splashhopper Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 (edited) Have a quick look at these links http://www.carcomplaints.com/ http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/ http://www.gov.on.ca/MGS/en/ConsProt/STEL02_045951.html (Where do I go if I think I’ve been sold a “lemon”?) Edited July 25, 2008 by splashhopper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greencoachdog Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 There's an old saying "The right tool for the job"!!! Too many people have tunnel vision when buying a new vehicle! All they look at is $$$ IMO, the first thing you need to look at is SAFETY!!! The second is "What am I going to use this vehicle for?" and "What was this vehicle manufactured to do?" If you're going to tow/haul with your vehicle... buy one that is manufactured to do that!!! Make sure it has the towing package!!! Be aware of the tow/hauling capacities!!! In short: Don't buy a minivan/compact SUV/car to do the job of a full size pickup/SUV... yes it will do the job for a little while, but you WILL HAVE drivetrain and safety issues much earlier than the life expectancy of your vehicle is rated for! Then you'll be squeeling like a pig about how that maker/brand is such a piece of crap... when in fact it was all due to your own idiocy!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splashhopper Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 (edited) There's an old saying "The right tool for the job"!!! Too many people have tunnel vision when buying a new vehicle! All they look at is $$$ IMO, the first thing you need to look at is SAFETY!!! The second is "What am I going to use this vehicle for?" and "What was this vehicle manufactured to do?" If you're going to tow/haul with your vehicle... buy one that is manufactured to do that!!! Make sure it has the towing package!!! Be aware of the tow/hauling capacities!!! In short: Don't buy a minivan/compact SUV/car to do the job of a full size pickup/SUV... yes it will do the job for a little while, but you WILL HAVE drivetrain and safety issues much earlier than the life expectancy of your vehicle is rated for! Then you'll be squeeling like a pig about how that maker/brand is such a piece of crap... when in fact it was all due to your own idiocy!!! I agree GCD.. my father should have bought a US Army Striker( built right here in my town bTW) for all his "off road" duty on our city streets. Maybe he wouldn't have had the tranny and head gaskets go like the other half million buyers of those vehicles did too. Yeah, my dad, the 75 yr old Air Force vet sure made a bad decison support North American built Vans could then >> " be squeeling like a pig about how that maker/brand is such a piece of crap... when in fact it was all due to your own idiocy!!! " Too. I bought that van off him to relieve he and my mother of the money pit it had become in their retirement. But oh, yeah, I forgot, the "drivetrain" in that Windstar was built to fail so it could be paid for again and again and again to support the guys retirement who built them. I guess my dad got sucked in like the other half million users did too believing all the union hype about buying north american built autos. i think iwill do the same, and buy ANOTHER HONDA built an 90 minutes away from where I live in North America. " Edited July 25, 2008 by splashhopper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greencoachdog Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 (edited) Yeah, it tickles me too to think that people actually think a minivan is actually a van. It's a van body on a car chassis and is designed to only transport people in a spacious interior!!! It's not just a coinkydink that the first minivan ever made was named a Car-a-van (Caravan). Trucks, full size vans, and full size SUVs are built for towing/hauling... not cars and minivans!!! There have been a few advancements in minivans, but they're still a van body on a car chassis... and you get what you pay for!!! btw... the Honda plant less than 10 miles from my house builds the Oddesey, Pilot, and Ridgeline models. I will not comment on the organized labor remark... Edited July 25, 2008 by Greencoachdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whopper Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 (edited) I owned Chevy vans for over 30 years (four of them) only one was bought brand new and it was the only one I had any problems with (blown torque converter) 500 miles after warranty ended up putting over a 160,000 miles on it and I would still buy another. I currently drive a 2002 Chevy Silverado 1500 that has over 140,000 miles on it, and have 100,000 miles on it in just the last three years and the only problem I had with it was I had to replace the u joints (that was my fault because I didn't realize they needed to be lubed) and a new fan blower. I do/or have done the proper maintenence on my vehicles. I'm not ready to give up on North American vehicles Edited July 25, 2008 by Whopper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Buck Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 I guess my dad got sucked in like the other half million users did too believing all the union hype about buying north american built autos. i think iwill do the same, and buy ANOTHER HONDA built an 90 minutes away from where I live in North America. " that's a great attitude!! you think in China/Japan that they are buying North American cars? Sadly not... they unlike us support their own... even here, i'm not profiling, but it's rare to see an oriental driving an American full size pick up/suv but that's ok, lets support offshore sourcing, and drive our economy into crisis sooner or later it will catch up, if you think the economy is in the crapper because of gas prices, think again... As for cars and durability/reliability... every car brakes down... American / Japanese / European... don't fool yourself thinking there is 1 car that doesn't need repair... Like Glen said... buy it for safety and what it's intended for... you can use a sledge hammer to crush an ant, but you can only use a ballpeen to break concrete for so long Is a car made to tow? No, is a minivan made to tow? No, is a compact SUV made to tow? No Will they tow? Yes, but it'll decrease drivetrain life and other parts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splashhopper Posted July 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 1: "Like Glen said... buy it for safety and what it's intended for..." i am just wondering where either of you guys got the impression my father and mother bought that Windstar to tow anything? "Like Glen said... buy it for safety and what it's intended for..." They are retirees and bought it to tour Canada and the upper US in their golden years. 2: " but that's ok, lets support offshore sourcing, and drive our economy into crisis" ummm... do u watch a TV? Type on a computer? Listen to a radio? Wear any "brand name" clothes? Ride in a boat powered by some kind of motor? Put any fuel in any of your vehicles? Eat anything with sugar in it? 3: "I will not comment on the organized labor remark... " you just did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holdfast Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 that's a great attitude!! you think in China/Japan that they are buying North American cars? Sadly not... they unlike us support their own... even here, i'm not profiling, but it's rare to see an oriental driving an American full size pick up/suv but that's ok, lets support offshore sourcing, and drive our economy into crisis sooner or later it will catch up, if you think the economy is in the crapper because of gas prices, think again... As for cars and durability/reliability... every car brakes down... American / Japanese / European... don't fool yourself thinking there is 1 car that doesn't need repair... Like Glen said... buy it for safety and what it's intended for... you can use a sledge hammer to crush an ant, but you can only use a ballpeen to break concrete for so long Is a car made to tow? No, is a minivan made to tow? No, is a compact SUV made to tow? No Will they tow? Yes, but it'll decrease drivetrain life and other parts... [/quot What a dumb statement. lets do like the 70s when it was big to advertise, buy North American otherwise the jobs will go to the Japs. Well guess what Sherlock. People bought Gremlins, Maverics, Pintos, Pacers, Chevettes that encouraged the Automakers to keep making Crap. Example the Early Topazes, Tempos. Its a Dam good thing that the Japs build Quality Vehical to keep the North American Crooks in Check. BTW, I dont care where its from as long as I dont get Ripped Off. Almost as Dumb as lets put another Tax on Fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greencoachdog Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 1: "Like Glen said... buy it for safety and what it's intended for..." i am just wondering where either of you guys got the impression my father and mother bought that Windstar to tow anything? "Like Glen said... buy it for safety and what it's intended for..." They are retirees and bought it to tour Canada and the upper US in their golden years. 2: " but that's ok, lets support offshore sourcing, and drive our economy into crisis" ummm... do u watch a TV? Type on a computer? Listen to a radio? Wear any "brand name" clothes? Ride in a boat powered by some kind of motor? Put any fuel in any of your vehicles? Eat anything with sugar in it? 3: "I will not comment on the organized labor remark... " you just did. Now now Splashy, no need to get your bowels in an uproar. Maybe your folks didn't use the minivan to tow with, maybe they didn't load it down with a half ton of personal effects when they went out touring (utility service), maybe they didn't have the vehicle serviced at regular intervals, maybe they didn't buy the touring package when they purchased the vehicle (oil and tranny coolers). I'll bet a dollar to a donut they did buy that particular vehicle because it was the most spacious interior for the least amount of money, and you and I both know that going with the cheapest you can get by with is usually very disappointing in the end. It kind of reminds me of my parents and their choice of an AMC Pacer for a touring vehicle It's the tunnel vision thing of just looking at the $$$, and older folks are the worlds worst at doing that. You can't live in todays world and not buy foriegn products... but you don't have to settle for a bunch of cheap crap either! I still won't comment on organized labor. (that's the second time I didn't comment on it!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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