So why is it that the "Big 3" US auto makers...?

Question

...(i.e. GM, Ford, and Chrysler) are "Fortune 500"
companies but have never been able to deliver the
same or even better build quality and reliability as
Japanese (and some other foreign) car companies?

References: Consumer Reports and my experience

Answer 1

i own a repair shop,and i have to agree with you on that one ,most of the repair work i do is on one of the big 3 auto makers,,i really don't know why we cant meet or exceed their quality but for some reason we just don't be able to get it all together right now, i work on all makes and models of vehicles ,but the ones i have seen that give the most trouble are a part of the big 3 auto makers,i know of one auto maker that is giving trouble right now,and that's Honda,s in the foreign market,i get a lot of those to repair but if we don't improve the work,man-ship of our cars pretty soon there going to see a big hit in sales,and it cost a lot of jobs when it falls i hope it never comes to this but things are going to have to change a lot,good luck i hope this help,s.

Answer 2

The Big 3 became the Fortune 500 companies many years before the offshore manufacturers were on the scene. Prior to the 1980's there was really no other competition other than between the three where the buyer had to accept what was manufactured. Chrysler no longer is part of the Big 3 since they have been bought out by Daimler. They are now Daimler-Chrysler. I guess a company deserves to be a Fortune 500 if it can absorbed billion dollar losses and still remain in business at least for now. I am not so sure all the Off Shore car manufacturers could absorbed those kind of losses. I am sure in another 20 years they will be able to afford such losses.

Answer 3

The big 3 are Toyota, GM and Ford in that order. With #4 Damiler Chrysler Mercedes Benz. Where have you been!

Answer 4

The commerce-off of not helping the vehicle-industry must be very dramatic on our financial equipment around the county. in spite of the fact that; a partial possession by making use of the government ought to grow to be effective, whilst earnings start to extend. helping the vehicle-industry will curtail job misplaced, and can stimulate extra valuable synthetic autos. Too many human beings unemployed motives a sever influence on the financial cycle.

Answer 5

#1 don't ever believe consumer reports as they are biased toward foreign vehicles, #2 I worked for Gm for 36 yrs. and I can tell you right now that Gm cars are just as good or better than any jap car that it goes against. In the old days of the 70's and 80's I would have to agree with you but not today.

Answer 6

I worked for G.M 20 years. All three have the same problem. The engineering is not up to par. They don't make something right and keep it up! They are constantly changing things do to input from, sales, marketing, upper management ideas, watching the other guys. There is no consistency

Answer 7

because they got lazy with no competition. Once the Japanese company's came, they didn't see them as a threat. Then people started to catch on that the Jap cars were better, and the Jap companies are leaps and bounds ahead of the big 3 in technology. To sum it up, there was no reason for them to do it, and when there was, it was too late.

Answer 8

Chrysler and GM's quality has greatly improved recently. Fords still suck though.

Answer 9

They do , it is just you are blind to it, If you drive a jap crap vehicle you will pay in the end as parts are not cheap and then to find any one that will work on one . Just rembember how many jobs gm,. ford and chrysler provide in the US and Canada

Answer 10

Because Management has been too slow to react to market changes. Some people also blame the unions, but the unions have little to do with most of bad policy decisions; they do increase labor cost to some extent.

Missed that, thanks JP