Is it wrong or racist of me to want to back up the U.S. automakers?

Question

You know, like by wanting to buy a car made in the U.S.?

Answer 1

How could it be wrong or racist? I drove foreign vehicles for may years -- Hondas, Toyotas and Mercedes. I recently bought a Ford Fusion and after 8 months and 15k miles it looks as if I made a good decision. Most reliable car I've ever owned and drives better than my old Benz does.

Do keep in mind that there is no such thing as a 100% American vehicle any more. Many components are manufactured in foreign countries and the final assembly of many American brands is done in Canada and Mexico. And many of the so-called "foreign" brands are actually made right here in the Good Old U S of A. Many Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Mazda & Mercedes models are made by American workers. And Chrysler is no longer an American company. It's owned by Daimer-Chrysler, a German company.

Today, it's all about the "Global Economy". If you want to "Buy American" look at the content label on all new cars. It specifies the percentage of US and foreign components as well as the final assembly point. The VIN is also a give-away. If it begins in a '1' '4' or '5', it was assembled in the US.

Answer 2

I don't think it's wrong at all to want to support the US Automakers. When you buy a car at the dealership, a car made in the US, with US parts, labor, with US R&D, stop and think where your money is going.

The Milan or Fusion up there was made in Mexico unfortunately. Although I don't think that's a bad idea; the paychecks are not going to be spent at the local level. Whatever forces the big 3 to a higher quality standard and changes the public's opinion about American cars is going to be good for the whole.

My grandfather worked for Ford before the union, my mother just lost her job and my father is an engineer in the wings, waiting. The change has been long in coming and is much overdue. I myself did not buy an American car when it was time for my first new car purchase. As you can imagine, my choice was not too popular at Grandmas house for Christmas, but that car saved my life in a head on/roll over accident. My choice still stands because I did my research and felt confident before I made my decision and let my money do the talking, as should every consumer.

So many other businesses are affected by the car manufacturers like logistics, suppliers, and the small businesses that support them, that your decision to support the US automakers has a trickle down effect. I just hope for your sake, you are rewarded for your effort.

Answer 3

No it's not morally wrong, just not very bright. It only encourages US automakers to continue making inferior products and pouring more money into marketing to suckers like you than they spend on R&D. Remember this: these companies are run by the same assholes who run this country and they do not give a rat's *** about you. They are super-rich people and they do not care about you. It's a big club and you are not in it (to quote George Carlin). They could care less about their companies or the quality of the products they make because they get paid ridiculous sums of money regardless of how their companies do. There is absolutely zero accountability at US car companies. Toyota and Honda are creating more good jobs in this country than all the US automakers combined and they have a far more ethical way of doing business and a real commitment to innovation and environmental concerns. I've always said, buy a Japanese car and laugh at the folly of those who buy American. This has been true since the early to mid 80's. I own an 11 year old Nissan Pathfinder that nothing has ever gone wrong on. I bought it used with 14,000 miles on it in 1995. In 11 years I've literally had to replace 2 parts and change the oil. I think I may have had a tune-up once too. The thing just works. It was the best $24,000 I ever spent. A good friend of mine got suckered into buying a Ford Explorer a couple of years ago because his in-laws owned a dealership. The car has broken down twice and been recalled at least once. It drives like a bathtub. He's planning on trading it in for a Japanese hybrid later this year.

Answer 4

I would imagine you mean a Ford, GM or Chrysler as Toyota, Honda and Nissan build a lot of cars here now.

I would love to buy an "American" car, but until the bean counters let them be built like they should be, I will stay away. Depreciation is usually high, reliability is usually below average, interiors are lacking, and the motors tend to be old tech. There are of course exceptions to this (Mustang GT, GTO, Cadillac CTS), but generally the "Japanese" cars are simply better. As the American car makers are using the same design talent pools, and should be able to program their robots to build a car just as well, I have to blame the bean counters. They cut the interiors down to tupperware grade, mandate plastic intakes and let the lowest bidder build the part? Not for me.

You are not wrong or a racist, you are simply patriotic. If you can ignore the fact that many American cars are sourced out of Mexico and Canada, and do not mind that you are in some cases buying an inferior product, more power to you. Things are looking up, but Ford and GM are in a lot of trouble (health care costs and inflated wages are killing them) and will soon be trailing Toyota in total sales.

Answer 5

I'm with you man, Nothing is better then a car out of the U.S.. people don't understand that buy buying foriegn that jobs in america are being lost. People give, Ford, Dodge, and GM a bad name becasue of a car that they have owned 20 years ago and was a lemon, so they assume that every car from them will be like that. I drive a 1989 Ford Ranger with 186 000km on it, and its still going strong. The family friend I bought it from had a frinend with the exact same truck, they bought the same truck on the same day at the same time from the same dealer, these were Identical. A few months before i bought this truck the friends truck "died" with 450 000km on it, all it needed was a new water pump, he sold the tuck and bough a new Ranger, the Ranger he sold is still out on the roads going stong. I've seen more Americn cars come into the shop i work at with 300 000km plus still running like new, compaired to any import that comes in with 300 000 plus km. BUY AMERICAN.

Answer 6

No, go with what you prefer. If that was the case the Asian and Chinese communities are the biggest "car racist" of them all. All I know is that Toyota and other foreign manufactures are receiving a huge support from those communities. GO FOR IT!

Answer 7

No, since the steel used is some of the foreign made cars comes from the US. Go for it.

Answer 8

No it has nothing to do with racism, and its good to buy local produced products as it lowers the pollution from freigth.

Answer 9

NOT UNLESS YOU THINK IT IS.....TO ME IT'S JUST A MATTER OF OPINION