"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:
I almost did buy one two years ago - a Crown Victoria, since I wanted a
rear wheel drive car for towing. I would've preferred that car to my
pickup truck because the gas mileage was about 25% better. But then, I
read about the feature that wasn't in the brochu The thing about the
exploding gas tank and rear-end collisions. I realize other cars may have
this problem, but that fact had no bearing on my decision. I may look
again in the future, but only after finding out if the issue has been
dealt with. Police departments are happy to dispense this information.



"Paul Schilter" paulschilter@comcast dot net wrote in message
...

Doug,
I can understand how you feel. I work as an electrician, for Ford at
the Romeo Engine Plant. I hired in the in 1989. Since we were building
the engine plant we went to a lot of classes. We learned that Ford
changed its way of doing business because of the Japanese. What you say
is completely true and very embarrassing. They're whole focus was on
numbers, we've since learnt different. Today quality is the first
priority. Anyone can stop the line if something is wrong. No we're not
perfect but we sure as hell are trying. The union has a quality rep that
you can call if you feel quality is being ignored. A lot of the members
of upper management in the plant come and go as they move up the ladder.
But we as members of an engine building team will either prosper or fail
with this plant are here for the long term. The product that we deliver
to you determines our future. I assure you that the majority of us are
very concerned with quality. Doug, I appo;igize about the past and hope
you check us out in the future.
Paul

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

snipped


How can you not understand? Millions of people got ****ed up the ass by
the American car makers. Those memories don't fade for many, many years.
Toyota offers cars that are damned close to perfect. Unless you require
a "niche car" like the one you bought, why gamble with an American car?

My brother in law used to bitch at me about how I was costing Americans
jobs by buying Japanese. My response was simple: My second Ford was in
the shop 5 times in the first year (1975). My boss read me the riot act:
Find a way to get to work, or work somewhere else. In other words, the
Ford was about to cost me MY job. When it finally died, I bought a
Toyota. My logic: If American engineers can't build a car correctly,
they deserve to lose their jobs.

It's an interesting phenomenon in America: Pick 10 products, one of them
being a cars. For each product, ask 10,000 people what should happen to
the manufacturers of those products if they're poorly built for years on
end. For 9 of the products, people will say what they should: The
manufacturers should go out of business. For cars, they'll cut the
manufacturers a ridiculous amount of slack. It's as if cars have some
sort of religious status. I makes no sense at all.






The Crown Vic was my favorite US full-sized car, until that "defect" came
to light. A friend has the small Caddy whatever, and it's a pretty nice
car. Ford has a new sedan, the 500 something, that looks kind of
interesting. Most of the GM cars I've been in leave much to be desired,
and the Chrysler products are pretty grim.

In the car lines, I think it is tough to beat Toyota, and it doesn't
matter where they are assembled. But I think the full-size Ford and Chevy
trucks are aces. And for $50,000, there is nothing around to equal the
Corvette.

I looked at a Dodge intrepid, but as I mentioned elsewhere, pieces were
falling off the dash. Even funnier, though: I asked the sales thing "Is this
front or rear wheel drive?" He said "Hmmm.....it's probably one or the
other. Why do you need to know?" Down the center stage trapdoor with him.
:-)