Ford's Trouble

[mustang462002]

http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/07/news/companies/automakers_3q_results/index.htm

I do not understand why people buy damn imports with this type of thing happening. Ford practically invented Mass Produced Automobiles and revolutionized labor and pay. Now people turn its back on it. -2600 jobs lost, plus all the others. When are people going to realize where their money goes. God Save Ford.

 

[50 Proof]

Consumers don't care where their money goes. Consumers care about what options are available to them and how much they can buy for their money. Lets face it, Ford is not producing cars that most consumers want right now. Ford's line up is improving but it still sucks. The japanese companies are increasing their quality, competition is stiffening big time and Ford is struggling to keep up.

Just this past weekend I was in Washington DC and rented a Mitsubishi Gallant to drive into Virgina. At first I was pissed because I don't like Japanese cars and I hate mitsubishi's cars. After spending half a day in the car, I was convinced that it was a pretty damn nice car for a little 4 cylinder econobox. Smooth as silk, can't even hear the engine running, drives smooth as can be, almost no outside noise even made its way into the cabin, and I averaged close to 37mpg on the highway. I was very impressed, and this is coming from someone who can't stand Mitsubishi cars. Japanese car companies are stepping things up quite a bit.

 

[99cobra302]

i understand where you are coming from, and i am a ford guy. but i understand why people buy imports, superior build quality and better interior materials.

that being said i think the build quality of newer domestic cars is becoming MUCH better but we still cant compete with the better materials being used in foreign cars. the cost of building a car in the US is higher due to unions, and to keep a car cost competitive with others in the same class, cuts need to be made somewhere. unfortunately it is the materials.

 

[99cobra302]

as a side note....GM is doing a bit worse at the moment

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aPtO113gTIUs&refer=home

 

[GTSpartan]

It's just a matter of time before both GM & Ford burn all their cash. It's not an if, but when.

Bailouts for the Big 3. No way they let them fail.

It'll happen soon after Obama takes office.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Consumers aren't interested in saving a company because it has significance in our history if they aren't putting out what they want. It's simple, imports have been offering a better package for a long time now and consumers want the best car for their money.

 

[Tunink]

It's called Unions and handling the retirement/health care costs of thousands of retired employees.

Just not feasible.

 

[shanezt]

yep, why do people continue to blame imports when it is the union that is at fault. sorry but NO line worker deserves more than 8.00 an hour period. its called unskilled labor and should be paid as such. paying for healthcare after they dont work anymore is just plain stupid.

these idiot union workers feel great about making 70k a year, then question why their product has been priced so damn high. shit i just drove a 2009 ram 1500 2WD with a sticker of 45k. 45k for 2WD? **** you union workers, its your outragous saleries and benefits that has priced the big 3 out of its market. hope you enjoy flipping burgers next year when your employer is bankrupt, burger king is unskilled labor also.

 

[BDF8]

yep, why do people continue to blame imports when it is the union that is at fault. sorry but NO line worker deserves more than 8.00 an hour period. its called unskilled labor and should be paid as such. paying for healthcare after they dont work anymore is just plain stupid.

these idiot union workers feel great about making 70k a year, then question why their product has been priced so damn high. shit i just drove a 2009 ram 1500 2WD with a sticker of 45k. 45k for 2WD? **** you union workers, its your outragous saleries and benefits that has priced the big 3 out of its market. hope you enjoy flipping burgers next year when your employer is bankrupt, burger king is unskilled labor also.

I hate to say it, but besides my disagreement about 8.00 an hour I give that a fat +1

 

[shanezt]

maybe $8.00 was a little rough

 

[s_x_i]

Yeah... $5.00 would be more in line.

 

[Moreboost88]

yep, why do people continue to blame imports when it is the union that is at fault. sorry but NO line worker deserves more than 8.00 an hour period. its called unskilled labor and should be paid as such. paying for healthcare after they dont work anymore is just plain stupid.

these idiot union workers feel great about making 70k a year, then question why their product has been priced so damn high. shit i just drove a 2009 ram 1500 2WD with a sticker of 45k. 45k for 2WD? **** you union workers, its your outragous saleries and benefits that has priced the big 3 out of its market. hope you enjoy flipping burgers next year when your employer is bankrupt, burger king is unskilled labor also.

Yea I hear you on that one, the big 3 just can't compete with jobs within the USA cause of the Unions. They can go over to China and pay some little chinese guy $50 a week to do just as good of a job, my friend who works at a GM plant use to make like $80 grand a year pressing a ****ing button on the assembly line, when they dropped his pay to $50 grand he went on strike. Yet he drives his Lexus to work at the GM plant and wonders why he is losing his job.

 

[PSUCOBRA96]

if they make 70k , then when i get outta law school I better start out at 200k, lol cept the average salary is prob. more like 45-55k...they def. are paid too much for what they actually do with the exception of guys who are buildind shelby engines by hand, that takes more skill start to finish

 

[meaty mac]

It's called Unions and handling the retirement/health care costs of thousands of retired employees.

Just not feasible.

You hit the nail right on the head. alot of people blame just the unions, but the health care and payouts for retired employees and their families are hurting the company just as much as the unions

But health care is essential; unions -not as much, at least nowadays.
I think it was the Discovery channel that had a documentary on the way automotive labour was treated in the old days. it was BRUTAL then, the working conditions, so in a way, the companies have no one to blame but themselves
That's what happens when you're over a hundred years old.. past commitments are starting to catch up with them. sad, really when you consider what they've done for this country

 

[GTSpartan]

THE UAW IS NO LONGER NEEDED

We now have the Dept of Labor & OSHA to protect workers.

These days, it is nothing more than organized crime that blackmails their employer. I've never understood the whole "bite the hand that feeds you" mentality from the UAW.

Before the pro union guys jump in, I've got two words for you.................Jobs bank:kaboom::nonono::cryying:

The most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of.

 

[meaty mac]

Also forgot to add that even though the big three have caught up to the imports in build quality, people are still thinking back to 10,15 years ago when there was a defenite gap in the quality of domestics vs imports.
Example: When i think of hyundai, i still think of the pony lol

 

[solidsnakesvt]

Alot of people I know with f-150's and silverado's have trucks that are built outside the US, while I have had 2 toyota trucks and they were both built in the US. What are you supposed to do? Either way someone will lose a job. At least with the 2 toyotas I bought the money went to US worker's wages while the ford and silverado's went to foreign workers and US corporate big shots. Thats just the way it is.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Also forgot to add that even though the big three have caught up to the imports in build quality, people are still thinking back to 10,15 years ago when there was a defenite gap in the quality of domestics vs imports.
Example: When i think of hyundai, i still think of the pony lol

We haven't totally caught up yet. We are closer overall, and a hell of a lot closer in certain sections, but not totally caught up yet.

 

[Euphoric One]

yep, why do people continue to blame imports when it is the union that is at fault. sorry but NO line worker deserves more than 8.00 an hour period. its called unskilled labor and should be paid as such. paying for healthcare after they dont work anymore is just plain stupid.

these idiot union workers feel great about making 70k a year, then question why their product has been priced so damn high. shit i just drove a 2009 ram 1500 2WD with a sticker of 45k. 45k for 2WD? **** you union workers, its your outragous saleries and benefits that has priced the big 3 out of its market. hope you enjoy flipping burgers next year when your employer is bankrupt, burger king is unskilled labor also.

Yeah... $5.00 would be more in line.

If you pay line workers $8.00, it will be reflected in the final product. No offense, but you folks sound like jealous people without a clue. Do they deserve $27 an hour? Some jobs no, some jobs yes. Do they deserve $8? No. Asinine comment.

We haven't totally caught up yet. We are closer overall, and a hell of a lot closer in certain sections, but not totally caught up yet.

They have caught up to Toyota and Honda in several quality segments. Not closer. Caught up.

Also, every product Ford makes is superior to the Galant. Dumbest post I've ever seen.

 

[Hrbdizzle]

THE UAW IS NO LONGER NEEDED

We now have the Dept of Labor & OSHA to protect workers.

These days, it is nothing more than organized crime that blackmails their employer. I've never understood the whole "bite the hand that feeds you" mentality from the UAW.

Before the pro union guys jump in, I've got two words for you.................Jobs bank:kaboom::nonono::cryying:

The most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of.

Except for the people that are employed by an industry that OSHA has no control over. Railroad workers for instance.