Chrysler Corp.

[Jack in Alaska]

Does everyone feel comfortable that Chrysler will continue on building us those fine Dodge CTD trucks????



Also how about GM & Ford continuing on building those trucks, although second rate, but at least giving us all an option.



I personally can not imagine the US auto industry going down the tubes and I wish it all the best in their struggle to get through this financial downturn.

 

[chazj]

While I am not necessarily a fan of a "bailout" per say; I think it's rather disingenuous that the govt. gave Wall Street Big $$$ with almost "no questions" asked. To add insult to injury... it would appear that the banking institutions are hoarding the money & not using it for which it was intended?



I also hope the auto industry can get their financial ducks in order even if it means consolidation or downsizing of brands. I would think that Dodge trucks and the Jeep line ups are viable assets onto their own and thus sustainable.

 

[DennyDay]

The worst part of the deal is that Chrysler is owned by a financial holding company. That company has absolutely no interest in putting any more of their money into it. They will however be glad to dump taxpayer $$$ into and the more the better. Will they survive? Not under current management and a failed leadership structure. Just as with Home Depot, it too was going down the tubes and until until they got rid of the same management team, was disaster bound. GE will probably not be able to survive after what the same managers did to them. With the current financial crunch, I don't believe GE will survive either. It appears the inmates are now running the assylum. My feeling is the only way Chrysler can survive is through a take over, but I have a feeling it won't be a US manufacturer, because, as much as we would like to see it, both GM and Ford have a full stable of light trucks and vans. The only thing Chrysler brings to the table is the Jeep brand. I think Cebrus(sp) would dump Jeep in a NY minute, and somehow I can't envision a Bowtie on a Ram Diesel Pickup! How about a Cummins in a Kia?



Denny

 

[Jeepr]

I am annoyed at the financial industry situation. Those loans were loans that should never have been made as those people could not afford them! And those companies are getting bailed out of bad business decisions. If my company chose to do a project for someone that questionably could pay us, that would be a bad business decision, and we would have to suffer the consequences of that risk.



Sadly, that started a cascading effect that effects all of us now. That tightened the credit markets, put fear in the minds of many and poeople quit spending. Then, as a result of that, people start getting laid off, putting more fear in minds, etc, etc.



That being said, while the US auto industry has made some mistakes, do realize ALL cars are not selling right now... . Toyota, Honda, etc are all experiencing very slow sales. I guess I'm okay with LOANS to help the industry out; not unlike the loans give to Chrysler in the K-car days.



However, I have a problem with the U. S. giving loans to these companies who have increasingly been moving production to Canada and Mexico, for products destined to the U. S. I believe I heard that Chrylser is now asking Canada for money too, and they should. If not, we should be considering moving some of that production back to the U. S. , if we are the ones doing the bailout!



I don't want to start another Mexico vs. St Louis "which truck is better" here, but I live in St Louis. And have watched while the truck plant here is reduced to one shift, while I assume Saltino, Mexico is running much higher. And they closed the minivan plant here and yet the Canadian plant for the minivans is running all three shifts.



And, the automakers need to quit blaming others for their mistakes. Chrysler has said minivan sales are down because of gas prices. Well, their vans, in my opinion, always has a bit of style to them, but the most recent ones are square boxes. They have like 6 products based off the same small car platform (Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, etc) that has never gotten any good reviews in the press (other than maybe the Evo).



The new Honda/Acura styling is not getting good reviews, Toyota has had a few quality mistakes lately. It's an opportunity for the U. S. makes to take advantage of that, but unfortuantely, they can never respond fast enough for that. GM's new(ish) family of 3. 6 liter engines seem to be a good start.

 

[DBentley]

I love my dodge with a cummins but it is about the most expensive vehicle to buy,maintain and feed with fuel,that I have ever owned.

I need it for work every day and its the best choice for now as long as i can keep feeding it.

I think the big three are going away no mater how much$$$$$$$$ the gov GIVES them.

 

[Cummins Cowboy]

someone said chrysler brings jeep to the table, if anything nowadays jeep is a liability, the commander was in the top 10 worst selling vehicles, and frankly if you drive one you could see why, I drove one that was a rental and it was aweful, they tried to make it look hummerish, as for the rest of the jeep line who is buying them???



GM's problem is UAW has killed them, you guys need to understand without the UAW deals broken the bailout money is just a bailout of UAW and will not make them viable in the future, the libs are telling the companies all to make small cars, good luck with that because in the small car market yota and honda will kill them.



chrysler should be in better shape than they are because they aren't in near as much trouble with UAW. I think the quality of chrysler products has slipped quite a bit ad to that a few flops in the styling market.

 

[fox]

I still contend the reason they won't build vehicles that are more fuel efficient, 1) is EPA regs, , 2) same motors will last longer. They are in business to build and sell cars and trucks.

1-2 years ago they all were making record sales and proffits. Where did that $$$ go?

 

[RJWEST]

If they stop building Dodge Cumins Trucks.
What will happen to the value of the used ones?

 

[JimB1]

I believe 3rd gen 5. 9's will gain same status as "last of the muscle cars".



10-15 yrs from now pre Jan 1st '07 Powerstroke and Duramax will be a rarity on the highway while there'll still be a lot of 5. 9's in great shape.



If Chrysler should happen to stop production on 6. 7's then that'll just raise 5. 9demand even more.

 

[abranz]

One issue which bothers me regarding GM is that they are currently building one of the largest auto manufacturing plants the world has seen, in China. Meanwhile US taxpayers are going to foot this bailout. Tough pill to swallow. I will not buy another. AB

 

[Little Bill]

One issue which bothers me regarding GM is that they are currently building one of the largest auto manufacturing plants the world has seen, in China. Meanwhile US taxpayers are going to foot this bailout. Tough pill to swallow. I will not buy another. AB

Even worse, the plant they built in China to build Buick Regals and minivans 6-8 years ago allowed the Chinese to begin sourcing parts locally after about 3 years. I doubt the contract for this new plant will be any different. The first Regals coming off that line were equivalent quality to the US counterpart. The last new one i rode in last year was typical Chinese junk. Squeaks, rattles, wavy glass, interior trim falling off. If GM thinks they have found a cheap manufacturer to make exportable cars, they are sorely mistaken.

 

[AABEN]

DBently There money went to the top people of GM. in BONUSES Gest like all the large BANKS-LOAN Company and all large companies. White collars can steal from every one and get by with it!

 

['strokeThis_'07]

The ONLY thing Jeep has is the Wrangler. Maybe the Cherokee, but thats it! The rest are little POSs. Right now, the only Jeep Id have in the driveway is the Cherokee SRT8...

 

[ColoradoKing]

Even worse, the plant they built in China to build Buick Regals and minivans 6-8 years ago allowed the Chinese to begin sourcing parts locally after about 3 years. The last new one i rode in last year was typical Chinese junk. Squeaks, rattles, wavy glass, interior trim falling off. QUOTE]



In other words, typical GM quality? I wouldn't buy a GM if it were given to me. Though sad to see a loss of jobs, I'm not particularly sad to see GM go. More than Ford, they're so hooked into the UAW that they can't possibly turn a profit if they have to pay off pensions, sick days, wages and other benefits, not to mention the road costs of trucking parts from all over US and Canada to build one single model in Detroit. The UAW can point to huge corporate bonuses as an argument that they're entitled to some of the fat, too. GM can't run an effective, profitable business until they're bankrupted, and can then legally eliminate some union obligations. Ford is close behind.



Though Chrysler's already gone through one bankruptcy, they didn't learn a great deal. Under their merger with Daimler, they introduced way too many new models, most of them lemons or niche models, which thinned out their profit margin.



All that sadness aside, I think the Big Three will ultimately stay alive, albeit greatly altered from what they look like now.

 

[Matt400]

The ONLY thing Jeep has is the Wrangler. The rest are little POSs.

Hrmm, I kinda like my POS then. It has a very solid feel to it, no rattles, no wind noise, no leaks, easy to heat or cool inside, visibility out all the way around is excellent, snow handling is great at over 4000 lbs. Fit and finish is surprising good for what it is. I wouldn't trade my Liberty for a Wrangler when it comes to transportation thats for sure unless rock crawling was what I wanted.

 

[Jack in Alaska]

So my 300C AWD is a niche model... ... ... ????

 

[TFucili]

I don't put many miles on my truck, but it has been(knocking wood)a very reliable machine. My wife's Charger, on the other hand, has been the stereotypical knock on American cars. The transmission is schizo, the throttle-by-wire is laggy and unpredictable, the engine picked up a rap, which turned out to be a failed rocker shaft(common problem), and it is full of rattles at 24,000 miles. I am not impressed one bit. We are currently back east for the holiday,and are driving a rented Nissan Altima. It's tight, at comparable mileage to our Charger, gets good MPG, and its CVT trans puts the one in a Jeep Compass I had for a loaner to shame.