Even if US autoworkers didn't get paid.........i'm saying worked for free........the cost of just doing business in the US is more costly than the 30 cents an hr. they pay chinese autoworkers and supplier employees. Here in the US we have environmental standards that cost money, ever hear of the EPA???? It really doesn't have a whole lot to do w/union wages. Import manufacturers pay comparable wages to keep unions out. Besides there are plenty of non-union companies sending work over seas. If it's the unions, why are they leaving too????

Just think about it, even if autoworkers were paid a minimum wage of $7/hour they still wouldn't be able to compete w/30 cents. Not to mention if you paid $7/hr the turnover would be atrocious. Can you imagine the added costs of having to train new people all the time to do those jobs????? I mean, god the line would be shut down constantly because the constant flow of new people wouldn't be able to keep up. Productivity would plummet! I believe Ford had the most productive plant in the US a few years ago and guess what? they closed it, so much for productivity.

Sorry for the rant, i just had to state my case.

don't be sorry, I see what you're saying. Unions were not the only factor, perhaps not even the biggest factor in the decline of auto manufacturing in the U.S.

But we may be talking about two different things. I'm talking about the decline of the American auto manufacturers like Ford and GM, mainly compared to Japanese manufacturers like Toyota and Nissan. You're talking about the decline of the American auto worker, and the job loss to countries with cheap labor (Mexico, Brazil, China, etc.). I agree that we were going to lose autoworkers one way or another.

It is funny that you mention Chinese auto workers, since it is the Japanese companies that are beating us so badly. Japanese companies are non-union, and have been able to liquidate losses quickly, move their operations to cheaper locations, and now they are whipping us. IMO unions are the reason it is easier to move a plant from Japan to China than it is from the U.S. to Latin America.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by anonymous

don't be sorry, I see what you're saying. Unions were not the only factor, perhaps not even the biggest factor in the decline of auto manufacturing in the U.S.

But we may be talking about two different things. I'm talking about the decline of the American auto manufacturers like Ford and GM, mainly compared to Japanese manufacturers like Toyota and Nissan. You're talking about the decline of the American auto worker, and the job loss to countries with cheap labor (Mexico, Brazil, China, etc.). I agree that we were going to lose autoworkers one way or another.

It is funny that you mention Chinese auto workers, since it is the Japanese companies that are beating us so badly. Japanese companies are non-union, and have been able to liquidate losses quickly, move their operations to cheaper locations, and now they are whipping us. IMO unions are the reason it is easier to move a plant from Japan to China than it is from the U.S. to Latin America.

Not always:

When NAFTA kicked in back in 1995; Ford started sourcing Mexican spec T birds from Lorain, Oh vs. building 'em in Hermasillo, Mx------it was cheaper to make the above model in the 'high wage' USA.

Things are not always as they appear.

[glxyman21]

GM, Ford and Chrysler's problems are internal, including the product that they put on the market. Japanese companies are not working so much in "cheaper" locations. Many of them are working right here in the USA like Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Suburaru, Mazda, etc. Very few of the cars they produce for the U.S. market are sourced from Japan. Japan and Western Europe are advanced, high wage paying areas with even stricter environmental standards than the United States. Whos to say that the American car companies can't source parts from the same places that the others do if it is cheaper and works better?

The American car companies have been falling out of favor for years, look at the products they have been putting out on the market for the past 20 years and it is easy to see where they went wrong. They admitted to not listening to what the American population wanted as for products, where as the Japanese did, especially in the 80's which brought them up to where they are today.