Domestic Automobile Quality on the Rise
GM Ford Chrysler Quality Improvements
Update: March 21, 2020 Auto Quality Continues to Improve
Since this article was written the automobile manufactures have continued an impressive increase in vehicle improvements. Part of the reason is government mandated improvements for fuel economy and crash safety improvements.
Electric cars were not common at all ten years ago. Today advancements in electronics and technology have made them a major player in new car sales. The public has embrace them as an alternative to gas powered vehicles to help our air quality and to reduce our dependence on foreign oil producers.
Automotive Electronics on Today’s Cars
So when you read the rest of this article let your mind drift back a number of years and think about what car you were driving. Then compare it to the one you’re driving today in 2020. The explosion of electronics on your current vehicle will probably make you laugh when you think about the difference.
Kids can sit in the back seat of a current SUV and watch their DVD movie on a screen or connect their phone or game device to the cars Wifi network to play games. Drivers can select which podcast to listen to by touching the dash screen to access their Apple Car Play account.
If you turn back to look at your kids and drift to the edge of your driving lane you will get a warning to return to the center of your land. Safety and cameras to help you be safe are the norm on todays cars and trucks.
There’s still value in the rest of this article so keep reading. It may bring back memories of your life ten years ago.
Finally! Quality control for General Motors and Ford cars and trucks is beginning to surpass the import manufacturers, some of whom have been given very poor marks for quality affecting safety issues of late.
I recently read a reprint of a Los Angeles Times article in the Idaho Statesman that points out how domestic vehicles are scoring better than some imports. This was according to a recent J.D. Power & Associates Initial Quality Study (a tool that measures how many problems are experienced during the first 90 days of new vehicle ownership).
This is the first time in the 24 year history of that study that the U.S. Auto Industry has rated above overseas manufacturers in ranking. The article quotes J.D. Power’s vice president of global vehicle research, David Sargent, as saying “This is a landmark in the quality history of the auto industry.”
Why has this change taken so long to arrive? I can only imagine it must have been that leadership in GM, Ford and Chrysler didn’t feel much threat from import vehicles that came ashore.
Maybe this will help us turn around one sector of our sagging economy. As domestic car manufacturers improve the quality of their products, more Americans will have renewed confidence about buying American. Great News for consumers who really want to buy American without having to sacrifice quality!
It’s also welcome news that owning a better quality domestic car or pickup truck will save us money on auto repair and maintenance. With consumer confidence to give the economy a boost, more Americans many find they have the money available to spend on recommended maintenance and scheduled services. That will be welcome news for repair shops like Palmer’s NAPA Auto Care Center as they find themselves with less repair work needed on newer, more reliable cars having fewer breakdowns.
And if you’re waiting to upgrade and still driving an older vehicle, American made or import, that needs TLC, support your local economy by giving repair shops like Palmer’s the chance to show you the quality of their work.
And don’t forget if you’re planning to buy a new to you used car or truck be sure to bring it by Palmer’s Automotive Repair for a pre-purchase used car inspection. You don’t want to get out of an old car that is needing a lot of work and end up with a newer car that needs more work.
For questions, please give Palmer’s NAPA Auto Care a call at (208) 735-8810. You can also reply to this post if you have any comments.
