Various Topics on Mercedes-Benz

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On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:42:01 -0700, "M.M." <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote:

>Scott Dorsey wrote:
>> It is less and less applicable these days, as Japanese car makers are
>> falling into the same traps that destroyed American car makers and are
>> increasingly becoming concerned with short term profits rather than the
>> end product. It is very disturbing. There are an increasing number of
>> MBAs running Japanese car companies, and that's a bad sign.
>> --scott
>
>Yeah, I'm afraid you're right, looking at some of the new stuff from
>Honda and Toyota. Maybe it's the Korean's turn...or the Chinese...

What worries me more that the cars/prices is the attitude of the
Japanese companies these days compared to days of old when they earned
their reputation with great customer service. I could post specifics,
but Nissan & Toyota have headed in the direction of "if we create cars
with a a major flaw it costs a lot to fix it then just deny the claims
and don't run any customer satisfaction repair programs". Honda has
done some slimy things too, although I don't have personal experience
with repair campaigns.

It's sad to see them drag out the lawyers and accountants to defend
and deny problems that their engineers have obviously found to be a
manufacturing/design problem.

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On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:38:50 -0500, gfretwell@aol.com wrote:

>Somebody here told me the other day I wasn't qualified to work on the
>Honda and I should pay $800 for a belt although I am perfectly capable
>of doing anything to the Ford.

Some because someone here (whatever group that is) told you a story it
makes it fact?

The F250 does happen to be the best product Ford ever produced, but
that doesn't make it much different to work on that any other engine,
aside from some knowledge and special tools for that specific vehicle.

>I can't even use common fluids in the Honda. The antifreeze is 4-5
>times as much.

I have difficulty believing that. Maybe your aged Ford uses the green
stuff on sale, but newer Fords use a carbo-oxy as used by many other
manufacturers. Even so, the green is about $10/gal... you're
suggesting that the Honda coolant is $40-$50/gal.Last I checked, Honda
used a typical no-phosphate japanese coolant. Prices are about the
same for all, give or take a few $'s and some extra profit money if
you buy it at the stealer.

..z..

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

> Gordon McGrew <gRmEcMgOrVeEw@mindspring.com> wrote:
>> >American cars are ****. Made by unionists more worried about when their
>> >next coffee break is than making quality cars.
>
>> It's not the union worker's fault. You could hire a team of Formula 1
>> mechanics to dis***emble and re***emble a Detroit 3 car and it would
>> still be a piece of ****.
>
>Yup. It's nice to have a fall guy though. Saves approaching the real
>problems. Since I'm reading this on a BMW group the OP might like to
>ponder why BMW recognises unions but manages to be one of the most
>profitable car makers world wide.

Because they stuck to their guns and designed cars right, instead of
making FWD ****?

..retwe.. ..l.c..

On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:54:55 GMT, still just me
<wheeledBobNOSPAM@yahoo.com> wrote:

>>I can't even use common fluids in the Honda. The antifreeze is 4-5
>>times as much.
>
>I have difficulty believing that. Maybe your aged Ford uses the green
>stuff on sale,

I have never seen Honda antifreeze "on sale" or really for sale at all
beyond the dealer. It is also half the strength. A gallon costs at
least twice what a national brand costs and you need twice as much of
it.

..zem..

<gfretwell@aol.com> wrote in message news:54a7r3tkqnl1jof60u39nvmutd7va2k0q5@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:54:55 GMT, still just me
> <wheeledBobNOSPAM@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>>I can't even use common fluids in the Honda. The antifreeze is 4-5
>>>times as much.
>>
>>I have difficulty believing that. Maybe your aged Ford uses the green
>>stuff on sale,
>
> I have never seen Honda antifreeze "on sale" or really for sale at all
> beyond the dealer. It is also half the strength. A gallon costs at
> least twice what a national brand costs and you need twice as much of
> it.

How often you need it?
Why do you make big fuss about $20 dollars spend once per 2 years?

..Jo..

"swllz" <swllz@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:fospi8$g6j$1@mailhub227.itcs.purdue.edu...
>
>
> Tony Harding wrote:
>> tater wrote:
>>
>>> <buydomestic@usa.com> wrote in message
>>> news:bbb87af8-e1fe-4b8c-8435-4c0ed51f6315@u10g2000prn.googlegroups.com...
>>>
>>>> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23124844/
>>>>
>>>> GM just made it known that they lost 39 billion in 2007, the largest
>>>> ever annual loss for a US automaker.
>>>>
>>>> The big three are losing money, and if we don't give them the support
>>>> they need, they are going to go under. Consider buying an American
>>>> car.
>>>>
>>>
>>> American cars are ****. Made by unionists more worried about when their
>>> next coffee break is than making quality cars. They've negotiated
>>> themselves
>>> right out of jobs as the big auto makers cut back. It's not possible to
>>> do business that way and compete on a world wide economy.
>>
>>
>> It's hardly the workers' fault - Honda & Toyota employ American workers
>> and turn out quality vehicles. This is a management failing.
>
> It is very true. The top management in GM should be blamed. GM ***emble
> line workers do not make much more than ***emble line worker in TOYOTA.
> They just ***emble what have been planed and designed by management. The
> top management in GM take home a huge salary and bouns compare to TOYOTA
> or HONDA top management.

What are the annual healthcare and retirement benefit costs for GM and Ford,
owing to the UAW contracts, as compared with Honda and Toyota? So to say
that those Japanese companies take care of their empoyees as well as the Big
Three is an outright lie.

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On Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:30:30 GMT, "BaJoRi" <bajori1970@aol.com> wrote:

>What are the annual healthcare and retirement benefit costs for GM and Ford,
>owing to the UAW contracts, as compared with Honda and Toyota? So to say
>that those Japanese companies take care of their empoyees as well as the Big
>Three is an outright lie.

No, it isn't. Check out some of what Japanese companies do for their
employees, voluntarily. However, it's a completely different economic
structure and company/employee relationship.

.... .. ..bl..

In message news:WU_sj.173742$9w2.151127@fe12.news.easynews.co m, BaJoRi is
alleged to have said:

> What are the annual healthcare and retirement benefit costs for GM and
> Ford, owing to the UAW contracts, as compared with Honda and Toyota? So
> to say that those Japanese companies take care of their empoyees as
> well as the Big Three is an outright lie.

My soon-to-be-father-in-law is a Ford retiree. His health plan pays
NOTHING for office visits.

.... ....

On 15 Feb 2008 00:04:39 GMT, "John Q. Public" <god@shamgod.com> wrote:
>
>My soon-to-be-father-in-law is a Ford retiree. His health plan pays
>NOTHING for office visits.

Boo ****ing hoo. P*** the Kleenex.
--
Dan.

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BaJoRi wrote:

> What are the annual healthcare and retirement benefit costs for GM and Ford,
> owing to the UAW contracts, as compared with Honda and Toyota? So to say
> that those Japanese companies take care of their empoyees as well as the Big
> Three is an outright lie.

Toyota's annual health care costs are around $100M, worldwide, because
their US workforce is non-union, has much lousier beneifts, especially
in retirement, and almost all other countries have socialized
medicine, including Toyota's home turf, Japan.