lordairgtar

http://autos.aol.com/article/general...14093809990001
Excellent news, let's hope they keep it up.

Dan's HHR

Let's fight japanese invasion

SandyBeach

I owned a '78 Toyota PU that was rusting from under me with 36K miles on it. The mechanics were outstanding but the body was pathetic. Once the foreign manufactures fixed the rust problem, they were a force to be reckoned with.

In the US, robotics has taken a lot of human error out of the equation. How many auto workers do you know who didn't even graduate high school? Many new hires were children of current employees with little regard for qualifications. I grew up in St Louis, home to Ford, Chevy, and Chrysler plants. I knew many people who worked there and heard complaints often.

I don't know the education level of their workers today but hope the standard was raised. They needed it to survive!

Firewatcher

One of the best 4x4 vehicles I ever owned was my 1991 Isuzu Trooper. That thing had a set of balls like no other. It went anywhere. Too bad the sheet metal didn't hold up. In less than 2 years it was rotting at the base of the windshield as well as the rear doors. Once that started there was no stopping it.

As far as American getting better......I'm not sure. The HHR has it's flaws, but my new Equinox has more. In 4 months the hood is shifting to the point I need to bring it to the dealer to have it re-aligned, the rear hatch struts don't work, and the upholstery is pulling apart on the rear passenger seat (nobody has ever sat there). For a 2007 model, I think they would have improved things since 2005. Guess not. Chevy is really starting to cheapen things up.

hillbillypimpin

I am willing to wager most of that rust was from the bed? If so, that was the only American part on those..They were shipped here as frame and cabs, and an upfitter in California installed the beds.....Anyway, as a Toyota tech myself, and the son of a 43 year GM Engineer (final vehicle dad worked on was the HHR) I gotta say the domestics have a lot to work on...The kind of problems we see in a Toyota dealer probably aren't even counted at a domestic dealer...Hate to say it...Just a total different world between the two....Not to mention, most jap owners payed a little more to get their vehicle, and bought it for that reason..When there is a problem they tend to be very vocal...IMHO I would put a Toyota up against a Chevy in any category and the Toyota will hold up better...ANY category.....I like the HHR I am in the process of buying, and I really want to root for the American companies..But they need better quality control and assembly practices to keep up with Toyota and Honda....

haypops

Toyota buys more GM parts (delphi) than anyone save GM.

hillbillypimpin

BS.....Even their shared platforms (Matrix or older Corolla) Toyota uses Denso stuff where GM uses Delphi...Funny too, the Denso stuff holds up better

hhrcrafty

Must be great being one of the last few people in Michigan to have a job...

hillbillypimpin

It's not THAT bad here..Factory workers are struggling..Just have to adapt...My wife's biz is flourishing, and so are several of our friends...Just a change, adapt or be left behind...

Harpozep

Give us some examples of adapting. Just curious.
If the jobs are simply taken away and outsourced to a different land ( Like the HHR made in Mexico, though it has always been, so bad example ... ), Then how does the now unemployed worker adapt? Job training I would guess, or back to school if one can swing it. But we are more of a service oriented society now since corporations have deemed the US too expensive to produce many products in. Wal Mart has what, 80% of their goods coming from outside the US?
So what is this adaptation like?
What is you wife's business, since it is doing well?

We need pointers here. Perhaps we can all become barbers or plumbers since those are services we all need
Around my parts we are all on the government's teat. Submarine building and the US Sub base keeps the economy flowing enough so the workers can lose it all at the Indian casinos