Stellantis dealers warn of brand degradation; company scolds them to keep dispute in house -Detroit Free Press

I could fix it pretty quickly.

Reduce management by 30% in the next week.
Drop production numbers until quality control goals are met or exceeded. (easier than it sounds, 6-8 months of lower production)
Reduce model line up by 25%. (easier than it sounds, remove trim levels and multiple engine choices)
Add two low frills ICE models that an average American family can afford. (put money in these models that make them bullet proof and solid value for the money)
Add warranty extensions to all models. (this will hurt the bottom line for 24 month period but restore some consumer confidence)
Restructure company on all levels and streamline management. Put extra money towards the workers. (the unions are a severe labor cost that sadly cannot be drastically reduced)
Start working on government restrictions. (stop some of the unrealistic "safety" features from being incorporated into current lineups)

I am a car guy, that one thing will help tremendously!
 
Owen Lucas said:
Victory by design. How hard is it to design a vehicle while still being frugal?

I'm no engineer and this is easier said than done, but if you know the bean counters are going to crappify your engineering, might as well work in anticipation of that.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...now-want-to-get-rid-of-them-fast-240253.html#
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This is nothing new. Years ago I talked to a Va. State Trooper with a new Dodge police interceptor. A couple of them said they liked them because they were fast. They were brand new. A few months later I talked to another one and asked how they liked them. He said they hated them because they were always in the shop. Fords seem to be the go to police vehicle in Va and WV. They really don't have any other choice.
 
SC Maintenance said:
Therein lies the rub. Franchise laws are controlled by the state. They would all end up in court just like GM in 2008, and somehow supposedly neutral courts always seem to rule in favor of the local party. Coincidence I am sure.

For example, I am certain Toyota would love to get rid of their master distributor Southeast Toyota - but they can't, or can't afford to.

Another issue is back in the day the hometown dealers had someone's name on it. That someone probably came to work there everyday and was a pillar of the community. I worked for such a dealer when I was 16. The owner was demanding but treated his employees like family - even me, the wash kid. Now its a bunch of rich schlebs that own 1000's of dealers for every brand and could care less what any individual customer or employee thought of them.

No new car company would start now with a dealer model.
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Yes that SE distributor gets a piece of every Toyota sold in the SE. I saw his yacht in Ft. Lauderdale. It was a ship not a yacht.
 
Tdog02 said:
Start working on government restrictions. (stop some of the unrealistic "safety" features from being incorporated into current lineups)

I am a car guy, that one thing will help tremendously!
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Love it. I will not stop talking about backup cameras, mandated since '18.

If you want it, you should be able to buy it as an option. If you don't want it, you shouldn't have to pay for it. Ditto for TPMS honestly.

Have they mandated BSM yet? If not, you know they want to. That's a slew of sensors and indicators that has to add cost. All these things add up. Ditto for lane assist.
 
D60 said:
Love it. I will not stop talking about backup cameras, mandated since '18.

If you want it, you should be able to buy it as an option. If you don't want it, you shouldn't have to pay for it. Ditto for TPMS honestly.

Have they mandated BSM yet? If not, you know they want to. That's a slew of sensors and indicators that has to add cost. All these things add up. Ditto for lane assist.
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Cameras are actually useful safety features, as well as BSM and TPMS.
1. There ar thousands of accidents every year when people reverse. It is unreasonable to expect that they will stop those accidents, but they do reduce it.
2. BSM in large vehicles is a MUST, IMO. We have technology; why not utilize it? Regardless of how diligent you are, sometimes people do not see other vehicles.
3. TPMS is one of the most important safety features that can save you A LOT of money. a. Slow-leaking tires can lose enough pressure before an owner notices it actually to damage the tire and lead to fatal accidents. b. Tires that lose too much pressure in AWD/4WD vehicles can and will damage the AWD system.

As for mandates, driving is not a right; it is a privilege.
 
D60 said:
Love it. I will not stop talking about backup cameras, mandated since '18.

If you want it, you should be able to buy it as an option. If you don't want it, you shouldn't have to pay for it. Ditto for TPMS honestly.

Have they mandated BSM yet? If not, you know they want to. That's a slew of sensors and indicators that has to add cost. All these things add up. Ditto for lane assist.
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Cameras, TPMS, and BSM sensors are super cheap in 2024. Like $25 in the volumes automakers negotiate at. There is a software dev and processing cost but it's also pretty low. Look at Hyundai, they give you cheaper cars than their competitors but with every little bell and whistle. That's because those features are actually cheap. The Euros just have a different pricing strategy and use it as a way to claw back margin.
 
PF52 said:
You described my grandma's dream car, circa 1970. But she's dead now; few people if any besides you would buy a car like that.
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I had several slant 6 cars, a 1/2 ton SWB Dodge van, a good friend even had a 3/4 ton slant 6 LWB pickup. All pathetically slow, and hard on gas for the lack of power they had. At least an IDI diesel got decent MPGs in exchange for being slow!
 
They need a few base models that can haul 2 adults and 3 kids with bare minimum of accessories to keep price down, and a drive train that's reliable for 15 years and 150,000 miles. Something that makes true economic sense for a family to own as their only vehicle.
 
edyvw said:
Cameras are actually useful safety features, as well as BSM and TPMS.
1. There ar thousands of accidents every year when people reverse. It is unreasonable to expect that they will stop those accidents, but they do reduce it.
2. BSM in large vehicles is a MUST, IMO. We have technology; why not utilize it? Regardless of how diligent you are, sometimes people do not see other vehicles.
3. TPMS is one of the most important safety features that can save you A LOT of money. a. Slow-leaking tires can lose enough pressure before an owner notices it actually to damage the tire and lead to fatal accidents. b. Tires that lose too much pressure in AWD/4WD vehicles can and will damage the AWD system.

As for mandates, driving is not a right; it is a privilege.
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Just think how many aimless idiots get saved in parking lots yearly. I’d say half the time I go into reverse there is one walking inches behind the vehicle 😵‍💫
 
loneryder said:
It's all about next quarter bonus! They will blow up the future to make it big.
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I have family on Wall Street and in C-suites and this is very much their attitude. All they need is one big deal and they never have to work again. Once they make that deal, they often still work but they constantly move around looking to make that same kind of deal again knowing if they do awesome, and if they don't they can just move on to other opportunities.

The idea that managers will do what's best for the company long-term (or even medium-term) because that's what will be best for them long-term is dead. No one cares about 5-10 years when you can make 7 figures right now.
 
SC Maintenance said:
I had the displeasure of driving a couple different vehicles with the “leaning tower of power” slant 6. They had to last forever - not enough power to hurt itself.
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I could never understand the love for that engine. I owned two vehicles with that engine, and I'd take a Ford or GM I6 over that under powered POS ;) engine any day of the week. LOL I better hide.
 
4WD said:
Just think how many aimless idiots get saved in parking lots yearly. I’d say half the time I go into reverse there is one walking inches behind the vehicle 😵‍💫
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^It's really true. All the safety features we have these days in vehicles are the result of inattentive or aggressive drivers and pedestrians. And there's no doubt those safety features have saved thousands and thousands of lives. At the core of everything I've said is the litigious society we live in. In the last 30-40 years the public has come to expect a payout for any and all incidents, no matter the circumstances. And of course insurance companies are forced to pay those payouts. Working in the civil side of legal proceedings I've come to 100% believe this is the biggest influence on the evolution of vehicle design - and many other thing as well.

TLDR: I think it could be argued that there are lots of blind melons walking around without a care in the world. ;)
 
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