Automobiles are returning as a major part of our USA economy

In and before the early 1980s, American made automakers produced and sold their auto and pickup truck products that were expected to have mechanical problems beginning somewhere around the excess of 60,000 miles on the odometer.

Whenever the odometer reached and exceeded 80,000, it seemed imperative to switch into a new or newer automobile or truck to prevent serious mechanical problems.

As the importing auto market in the USA began to grow, American were beginning to find imported automobiles that would operate for more than 100,000 miles without major failures.

Even into the early to mid-1980’s, GM was producing, what I may call, defective transmissions in automobiles with gears made of plastic.  In the 1980’s and into the 1990’s, GM was producing transmissions that would likely fail within some 50,000 to some 80,000 miles on the odometer.

United Auto workers Union contracts were so strong, manufactures seemed to be helpless in firing lesser than quality UAW members.

Under pressure, GM automakers agreed to pay owners a refund for their transmission repairs or replacements at their respective franchise dealers.  This left most buyers who had their transmission to fail without any assistance as most buyers did not use automobile dealers’ garages because of their hourly charges.  Community auto garages hourly charges are substantially less in costs.

A lawsuit in federal court ordered GM to refund buyers cost from their transmission repair costs.

At the same time, imported autos were growing.  Foreign automakers were coming into the USA to build their own manufacturing plants for assembling their cars here.  At the same time, these now American manufacturers were providing high wages and benefits to their employees.  Employees were rejecting UAW Unions.  Unions were losing elections as workers were rejecting UAW memberships.

In the end, the growth of many current USA automakers who originally were foreign auto manufacturers have been and continues as a solid growth to the USA economy.

Today, most American made automobiles are expected to last up to and exceed 200,000 miles without any major failures; with many to last in excess of 300,00 miles.

Earlier, foreign manufacturing forced US automakers to greatly improve QUALITY.  Now these former foreign manufacturers are now American members in manufacturing as strong parts of our US economy.

Sincerely,

Oscar Y. Harward