POLL: Are you done with domestic brands or will you give them a second chance?

I am a U.S. Army veteran in my 50s. I grew up in conservative Nebraska as a farm boy and I am very patriotic. I own a Harley Davidson and my whole life I cursed foreign made anything. My family has always been ford chevy and dodge die-hards. None of us EVER drove any foreign brands PERIOD! Around 1995 I dated a woman who owned a Honda car. The first time I drove it I was like wow...totally new experience. Something was strangely very different. I could feel a quality that I had never before experienced. I didnt want to admit that I actually liked this foreign made car. Still I resisted to accept that I liked a foreign machine. As she tooled about carefree in her little Honda I continually repaired and dumped time and cash into my F150 money pit. To make a long story short we eventually parted ways but not before I dumped my f150 and bought that Honda car from her. Since that time 20 years ago I have owned many different foreign vehicles. At one point I decided to give chevy a second chance....BIG mistake. Right now I own 2 Tacoma's and a Camry that I couldn't be more pleased with. I doubt my garage will ever see a domestic brand as long as I am on this side of the dirt.

 

The thing to remember is that this is 2015, not 1990.

Things have changed in terms of quality across the entire board and the technology used in automotive facilities is FAR superior to the old days of people hand tightening bolts.

 

I have never had a lot of faith in domestics due to historical reliability data, and now that many of the "foreign" brands are made here with more "domestic" input than some of the actual domestics, I have no issue. I would love to support domestic production of many things, but blind ignorance of statistical reliability is just not my thing either. With cars, at least there is an option. TVs, electronics etc. you have no choice.

It will take at least a decade of reliability stats for me to change my opinion of domestics and euro-cars. Ford made a good run at it, then let things slip back. Can't figure out why.

 

Given cross-border nature of investment and ownership of global brands, it is an illusion and simplistic to think of corporations as being either foreign or domestic...

 

I as well gave up Domestic cars and trucks for a Toyota since I started driving 35 years ago I drove Mopar,Chevy and then Ford for 25+ years mainly Rangers and a 2 F-150's.

I then bought a 2013 Ford Escape what a "huge" mistake that was Ford bought the SUV crossover back I then bought a 2014 Tacoma Off Road could not be happier.....

2013 Ford Escape issies:

• ENGINERecall for 2013 Ford Escape
  • Recall AnnouncedNOVEMBER 25 2013
  • NHTSA Reference#13V583000
  • Number Affected139,917
  Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, through June 2, 2013 and equipped with 1.6L engines. The affected vehicles may experience localized overheating of the engine cylinder head which may cause cracks that could allow oil to leak.
  
  Consequence: Leaking engine oil may come into contact with a hot engine surface potentially resulting in an engine compartment fire.
  
  Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will modify the engine shielding, cooling and control systems, free of charge. An interim notice will be mailed to owners during January 2014. The recall began on April 9, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13S12.
  
  For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning recall #13V583000 »
  
  
• FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGSRecall for 2013 Ford Escape
  • Recall AnnouncedNOVEMBER 25 2013
  • NHTSA Reference#13V584000
  • Number Affected9,469
  Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through July 11, 2012, and equipped with a 1.6L engine subject to prior safety recall NHTSA 12V-336. In some cases, the engine compartment fuel line may have been installed incorrectly when repaired under the prior recall. The misinstalled fuel line could chafe and eventually leak fuel.
  
  Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
  
  Fix: Ford will notify owners and dealers will inspect the engine compartment fuel line, and if necessary, replace it, free of charge. An interim notice will be mailed to owners during January 2014. The recall began on April 9, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13S12.
  
  For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning recall #13V584000 »
  
  
• ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGRecall for 2013 Ford Escape
  • Recall AnnouncedSEPTEMBER 04 2012
  • NHTSA Reference#12V431000
  • Number Affected6,146
  Summary: Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through August 31, 2012, equipped with 1.6L engines. The cylinder head cup plug (freeze plug) may become dislodged resulting in significant loss of engine coolant.
  
  Consequence: As leaking engine coolant evaporates on the hot engine, the glycol may ignite causing an engine compartment fire.
  
  Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will seal the existing plug and add a secondary plug cover, free of charge. The safety recall began on September 11, 2012. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
  
  For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning recall #12V431000 »

 

I have bought 2 domestic cars that were really foreign make in disguise.

1. As a young lady in my 20s, I owned a GEO Prism that was actually a Toyota Corolla.
2. I bought my mom a Pontiac Vibe that is actually a Toyota Matrix.

The GEO was awesome, the Pontiac has had some hiccups mostly due to my 81 year old Mom...

My only other domestics were a 1970 Chevelle (loved that car), a Mercury Comet (meh),
a Dodge Aspen my Dad bought me using my money from basic training (did not like but loved my Dad he tried).

For work, I used a 2011 Chevy Equinox.
Not my style, but it's not mine, and saves my miles on my truck.

 

Wrong forum, but while I'm here.

Nope

 

Not true at all.
Yes foreign manufacturers have moved much ASSEMBLY here, not manufacturing, production, engineering, corporate governance, Company ethics etc. Foreign assembly plants exist here to avoid import tariffs and other political reasons. If you think Toyota is American owned in any way think again. Or that GM is somehow Japanese owned is just ridiculous.

 

Heck no......My ZO6 has been trouble free gas/oil and goes like stink.. 1998 Cherokee which is still in the family runs strong despite some electrical gremlins

 

I concede domestic brands for the most part have improved, however after having several of my old domestics fail on me, it has put a bad taste in my mouth. What Toyota and Honda have always done is produce high-quality entry-level cars. That is the best way to get a customer for life. Being stranded on the road with a car that has only 80,000 miles on it sucks. My Tacoma is coming on it's 14th year with no real issues.

 

as someone who rents cars every other week, the domestic cars are by far the most problematic. i'm talking a brand new loaded up jeep grand cherokee with 4k miles with the dashboard lit up, and the ac malfunctioning. the instrument layouts aren't very intuitive either. i had a the misfortune of getting a hyundai accent one time and i enjoyed that more than most of the american cars i usually get. my ex's fusion work car also had to be taken to the shop for some major tranny and drivetrain issues before 100k, meanwhile my little civic with 138k on it at the time was running like a champ.

anyhoo, yeah so even modern american cars are still garbage

 

I'd give a Buick Regal turbo a chance (with a sunroof, of course)

 

I would love to keep our coin in the US but, I'm going to buy what fits my needs most for the time period I plan to own whatever it is I'm buying.

Currently have Toyota products but, I've had a need for something more capable than what was offered at one point and bought a diesel. So I bought a Ford... Given the same circumstances, I'll do it again.

 

Yes domestic manufacturers have reluctantly been forced improve their quality and value. However as they are improving do you think foreign manufacturers are just sitting by idly? They improve as well. Maybe the gap has closed a tiny bit but domestic still has light years to go to catch up

 

I had a Geo Metro that ran really good into old age. But yeah, that was not even a real domestic are but rather an Isuzu 3 cylinder motor. Everything else fell apart except for the motor. haha. Miss that little thing but would be like tinfoil in an accident.

 

I bought a 2016 Taco pickup truck, it was built in Texaz does that make it foreign or domestic?? Probably built with foreign labor tho... and possibly foreign built parts. A lot of Chevy trucks are make in Canada does that make them foreign or domestic?? In fact the last 2 Chevys I bought, one was made in Japan and the other in Canada... didn't have any issues with either one just got tired of the design features on US built/designed cars = mostly copies of European design and several years behind the times. That and US vehicles ride like boats and I'm driving a truck. I want a truck that rides like a truck and feels like a truck, same with car design and handling... I don't like the feel of boat ride in a car. I have boat for that, just sayin.

 

It was ASSEMBLED in texas. Notice how they never say manufactured in America. Or they never say produced in America...parts were manufactured in Japan and engineered and designed in Japan....How many bolts on your truck are imperial sized? You wont find one bolt that is not metric.

 

When you say foreign, are you referring to solely Japanese made vehicles (honda/toyota), or are you going to bring BMW and VW into the equation? I know that those aren't the most reliable brand out there.....It is the nature of the beast that every manufacturer has hiccups and can be plagued trying to chase gremlins out of their production lines. I believe there comes a point where you can't improve quality and value, there are too many outside factors at play....

I think that to honestly say foreign vehicle are more reliable than domestic vehicles paints a broad stroke that covers too much.

 

Mostly I am referring Pacific rim manufacturers.

 

Why would I?
My 1989 Chevy S-10 Blazer went through 2 transmissions, a T-Case, heater core, starter, ECG valve, and a few other things in 6 years and a little over 100,000 miles. Engine was great and never burned or leaked oil, so one positive. All issues happened after the 50,000 warranty ran out.

My 1996 Tacoma has had 2 cracked AC lines, a leaking T-case seal, a couple catalytic converters and O2 sensors, a worn out clutch, and now gets only 16mpg; after 20 years and 190,000 miles. No burning or leaking oil either.

I'm going to stick with what works. Maybe Chevy and Ford have improved, but I'm not willing to take that bet.