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How do you feel about the "buy American" mindset?

7K views 32 replies 22 participants last post by  Devildog468 
#1 ·
Me personally, I don't think it makes sense to buy something with subpar reliability and build quality just to say you're supporting the home team. I will probably never buy any car not made by Subaru, Honda, or Toyota. What are your thoughts?
 
#2 ·
Subaru builds cars in Indiana.

VW builds cars here in TN. There are also a TON of Tier 1 parts suppliers here. . JTekt builds steering components for GM and Toyota, Calsonic Kansei in Cookeville builds frame and suspension components, Carlex in Vonore makes auto glass, Denso in Maryville builds electronics for Subaru, Toyota, probably others.

Numerous other foreign auto manufacturers have factories here in the US.

Chrysler is owned by Fiat. Ford imports stuff from Turkey (Transit and Transit Connect, probably others as well). GM has plants all around the globe.


What exactly constitutes an "American Made" automobile these days? There are probably more US made components in my 2000 Outback than in my mom's 2010 F250.
 
#4 ·
As noted-in these days of global sourcing-it is more of a "mind set".

It also depends on what products you are talking about. DW drives the OB. I drive a diesel heavy duty truck (to tow/haul our toys). In this segment, the "big 3" are the only alternatives. I can also say our 06 Duramax/Allison is one sweet power train for this type of work. No complaints. After we drive it 15 yrs, we will get another. (Where ever this "American" truck is built...)

Note; I am fortunate to bike/walk to work. The truck is not a DD, it is used almost exclusively for road trips while hauling/towing large toys. The truck may not be used often...but it is used hard.
 
#5 ·
It's a holdover from simpler times. I like the idea of buying American, and I still would, but modern manufacturing is so globalized at this point that there really isn't a national choice available anymore.

So now I find ways to buy what I need with the least amount spent on financing, warranties, or legal defense funds.

Where cars are concerned, this typically means buying used.
 
#6 ·
Lift the hood of most any car on the road today and you will find a variety of parts manufactured in a variety of different countries.

Here in Alabama, Mercedes has a manufacturing plant, as does Honda, and Hyundai. Suppliers of parts for these "foreign" cars are all over the state as well.

They also use parts from the "home" countries.

Chrysler, GM, and Ford have manufacturing plants all over the world. They also source parts for their products that are made here in the US and other countries too.

So what determines "domestic" from "foreign"?

Where the home office is perhaps????

I have no problem "Buying American". But how do you determine what is?
 
#7 ·
no such thing its all just a media spun slogan.

Whats even more funny is that more auto companies which are not domestic build their cars here than domestic brands build here.
Mercedes builds their cars here, Nissan, Toyota, Subaru, Hyundai all build their cars here. GM builds cars in Canada, mexico etc Same with Ford. VW builds lots of cars in Mexico also.

Components up till the tsunami in Japan were largely came from Japan and Europe. Today more components are sourced locally here. Even things like Tacoma Frames are built using American steel and American labor then trucked to the Toyota plant here and then built up.

Only a few models by the Japanese builders are imported to the US. The 4runner is imported, the Forrester is imported etc.
 
#8 ·
nothing wrong with supporting the home team, but I'd prefer individuals made the decisions and not g'mint.

I'd rather trade with others than be in conflict with them.

"If goods do not cross borders, soldiers will." - F. Bastiat
 
#10 ·
The problem is that there are more and more poor people on these shores...where else would they go shopping? Dollar General?
These folks generally cannot afford to "buy American"...
One trip to "Deep South" and you would know, what I am talking about....
 
#12 ·
"While Sam Walton was alive, Walmart had a "Buy American" campaign, but it was exposed shortly after he died that signs saying "Buy American" were on bins of Asian made products. Yet by 2005, about 60% of Walmart's merchandise was imported, compared to 6% in 1984, although others estimated the percentage was 40% from the beginning.In 2004, Walmart spent $18 billion on Chinese products alone, and if it were an individual economy, the company would rank as China's eighth largest trading partner, ahead of Russia, Australia, and Canada. One group estimates that the growing U.S. trade deficit with China, heavily influenced by Walmart imports, is estimated to have moved over 1.5 million jobs that might otherwise be in America to China between 1989 and 2003.According to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), "Walmart is the single largest importer of foreign-produced goods in the United States", their biggest trading partner is China, and their trade with China alone constitutes approximately 10% of the total U.S. trade deficit with China as of 2004.
 
#13 ·
Me personally, I don't think it makes sense to buy something with subpar reliability and build quality just to say you're supporting the home team.
False dichotomy. All else being equal, I'll buy products assembled
by USofA labor -- regardless of where the Board Of Directors sits.
I also prefer cars built in UAW shops. 25+ yrs of FlatRock MI, UAW
Mazdas are the most reliable, lowest maintenance cars I've owned.

The jury is still out on the reliability of Soobies -- so far, so good,
but I'd go back to UAW Mazdas in a NY minute, if/when they build
a car that fits my needs as well as our current OB and Legacy.

Other than the Miata (purchased used) I haven't owned anything
but US-assembled cars since some SAAB and VW euro-disasters
in the 1970s. The foolishness of youth.

...fool me again, shame on me,

Looby
 
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#15 ·
As one who worked in a plant that was closed, so our company could move our production to Mexico, to take advantage of cheaper labor, I am very sensitive to buying Made in USA products when the opportunity affords itself. Our plant was opened up so the company could move production out of a sister plant, which was a union shop that had become entrenced in poor quality. Our plant produced a superior quality to our sister plants in Mexico, also. In fact, Chrysler required all product from our Mexico sister plant, to be sorted and inspected in our facility, before they would take delivery. But even our customers could not convince management to keep production in the USA. Cheap labor speaks volumes.

When our plant closed, I was very fortunate, to be able to transfer with the company to another plant. But most all of my coworkers, my good friends, were not so fortunate.

I won't buy an inferior product, just to buy American. But then, I can't think of an instance where I have been faced with that decision. In every instance I can think of, I have found American products that are equal or superior to imports. I won't buy a "Made in Taiwan" garden tool, such as a rake, shovel, etc., from Walmart. Instead, I'll go to the local nursery and buy a "Made in the USA" Ames. I have found they are actually superior tools, and worth the few dollars more that I pay.

When it comes to cars, I am very realistic about what constitutes "Made in America", and what is not. I have no problem buying a car, such as my Outback, that is built in the USA, but has a foreign nameplate. In fact, I would prefer to do so, than buy a car that is assembled in Mexico, but has a Ford or Chevy nameplate on it. I also pay attention to domestic content. With all else being fairly equal, I will give preference to a product with more domestic content.

So, when I hear people say that it is silly to worry about if a product is made in the USA or not, I wonder how long it will be before a friend, a brother, or a close neighbor is laid off because of business going South. And I wonder if they will still feel the same way then.
 
#16 ·
I grew up in an environment where we've always checked, where the stuff (consumer goods) was made and then made purchases accordingly. The only exceptions was foodstuff....that we would buy from wherever it came from but mainly from local farmers or our garden (we ate "organic" stuff already there and then...LOL)
Right after the II W.War, we would never purchase anything (consumer goods) made in Japan or any East European country; we tried only to buy stuff from any Western European country.
 
#17 ·
for my two cents, Im not a fan of the way the american car companies conduct their business.

Chevy has ****** up how they've handled everything when it comes to owning up on there mistakes. for that, I couldn't drive a Chevy
To me Chrysler has never really done it for me the quality wasn't ever there. I have never run across a Chrysler/Dodge owner that hasnt had problems with it.
Ford is the closest for me to own, I like how they handle their business particularly on the other side of the globe.

When I own a car, I get behind the company 100% and for me, Subaru will always be at the top with Nissan right in second place. I dont really car where geographically my car is made as long as I, at any point in time, can start my car and circle the globe with total confidence in the machine, and I havent run across an American car that i think could do that
 
#18 ·
...as long as I, at any point in time, can start my car and
circle the globe
with total confidence in the machine ...
Don't you find the bridge toll between Seattle and Saigon a bit excessive?

Looby
 
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#20 ·
We all endure...

I buy, what I buy...usually for a specific purpose. In each case...'Merican vs foreign isn't an issue. I buy the best from all worlds. I will continue to do so. I want to drive the best product for the purpose.

They ain't blood diamonds, they are "conveyances". Soon, they will all be driving for us. We will all be wishing we had a Pacer.
 
#22 ·
Buying american cars in todays world is effectively buying a world car. granted fuel and emissions regulations are different wherever you go the cars the we get here are very similar to the cars sold there. save the other brands that dont come here. like citroen peugot renault and seat to name a few
 
#25 ·
HaHa. Pretty entertaining. But not very accurate.

As much as the arrogant SOB's that run the big corporations of the world would like to believe that they are in control, Governments are in control. Governments of the people, by the people, and for the people. Governments bring corporations to their knees all the time. Here are a few examples.

First is AT&T. Perhaps you aren't old enough to remember the Bell System. From the early '40's until the early '80's, when one thought of the American phone system, they thought of AT&T. AT&T had 85% of all phone systems in the USA. Then the DOJ filed an antitrust lawsuit against AT&T. It took years to slay the giant, but the Bell System was broken up into what we knew as Baby Bells, no longer part of AT&T. Since 1984, AT&T has been allowed to buy back a few of the Baby Bell companies. And of course they have grown to be one of the largest wireless carriers in the US. But, they are only a shadow of what they were in the glory days. And all because a government said so. the people.

Next is Exxon. One of those super companies. Until one of their supertanker captains ran the Valdez aground in Prince William Sound, off Alaska. Bound by government regulations, Exxon paid hundreds of millions in cleanup.

and lawsuits brought by governments and individuals mounted up. Exxon has spent the last 25 years since then in litigation, constantly appealing record punitive awards. Thanks to the Valdez, the US and Alaska have both enacted additional regulations. All tankers in US waters must now be double hulled. Alaska requires all loaded tankers in Prince William Sound, to be escorted by two tugs. And the Federal Government enacted a law which prohibits any tanker that has spilled a million gallons or more, from ever entering Prince William Sound. Exxon appealed this ruling, but lost.

While Exxon is a big oil company, they are not what they were. Government regulations assured that they were accountable for their actions. There is no doubt in my mind that, without government, Exxon would not have done the right thing.

I was going to mention a few more, but I think that's enough.

I'm not saying I'm against all corporate America. I'm not. Many of us are employed, including myself, by Fortune 500 companies. They fed my family. But corporations are not in control. And when they think they are, they are quite often reminded of the value of humility.
 
#26 ·
I think my Subaru is more American than the Pontiac I gave up for it. That Pontiac was built in Ontario, while the Outback was built in Indiana (as we all know) of 50% or more US-sourced parts. I had no significant quality issues with the Pontiac, and my experience with the Outback has been similar at just over 50% of the mileage I put on the Pontiac.
 
#31 ·
Please tell me how many of you work in a company
where Walmart is your largest customer?
Helpful hint: Google's Chrome browser can automatically
translate Chinese language responses into English.


 
#33 ·
Here's what I know:


I'm a HUGE GM Musclecar fan. I have a 72 Z/28 that I've resto-modded and I LOVE it. For whatever reason I used to exclusively drive GM cars as my daily drivers. Until I came to the realization that they were pure crap.


My wife and I both had tons of issues with our GM cars. I'm not talking about brakes and tires, those items will need replacing on ANY car. I'm talking about a transmission going bad at 52,000 miles. Intake manifold gaskets going bad before 50,000 miles. I could go on and on.


So in 2002 my wife and I decided it was time to replace her problematic 98 Gran Prix. We searched around and test drove several vehicles. We ended up at a Subaru dealership to look at a new Forester. When we were there, my wife saw a silver 02 WRX wagon and she liked it. She test drove the Forester and the WRX and it wasn't even close. We bought the WRX. She daily drove that WRX for 14 years and we had zero issues other than routine maintenance. The ONLY reason we still don't own the WRX today is because we happened to see our 05 Outback XT for sale at a local dealer. It is a one owner low mileage car and the dealer had ALL the service records on the car. We sold the WRX privately and bought the Outback. Now she cruises her 05 Outback and it just turned 60,000 miles.


For us, it's about dependability and reliability. We buy a vehicle because we need to get to work every day and don't feel like having our vehicles in the shop constantly. Subaru has been good to us and amazingly my wife is a huge fan of the turbo Subaru. She loves the power.


As for buying American, I'm a veteran, and a union member and I always laughed at the guys who squawked about buying American cars when everything else they owned was manufactured overseas.
 
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