May 18, 2009
Craptastic Chrysler
As Chrysler thunders towards insolvency, shedding dealerships like a dying rat does fleas, there comes talk that the automaker might be saved by a marriage with Fiat, the Italian automaker.
This is a perfect match, as Chrysler, the domestic brand with the worst reliability rating for its vehicles, would be paired up with a craptastic European company renowned for its shoddy workmanship.
Now there's a recipe for success.
Joe Sherlock commented the other day on the self-induced woes that have plagued Chrysler -- and it's domestic brethren.
[M]y good friend's 2003 Chrysler Town & Country broke down last week and his repair guy can't get the Chrysler parts to fix it. The van is falling apart at 65,000 miles.
The part is question has had a known high failure rate. Chrysler had been aware of the problem for a long time (12 years or more) and never bothered to improve the component in question, because it lasted just long enough to skate through the factory warranty period.
Ford and GM are guilty of similar sins. For example, Ford had ignition and cruise control problems since 1984 but it took 14 years before they properly addressed it - because the parts typically failed after the warranty was expired. "So ... hey ... it's not our problem." This is another reason that the Big Three have lost market share to the Japanese over the years.
My car buddy wrote, "I am disgusted that Chrysler has been allowed to get away with this bullshit since back in the '90s. If I had only known, I never would have bought (their products). I ... will never buy Chrysler again ... I will dump both vans and go Asian."
My Dad decided to dip his toe into the domestic market a few years back, tempted by talk of improved build quality, and the alluring scream of the supercharger under the hood of the Pontiac he bought for a song.
Within a matter of months the car began rattling and squeaking, suffering a myriad of minor-but-annoying defects.
When it was time to replace it, the American automakers weren't even a possibility. Japanese for Dad, German for his wife. It's a regular Axis Alliance in their driveway.
I took a chance on my GMC truck last year. While it's got a lot of nice features and is great at hauling our Airstream, it too is suffering from the kind of Q&A issues that will make me think long and hard about spending that much money on another GM product.
Presuming there is a GM.
Posted by Mike Lief at May 18, 2009 10:40 PM
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