Are You Upset With Cheap Chinese Junk?

jc whitney cylinder honing kit dosen't do it ?

No. It's made in China as well.

You do the same thing you do with any (regardless of country...) supplier, you decide whether you want to buy their goods.

If they truly are a bad supplier, then a market opportunity opens up for someone else to fill.

It's called free trade for a reason.

>You do the same thing you do with any (regardless of country...) supplier, you decide whether you want to buy their goods.

Unless you have no choice, like with the lawn roller. I've started checking product boxes for country of origin and dang few things are NOT made in China. They must be aware of our resentment, because it's getting harder to find the little "Made in China" logo.

After reading (and agreeing) with the comments made here, I feel that there is a need to beef up the laws requiring proper identification of the country of origin.

Plus, assemblies made elsewhere should also detail the origins of the parts used in the assemblies.......

I am sure that people have been injured or worse though poor build quality, forgetting for a moment the financial losses......

Andy:

I read somewhere that Germans are as upset as I about their beloved German mfgs outsourcing stuff to China. Because of this, products made in China and sold in Germany have to have a "Designed in Germany" logo or you won't buy it. Any truth to that?

It sounds eminently possible, and typical German, but I have to admit that I have not actually see it up to now....sorry. I certainly would not bet AGAINST that!!!

If I see it on anything, I will let you know.....

By the way, the Swiss are just as "Pissed off" about the same subject!!!

"There is always someone in the world who can make something a little worse, and sell it a little cheaper. Those who consider price only, are this person's lawful prey." - paraphrased from John Ruskin.

I found the information (from a site centered on JR) that it is wrongly considered as a J. Ruskin comment. If you know the true source I would appreciate to have a hint where I can find it as well.

"It's the ultimate result of consumerism."

I don't think it was the consumers that were responsible as much as it was the investors and management of the parent companies that moved all of their manufacturing to under developed countries. Instead of buying into "continuous improvement" (except in title only) they took the same tired old machinery and moved it to places where they could quickly reset the cost basis.

The motivation was a simple choice of investing over a few years, with a small return on the investment or making a quick (and dirty) move to reap the benefits of a large return of investment. Which choice do you think got the promotions and bonuses?

Now that all of that tired old tooling is gone, some new equipment can occupy the old space. All we need is to re-invest in newer better equipment that will compete with the disaster we created. And we get to start with a new infrastructure! We did this with Japan and they now produce some of the best products in the world. Just hang on for about 40 years......

we moved the factories ... to increase the bottom line at all costs,..

it's not consumerism at work, it's the american standard of capitalism at work...

course , when the workers get laid off, and discreanary income becomes extinct , who will buy that product?

no epa, no product safety, yes by all means..so lets see , a guess, the forward pe ratio tripled...the stock doubled and everybody's options made them very happy...

it's ok.. don't worry ,

You get what you pay for , nothing else .

The bad news is it is the distributor who set the price and the customer is the bunny all for big profits, This is why the US is finished as a world power, give it 10 years and you will have another china ,greed greed greed.

My youngest son has a Chrysler 300. I stopped at the local dealer and got an OEM (Mopar) brake set because the aftermarket brakes worked like crap and the rotors were starting to wear uneven. Paid 200 dollars for the front set. MADE IN CHINA was stamped on the rotors. The clips that held the pads in place bent when we installed them. My son said he didn't want the new clips. He didn't trust them. The old ones were still strong with no wear. So you know we used the old ones. If I buy MOPAR for top dollar, why do we still get MADE IN CHINA?

YES I AM DEFINITLY STARTING TO GET PSST OFF!

<tounge_in_cheek>

Come on now, you really did not expect Chrysler to actually buy American made products after begging for US tax payer dollars did you?

/<tounge_in_cheek>

Why is it that they are not required by law to deal with American firms and firms from other nations that kick in the required dollars to help change the nature of our auto sector to one that can survive?

This is one example of what is truly wrong with the way our system works these days and is one reason why we really need to rethink our economies.

that's is a good point, what is made in America may not be what you expect.

Well said...

Excellent comment...

Well said.

Given that the average person has less to spend and more time to consider what is the quality of the product being purchased with his lower income, it may cause people to think twice about purchasing junk. They only issue to me is whether there will be alternative good quality manufacturers left to purchase from.

So true ...

I remember my first VCR (now you know my generation). It was a JVC, was a great machine, and had more 'bells and whistles' than one could imagine ... cost me about US$ 1100. I had the same machine for about 7 years. When it finally died, I tried to get it repaired, but that was impossible. I shopped for alternatives, but the only products available were < US$100, and had a life expectancy of about 6-months, IF you were lucky. There were no quality VCRs on the market anymore.

The same can be said today for the DVD-player market. Although they do tend to last longer (fewer moving parts), it is nearly impossible to buy anything of stronger quality, unless you go for the esoteric items which may not be really much better.

It is strange to me that there is so little demand for good quality. As a manufacturer, we have seen a long and steady decline in the performance requirements of our products ... I can't always blame the brands ... it just seems no one wants to pay for quality that will last and last.

Kind regards ...

Because we have become a "throw away" culture where buying a new one is mostly cheaper than fixing it, and the people seem to have accept the lesser life expectancy of current products

Quality is important in the world of safety when it comes to Class! Any other time quality is unimportant.

Even though look at the IPod their very successful from day one and do have quality despite they're made in china.

Lot of things made from plastic these days instead of metal, like in the old days. And the throw away society (world rather) is a must to keep the industry going and people employed.

Hey Dennis...

I guess that answers some of my problems... Leaving the choice of what parts to use, with others... But How are we to know exactly what is going into our finished product, unless we are a HUGE company, like the one you work for, and can afford to place one of our local Engineers in China, to Police those folk..

On these LED Palm and Cherry Trees, it's looks like I need to actually visit the factories, and VERIFY how they will be built, and also VERIFY that they are NOT patent infringing, and also VERIFY that they have an Export license.

Looks like this damn fiasco will cost me another 6 grand, to just break even, and the poor Quality, Crooked, Chinese chalk up another victory against our naive selves..

Donald

Hi Donald,

Many of our clients have had the same issues ... not everyone buys from us .

Most of them now have a person or more here to represent them. If it's a 'one shot' deal, that's a little more difficult, but if a company does a lot (or wants to do a lot) o business here, then best to find someone to here to help.

I know two companies in particular who hired very competent people for 6000 to 8000 RMB (that's about US$900 to US$1200 per month) and I know they get much more than their money' worth. Generally, these folks give you regular correspondence, place and follow up on orders, do source inspections, and provide translation where needed.

Finding these folks isn't too difficult, but like everything, you need to "know people who know people". The last one hired (truly a stellar individual, has traveled extensively, has experience with Customs and Trading Companies, etc.) they actually sent to me to interview first. I wish she worked for me.

A lot of people do business this way very successfully.

It's always a risk doing business internationally, because, unlike domestic affairs, there is no common law to govern both sides.

Kind regards ...

That used to be said of Japan....today its China....tomorrow ?????.

From 15 years ago the quality from China has improved greatly, and it will continue to improve.

And its still a matter of choice. Look for the COO, or where it's manufacturered, if you do not approve look else where.

I develop devices, and for proto types costs play a huge difference esspecially when coming out of my own pocket, And if it means if I can buy a component from China for 1/5 to 1/10th the cost, I myself will do it.

I do have quality issues where I may have to send back, but the warranty covers it, and the only costs to me is time and shipping. Still worth it as long as its not critical.

Besides refusing to shop at China Import Headquarters (WalMart), what can we do about this?

Wasn't about 15-20 years ago Walmart was Advertising about thier products they sold were made in the USA, until people found out about where the clothing was coning from.

Tomorrow it's INDIA. Now there is some piece of nasty workmanship there. We bought from China then tried India...simple answer...DON'T.

In the USA, there are probably 100 million consumers. If each one of us would check for the country of origin and not buy cheap Chinese junk, we could put a real dent in the balance of payments. Let's say 100 million Americans each bought a $100 American-made product instead of a Chinese product: That would cause a $1 billion swing in the balance of payments. If Europeans did the same, there would be another $1 billion swing. And if we got into the habit of asking for American (or European) products, we might get our purchases up to $500 per year, for a total of $10 billion.

A billion here and a billion there, and pretty soon you are talking about some real money--enough to get attention. I am not so opposed to having manufacturing done in China as much as I am opposed to being forced into buying cheap crap.

And if we got into the habit of asking for American (or European) products, we might get our purchases up to $500 per year, for a total of $10 billion.

And if the reply is, "No there is no domestic product available.".....then what?

i'm not opposed to the where it's mfg'd.. i have an issue on why the move was allowed to begin with.. to escape the regulations , then introduce the product into that market..

to evade epa and product safety reg's, many of which were enacted because the company that produced the product didn't give a damn as long as it moved inventory...

...don't forget that tax implications, but that may be ending soon..

and other than making the broken piece yourself, even 2 year old products seem obsolete,

please...

" sir , would you like to see our newest model,? "

no , i want to fix the 1 i have , that i know works well...

the " training " that marketing provides..

make it now, when that order expires, make the next model..

yours doesn't work, go buy another...

well,

ranting , raving, hyperventilating...

oh boy,...lol

i'd call this a dollar's worth...

I wish that your idea could bear fruit, I am worried for us all over the next 10-20 years.....

Would you pay $10 000 for a BMW Z4?

If that is the price you see for a vehicle "looking" like a Z4 and the price is $10 000 don't you think something is wrong with this whole "setup"?

So if you rather buy a imported product at really low prices and prevent some fellow country men from having a job because of imports...I don't think that you should complain about the quality!

I wouldn't buy a Z4 at all. Looks gay anyway .

When it comes to any Industrial/ heavy duty application selection I prefer reputable names like Honeywell/Spirax sarco/Artmstrong/Gestra/Rockwell etc., from countries like USA/UK/Germany/Japan but never China. Here I mean say Boilers/ Steam equipments & steam controls/ Instrumentation & controls.

However, you are 100% right, just 2 weeks back went IKEA Toronto and found everything and I mean every thing including electrical household - ALL China!

On all Dollar store items there are no options but Chinese make and what the hell even if it is a junk - still a $ item use or junk it!

from countries like USA/UK/Germany/Japan

40 years ago would your statement still have included Japan.

China will evolve, just like Japan, and the U.S. did. And probally at a faster rate.

I see this as part of the growth cycle. Companies who buy Chinese items, but employ a quality control staff in China to oversee manufacturing and quality control, who reject bad goods before they are shipped and before they are made, are able to avoid this problem. The guys who go to a trade show and buy cheap get the crappy goods.

Americans have had a system where wages have risen above inflation in good times, (due mainly to unions), but where wages have not declined in bad times, as you would expect (again unions), until they have made us the victims of low cost offshore manufacturing.

We need to have wages that reflect the complexity of the work and training involved, and not union power. Can you imagine, the UAW refuses to drop wages and perks from their high of about $79 (all in) to a reasonable level. I feel taxpayers should only help the car makers if they reduce wages to the average industrial wage (all in).

Too many workers have lived in a fairy land of unsustainable wages. With the UAW, they have watched for the past 50 years as their numbers dropped to about 20% of their peak and market share as well. The culprit? I feel it is seniority, the workers lost are the low seniority ones, so they others can strike and the burden falls on the young.

So Obama and Canada too, must let the bankruptcy proceed and strip off the wages and pensions (the UAW never paid a penny for those pensions anyway, they were non contributory), and let the market place rule.

Jap crap was before my time, when i was young it was made in taiwan. Even in Japan lots of thing i buy are made in China, it is all about what kind of qualitiy management the mother company installs in the chinese factory

what? no reply from CNpower yet? (is he/she one of the "Lost ones"?)

The term "Jap crap" was a misnomer in my opinion.

It originally was a slur on the PRICE, which was cheap, but I don't remember reading, seeing or hearing any aspersions against Japanese quality.

Japanese transistor radios were one of the earliest items of import back then and they worked just fine, even if they were cheap and cheerful.

Certainly, the very earliest motorcycles from Honda shocked the British motorcycle industry with their technical quality and their finish, and it took only a few short years for Honda and Yamaha to decimate the British motorcycle industry after that, purely on the grounds of quality, allied with reasonable pricing.

There were never any complaints about poisoned, dangerous or deadly products coming from Japan like we are getting from China, but the saying "Jap crap" lingers on because it's sort of easy to say, and it rhymes, and it doesn't seem to hurt anyone, but personally I don't like it because it isn't really true, and I don't believe it ever was true.

Just my 2 cents worth.

They are talking about the late 40s and early 50s, before transistor radios, they made tin cars with a clockwork motor.......That was what was being referred to.....

Wish I had a ton or two of those cars in decent shape today.

i was just quoting the prof line fourth message, never heard it myself

No, there really was "Jap crap".

I was there. In the mid to late 50's. Buying Japanese toys with my hard earned chore money before I knew any better and had no guidance from my parents about why I shouldn't buy the stuff.

I wasted "big money" ( for a 7-12 year old on a 50 cent per week allowance ) on a lot of junk that perforated my fingers with sharp edges and broke apart on removal from the packaging.

My parents used that as a life lesson for me; ie, you get what you pay for.

Oh, yes, a lot of people were complaining about "Jap crap" back then, not only kids, and not for racial or war reasons. And, yes, some percentage of it was good, but not much, not for many years.

Hooker

on a lot of junk that perforated my fingers with sharp edges and broke apart on removal from the packaging.

my god where were those recalls back then. I'm surprise you even made it though those dangerous time.

phoenix911

Well, when I was a kid I made lead soldiers, played with mercury, and had my shoe's x-rayed to see if they fit right.

Playing with lead and mercury not knowing was okay but knowing if we let our kids and grandkids commit suicide is not acceptable by playing with lead and mercury

If you ask your neighbors, they'll tell you about those Japanese chicken-sexers. Only people that could do it for decades. I used to wonder if they were saying to each other, "Dumb Americans, can't tell a boy pee-pee from a girl pee-pee. How the heck did they beat us in the war?"

Japan, like Germany lost the war and WON the peace afterwards......

Wouldn't you admit that Japan, just like the US, was among a very few countries capable of making aircraft carriers even b4 the war and during the war Japan did more research than now days.

Yet, whatever they make it's like a fine clock-work just keeps on going including their cars even as far back as the 50s, and fuel efficient already against many of their competitors.

The founder of Sony was also a talented young naval officer who in his book stated that when he compared their military electronics technology with the American there was hardly any difference (nothing to steal).

After the war the Japanese technlogy became a victim of an extreme political madness inforced by the US goverment (strict control over everything).

When you have limited access to natural resources then you're stuffed and you have to weigh what you need to put that precious little material you have into to make ends meet; toys or something else. The same can also be said was about Germany.

Now days nobody should debate that both nations' technology even b4 the war were as good as the other big players' if not better.

These days just try to beat either of them if you can! They're just too good even for the US to compete against them in many areas, especially in the car and electronics industry, despite they had been restricted badly after WW2.

It is relative how you try to view and compare a post war Japanese product against a Chinese one on the same page, it is just a sick nd inane joke, don't you think?

You make some excellent points, and I'm sure there is a lot of truth in them.

I stand by my words, though. The stuff "I" saw as a kid was crap. I have nothing to back up what I write but I think a lot of it had to do with manufacturing for an overseas market (the US) at least cost possible, with the knowledge that little if any of the inexpensive stuff would be returned. I also believe that the cost of oceanic transportation of said goods also mitigated the quality the producers could afford.

And, yes, there was a lot of quality in Japanese manufacturing back then (pre-war and during). Unfortunately it seems most, if not all, was aimed at military goods, not any consumer market.

Hooker

That is a shame, I really looked forward to and respected CNpower's comments.

some and not on the respect for CNpower. some in that i respect any persons right to his own opinions. the problem i had with reading his posts is that he didn't seem to respect anyone elses opinons. he was like a "fanatic", who doesn't want to look at logic, only his own dogma.

Good post, correct opinion to my mind.....

'his own dogma'

Under communism what do you expect to get? - nothing but dogma.

I think just about anybody could sense that CNpower is/was quite opinionated but in his case such is life. Even the former east-Germans (the older ones at least) cannot get on very well with their big brother after almost 20years on.

Even women like to get opinionated therefore, it should be alright for CNpower to be opinionated also.

We are only human after all. The more crap we have to put up with, the greater the next renaissance. Quality, of what ever kind, will prevail in the end. Happy revolution, Ky.

g'day,

there's no revolution going on here mate, unless somebody hopes for one. probably the poor b....has still got stuck at the Chinese revolution which he can't get over nd who knows, he may never will.

I remember at one forum cnpower claimed that china has the largest geothermal power plant in Tibet that sparked a negative reaction from the other members and lasted for a while, especially after cnpower had received some moral help.

What the Chinese have done in Tibet shows their true colours as did Tinneman square.....

Agreed.

What the chinese government must have done back last year in Tibet, just weeks before the Olympics, is not even revealed yet and perhaps never will be. My sense of feeling is that it might have been as bloody as the Tinnerman square massacre, because that was a bloody one as well as ugly, the gov. just couldn't conceal it back then due to its location. The last years' uprise in Tibet was a well concealed one as the comrades in all gov. depts. made sure nothing unwanted would have get leaked out.

But such is life, the world in its stupor, over memerised and intoxicated by the glory of the Beijing Olympics, it can only be described as Bill Hicks used to in his shows 'Life is just a ride' and the ignorants (like CNpower and billions of his type) couldn't care less. If it happens to them then they want the world to know how much it hurts.

You are honoured, I have never before given a GA to a guest........

GA for a great and accurate comment.

He was also very rude and unfriendly to anyone who did not agree with him....or tried to have a different opinion....

Geeeee, I like you coz you're funny.

Otherwise don't worry about CNpower he's still around he's just having his early summer holiday.

Firstly, you are extremely knowledgeable about China and the problems.

Secondly, you are "in the business", clearly very good at it.

Thirdly, how can a poor consumer, who has just been sold a bad "something or other" do much other than returning it and hopefully getting his money back......it does not get him a new part in first class working order......it leaves him mostly empty handed.....

I still maintain that a product should be marked with ALL of the countries of origin, no matter how many, this will allow some consumer choice......but only a change in the laws of western countries will do that.....

In the area of parts from China that are "built-in" to other products, there is a serious matter of forged electronic parts, that are even affecting amateur Hobby electronic enthusiasts......as well as big companies......no one is safe....the parts are no cheaper, so there is no hint in that direction to help a careful buyer.....they purport to be the original part and manufacturer.....forged certificates of provenance are also contributing to the problems....

Believe me, its not got to its worst yet, we have some more years ahead of us of such problems.......and a Chinese government working in the background making it even worse.....

Wait till this forgery starts to affect flight safety of aircraft, bad fastenings etc...!!!! Then maybe our collective governments will start to wake up!!!

There made be a need to have a method of people like yourself, blowing the whistle on companies that have no interest in quality, via the secret service and its equivalents in other countries.....All companies hould be made aware that this can happen......

Hi Andy,

Yes, I am "in the business", and according to Bosch (and a few 'lessers' who sell their goods all over the world ... and, a few 'even-lessers' who sell their wares at MediaMarkt [the German equivalent of Walmart where cheaper and cheaper is the motto]), they do think I'm pretty good at it.

Regarding the 'poor consumer' no matter if they got the latest 'lemon' from Detroit, or from from Istanbul, they have their warranty, or if they purchased from Walmart, they can return it, even if there's nothing wrong with it. It is what I do, it is what you do, it is what we all have to do.

As far as retail is concerned, everything MUST be marked with the country of origin, from the shirt on your back, to the iPod you have ... everything. At an OEM level, that is not the case, because ... well, it would be difficult for the car dealer to give you a list of ALL the parts in the car and their country of origin. Maybe they should, but you'll need to take that up with the FTC.

Wait till this forgery starts to affect flight safety of aircraft, bad fastenings etc...!!!! Then maybe our collective governments will start to wake up!!!

Well, it already did ... Boeing and others have had this problem, and not just in eastern countries ... but, the culprit was not the manufacturer of the forgeries, but their own contract maintenance companies who decided to take shortcuts and make a few extra bucks.

As far as ME blowing the whistle on other companies, sorry, but I already have my hands full with tricksters trying to sell ME low-quality goods. But, the world of free-enterprise and consumerism does have a voice, and if enough people do speak out, something can happen. That's the only way. It's all about money. Stop buying stuff, stop shopping at a particular store, convince all your friends to do the same ... with lost sales, brands and stores will change or die.

Kind regards ...

In Germany and most of Europe, your advice will work, but in the USA the guarantees are usually of such short duration, that the problems are only apparent AFTER it has run out!!!

Do not missunderstand me, I know that what you are saying is correct, but the end user simply does not have your "know how" (or mine for that matter!!).....

Hi Andy,

Do what I do..........I never ever buy anything that has been produced in China, that way you are in a win,win situation!!!

Spencer.

I do my best to avoid Chinese products at all times.....

Re: "Believe me, its not got to its worst yet, we have some more years ahead of us of such problems..."

Imperturbably / Axiomatically Prophetic! (Sad-but-true...)

Kinda goes hand-in-hand with Comment #5, posted earlier today at this blog...

Best wishes ~

DCaD

Great answer. Boils it down to the point with no discrimination in site. Good case of good diplomacy and constructiveness.

The problem is caused by the US importer who tells the Chinese manufacturer, "make this part as inexpensively as you can so I can maximize my markup." By contrast, look at the new large Cuisinart food processor that is made in China. The quality is excellent, certainly as high as the original processors made in France and the US. The difference is that Cuisinart insisted the Chinese manufacture the parts to their high standards. But most American manufacturing companies that now import Chinese made products are only interested in buying the product at the lowest possible price and they don't care about quality. That is why so many of them are going out of business.

Are you certain the Chinese made parts you purchased for your Mitsubishi are actually Mitsubishi brand parts and not aftermarket parts that are made to fit a Mitsubishi? My experience is that OEM Honda parts are always of excellent quality and aftermarket parts are usually junk.

Dennis Waller.

The shift cables and oil pump were ordered from Mitsubishi dealers. I dunno where my buddy got the exhaust manifold.

Let me recall a true incident (though i might miss a few words here and there) that I read in Reader's Digest some 15 years back.

A UK lady in her mid 50's called Kenwood and a sales person picked her call. She said, " i want to thank Kenwood for when i got married at 20 I was gifted a Kenwood Mixer and today I am 55 and it is still running great". The Manager was overhearing and said to the sales person, " quick take her contact number and ask her to send the Mixer back to us and in exchange we will give two in return". The sales person did as instructed and asked the Manager, "Why Sir, do you want to see how we made those things those days that lasted 35 years and still strong". You idiot, the Manager replied, " If we make things that last over 35 years we'd we out of business. i want to see what mistake we made 35 years back".

...and half of Americans think the wheels will fall off their car when it hits 100k miles. Now that the economy is in the tank and people are holding their cars for longer everyone will learn that cars (even the under appreciated American models) if taken care of will last 3-4 times that without catastrophic failure.

However if everyone holds their car for twice as long and half as many cars are sent to the crusher, then the auto industry will surly collapse. It benefits them if people think 100k is a lot of miles.

Though I've heard rumors that Obama wants to provide tax incentives to people who trade in their old cars for new ones. The idea here is emissions, newer cars are cleaner for the environment with improved emission controls. Ye-hah, I'll git me a SRT8 Challenger!

http://jalopnik.com/5146133/new-car-tax-credit-added-to-stimulus-package

With the "average" American attitude that we can't make good cars, period. This will be a stimulus plan for foreign auto makers.

Take a browse through the restrictions that Singapore places on cars. COE of 110% of the value + duty of 41% to start, plus cost of the car.

http://singapore.angloinfo.com/countries/singapore/carbuy.asp

A COE = Certificate of Entitlement must be bid for. As road space allows and used cars are exported of scrapped more COE's are sold at auction. If they did not do this, it would become a wall to wall parking lot.

I have thought a car deposit of, say 7% would be asked of a new car buyer. The State would hold this in trust at the annual rate of interest. When the car was sold, this deposit would pass to the buyer and stay in the hands of the State. It would grow with the interest over time. At some time the value of the deposit would be more than the value of the car = scraptime = a solution.

Chinese manufacturers are providing exactly what their customers (Chrysler, Wal-Mart, et. al.) want- low prices, never mind the quality. If the customer demanded X quality of steel machined to Y tolerance and no more than Z defects, they would get it. China seems to have no trouble building nuclear missles or jet fighters. It's corporate greed in the US, not incompetence in China.

I recall a few years ago, Wal-Mart leaned on tool manufacturer Black & Decker to produce tools for them with cheaper components, so that Wal-Mart could sell them cheaper. Otherwise Wal-Mart would simply refuse to carry their products. Guess what? Their Wal-Mart tools were/are horrible, and the company took a huge reputation hit. What customer doesn't want a grass trimmer that throws shrapnel? (58 injuries out of 707 incidents.)

It's not just China. General Motors has horrible quality problems- not caused by engineering or manufacturing problems, but by "bean counters." The tailgate cables on the S-10 pickups were a good example. Any idiot would have put stainless steel aircraft quality cable on those. The bean counters insisted on mild steel cable with a plastic coating, betting that they would last until the warranty ran out. Some whiz kid got a bonus for saving $5 a truck times thousands of trucks.

Anyone on the forum can predict the result. Damage, injuries, warranty claims, an expensive recall campaign, and more lost customers.

US Quality has sunk from indestructible vehicles like my 74 Pontiac Catalina and my 90 Ford Ranger 4x4 to unreliable vehicles like our 93 GMC Safari and our 98 Ford Explorer. Mean time between failures was abysmal, and ownership cost per mile astronomical. Liked the vehicles (when they ran) but couldn't afford to keep them past ten years and 100,000 miles.

My old 81 Toyota Corrola had over 400,000 miles on it, ran like a top and didn't burn a quart of oil between changes. Rusted out before it wore out, and I wish I had it today.
I drive a 98 Honda Civic these days. Bought it used, over 125,000 miles on it now.

Repair expense last year: $0.00. Missed work hours due to car trouble: 0.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/08/hidden-culprit-.html

You get what you pay for. We the U.S. consumer have driven us to this disaster by demanding lower prices and accepting inferior quality in cheap products. Now it is getting into the industrial products. I am in the Air Guard. Even my combat boots and uniforms are now made in China. Go through the grocery store and look where a lot of your food and produce come from now. CHINA! You have got to be kidding me. If you think it is tough to be dependent on oil from the Arabs wait until we are totally dependent on food from the Chinese.

What you're describing has been on going for over fifty years, I'm having trouble being surprised.