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+--- Thread: More Chrysler Woes (/showthread.php?tid=6036)
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More Chrysler Woes - Mike - 06-08-2007
Q&A between Execs and employees leaked... Execs admit they were off target with Nitro and Sebring.
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These guys are in real trouble... IMO, the only American automaker not making any forward progress.
- Maengelito - 06-08-2007
cue jeff's 5 page long defense post
- Mike - 06-08-2007
i'm fully expecting it.
- BLINGMW - 06-08-2007
he's been writing it for the past half hour! :lol:
- Maengelito - 06-08-2007
i'm posting this here because jeff will see it and is the only one who will care.
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- Kaan - 06-08-2007
"tranny will need a tune up"
:roll:
- JustinG - 06-08-2007
i think he meant "strong motor and tranny but , needs a tune up." wow punctuation really does matter
- John - 06-08-2007
Funny thing you mention this - on my way home an hour ago I was on the 163 behind a navy blue Sebring identical to my POS rental car from a few weeks back. As we crested this hill, I saw the front wheel shimmer, and the car began to pull off to the right - as he pulled off, the wheel folded in and the car's front left suspension collapsed. He skidded off on to the side of the road and I drove by. Funny thing is the car didn't even have plates yet... I was going to post it in the other thread, but you saved me the trouble of searching for it - LOL
- JustinG - 06-08-2007
holy shit
Re: More Chrysler Woes - Jeff - 06-08-2007
Mike Wrote:Q&A between Execs and employees leaked... Execs admit they were off target with Nitro and Sebring.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070608/AUTO01/706080377/1148">http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 80377/1148</a><!-- m -->
These guys are in real trouble... IMO, the only American automaker not making any forward progress.
Sounds like forward progress to me. They are identifying faults in the product and working to fix them. I was in a Nitro today for a bit, other then fuel economy being low for its size I thought it was quite nice. Hopefully the sale and new management will pave the way to preventing these issues in the future. The Sebring is dead before it even started, but I wonder what the issue was with the Nitro, I wonder what people are hating on so strong? It is selling well for us at least.
John Wrote:Funny thing you mention this - on my way home an hour ago I was on the 163 behind a navy blue Sebring identical to my POS rental car from a few weeks back. As we crested this hill, I saw the front wheel shimmer, and the car began to pull off to the right - as he pulled off, the wheel folded in and the car's front left suspension collapsed. He skidded off on to the side of the road and I drove by. Funny thing is the car didn't even have plates yet... I was going to post it in the other thread, but you saved me the trouble of searching for it - LOL
Wow, I hope he was ok. Sounds like a ball joint came out or something. Its horrible that a quality issue caused something so dramatic and may have almost gotten someone killed. But who knows, it could have had some work done, post production. Those cars are already making it out into the used lots from Chrysler auctions, the car could have had a previous accident and been poorly repaired. I met a guy the other day who just recently purchased an 07 Civic SI. The engine developed a rod knock in the first week and needed to be replaced. He continued to have problems in other areas of the car, electrical, no-start, etc. until he decided to trade it on a WRX. So quality issues are everywhere, sure you can point out the differences in frequency, but the point is there are freak incidents and lemons on every mark's lot.
As for poking fun and my long posts. You have your various opinions and I have mine and its obvious that no one who matters gives a shit about any of it. I think "it can't get much worse" as John said in the other thread, and we can only look up.
- .RJ - 06-08-2007
John Wrote:I was on the 163
Great, you're already talking like a kalifornian :lol:
- Mike - 06-08-2007
Can only hope the coffers don't run out before you're able to get off the bottom... 670 million losses in 06 and 1.7 billion in Q1 07? Ow.
- Jeff - 06-08-2007
Mike Wrote:Can only hope the coffers don't run out before you're able to get off the bottom... 670 million losses in 06 and 1.7 billion in Q1 07? Ow.
The money trees are being planted Mike...don't worry.
Re: More Chrysler Woes - JustinG - 06-09-2007
TurboOmni08 Wrote:I wonder what the issue was with the Nitro,
Look at it, thats whats wrong. I think its ugly, looks like a scion XB with a dodge grill. I just don't think it caught on with the younger crowd as much as they thought. I don't think I have ever seen on on the road.
- bassmangrammy - 06-10-2007
Scion has sold the xBox like cocaine because of their fad marketing. The nitro could be there, but the marketing wasn't there to compete in that segment. In my opinion, the Nitro is pretty cool: 1 part G-wagon, 1 part SRT, and 1 part affordable.
The problem Dodge and Chrysler is facing is a marketing one; they need a brand face lift.
Here's my solution: make the Dodge brand strickly Trucks, SUVs, and Vans. Then change the Chrysler image to a more driver oriented concept... i.e. BMW.
- Jeff - 06-10-2007
bassmangrammy Wrote:Here's my solution: make the Dodge brand strickly Trucks, SUVs, and Vans. Then change the Chrysler image to a more driver oriented concept... i.e. BMW.
That is a very interesting proposition. It would reduce redundancy in the product lines, freshen the brands, and help with innovation. I wouldn't be at all surprised if something like that did happen after the sale. Dodge might need to have a value line car still, but making Dodge the "working" brand and Chrysler the "luxury-sport" brand would really be the goal. Jeep helps with keeping Chrysler profitable. One of my serious misgivings about the sale might be that the investment group might choose to focus to much on Jeep and ultimately miss out on what Chrysler has to offer under the right leadership.
- bassmangrammy - 06-11-2007
I'm staying at the house of the general manager for the south east's highest volume Chrysler / Jeep dealer. And after chatting with him, I realized this: Chrysler still has a following and they are still selling cars at a clip. The new Aspen is awesome, and the 300 is extremely competitive. If they can stay in the same ball game with their products, they need to focus energies at the dealership level.
Hear me when I say this: ad campaigns don't sell cars, dealers sell cars. Ad campaigns can create demand, but dealers are ultimately responsible for the brand's success, or lack thereof. With that said, more corporate money needs to be sent into the dealerships to better train sales professionals and managers. And train on more than product knowledge... but that's not for this post.
I'm predicting for the changing pains they are experiencing now to give way to real growth in sales thanks in large part to their new found nimbleness.
- Mike - 06-12-2007
bassmangrammy Wrote:Hear me when I say this: ad campaigns don't sell cars, dealers sell cars.
Umm what about cars selling cars? Sure a salesman has a hand in things, but if a car sucks, and the press says so, it isn't going to sell.
- John - 06-12-2007
The Dodge dealers here in SD are a bunch of crooks - they have a $9-13K SRT program dealer fee on all of their SRT cars. I suppose they're trying to bank on ill-informed sailors coming back from deployment with a bunch of cash to sink into a car that's going to have little residual value when they drive it off the lot and whack them with 13%+ financing. While I acknowledge these said sailors aren't the brightest of the bunch, shame on the dealers for taking advantage of them...
- Jeff - 06-12-2007
John Wrote:The Dodge dealers here in SD are a bunch of crooks - they have a $9-13K SRT program dealer fee on all of their SRT cars. I suppose they're trying to bank on ill-informed sailors coming back from deployment with a bunch of cash to sink into a car that's going to have little residual value when they drive it off the lot and whack them with 13%+ financing. While I acknowledge these said sailors aren't the brightest of the bunch, shame on the dealers for taking advantage of them...
Why is it crooked to mark up a car above sticker price? A fee is simply a premium markup. Why is that a bad thing? If you have a product that you think will sell at X price, then why not set it at that price? The Fed requires the MSRP be stamped on the car, which it is, then the dealer can adjust the price to whatever the market will bear. The key here is WHAT MARKET WILL BEAR. If someone is willing to pay a price for a LUXURY item such as an automobile the seller of said item cannot be considered crooked for doing so.
Also, what a random thing to "suppose." Why would you assume that there is such a limited target market for SRT cars? That's like saying Trojan is trying to take advantage of highschool girls because they raised the price of rubbers. The girls still want the rubbers...they will pay the price, and so will everyone else. Even if they were doing military specific advertising your statement would still not make sense. People in the military are not morons, if they buy any car its because they want it and if they accept the terms of the transaction then it is on them, not any dealer or any make, for their decision. Shame on you for a random statement.