Unfettered Letters

Happy with American cars

I want to say a couple of things to the car companies. First, GM, sorry. If you can’t make it, then it’s time to stop taking taxpayer money to continue on life support. I feel the same way about AIG. I want my money back.

We’ve had everything from Ford 150s to Dodge Colts to Ford Escapes and Rangers. My husband and I are driving the last two now. The Ranger has been as reliable a truck as we could’ve asked for. With very little maintenance, this 1997 American-made vehicle has taken my husband more than 250,000 miles and hauled countless sacks of brush, furniture, bricks, camping and fishing gear.

My Escape took me back and forth to Jefferson City for two years and has taken me to Denver, Dallas, Iowa and Nebraska — to the tune of nearly 200,000 miles.

These cars were good for us, good for the company that sold them and good for the workers who made them — all right here in Kansas City.

I’m not saying “buy only American.” I’m saying “buy a good car.” Many of those good cars are made right here.

Vicki Walker
Kansas City

A GM-Ford merger?

Twentieth-century management guru Peter Drucker wrote 10 years ago in the Wall Street Journal that GM would cease to exist in 10 years. In the last 20 to 25 years, the Big Three have manufactured vehicles that have not been pleasing to the buying public because of quality, warranties and price.

Japan and other manufacturers came to the U.S., and their automobiles have become superior to American-made. Since the 1950s, the American autoworkers’ union has continued to call for worker strikes for excess concessions: wages, health, retirement and time-off benefits. Now the companies cannot compete. Auto management and union staff have failed to understand the principles of competition.

If the American industry can survive, perhaps a GM and Ford merger could become a viable global auto company. Chrysler would fail or merge with another.

The important lesson to be learned by all: Don’t take the American auto buyer and the “bailout”-lending public for fools. They are not.

J.T. Heeter
Shawnee

Hooray for Chevrolets

My 2001 Chevrolet Impala regularly averages 33 mpg. This mileage is computed by how many miles are traveled fill-up to fill-up. Separating city miles from highway miles results in a false average. Claims from auto manufacturers that their product will get 28 mpg fall on these deaf ears.

Since 1952, there have been nine Chevrolets in this family. While the current Impala may have been manufactured, for the most part, in Canada, the profit from the sale of that vehicle stayed with an American company. The profits from Japanese cars go home to Japan, even if the auto is constructed in the United States.

Only one foreign-made car, a Volkswagen, has made it to this garage. The cost of repairs on that Volkswagen far outstripped the cost of repairs for Chevrolets.

Autos carrying the name of American brands have much the same quality as those carrying foreign brands. The difference is American brands do something for the American economy that foreign brands do not. Why not support American-made?

Jack Gregory
Plattsburg, Mo.

GM workers’ strike

The union workers on strike (5/6, A-1, “A prolonged Fairfax strike could hurt Malibu sales”) should get everything they are asking for, which, of course, means GM should shutter the plant and move production overseas.

When will unions learn that they, and they alone, are responsible for ruining the American economy over the past 40 years? Extortion is illegal, and the union leadership should be charged.

Pat Nolan
Sedalia, Mo.

KC builds hybrids, too

A letter writer encouraged Lewis Diuguid to purchase a Toyota Prius hybrid. Here is a better suggestion. Let’s encourage him to purchase a Kansas City-built hybrid. He has his choice of three: Chevy Malibu, Saturn Aura or a Ford Escape. This will help support the livelihood of many Kansas City Star readers who are local Ford and GM employees.

Needless to say, purchasing a Toyota, built here in the U.S. or overseas, does little to support the area auto workers. Many of these employees, including myself, subscribe to or purchase The Star daily. The loss of my job at the GM plant would surely force me to tighten my budget, with my subscription to The Star probably being one of the first cuts.

Mike Thomas
Lawson, Mo.

Don’t blame the user

Ted Weber (7/25, Letters, “User error?”) suggests the fault lies with the owner of the domestic car.

The old argument about “domestic” vs. “import” (it used to be “American” vs. “foreign”) has cropped up at an interesting time for me.

I check my oil every time I get gasoline. I get my oil changed regularly. I do not defer maintenance.

These things have worked well for my 1989 Honda Accord with 170,000 miles on it, which still takes the 90-mile round-trip commute daily in fine shape. I have about $1,000 in this car, and it will sell for more than that.

It didn’t seem to work so well with my 1997 Ford F-150, which needs a new engine at 60,000 miles. The cost: $3,500 for a rebuilt engine installed. I had $5,700 in this car. Its resale value in good running order was less than my Honda.

Don’t tell me it’s user error.

Chris Johnston
Ottawa, Kan.

User error?

Perhaps Al Mason (7/21, Letters, “Reliable, durable vehicles”) isn’t providing proper maintenance for his General Motors products. He says that he has purchased six of them and that none has made it to 85,000 miles.

I drive a 1988 Chevrolet pickup truck with more than 140,000 miles on it and would not hesitate to drive it anywhere. It does not use much oil, and all it requires is gasoline and normal maintenance.

Ted Weber
Richmond, Mo.

Reliable, durable vehicles

I just read another letter (7/17) about the American automotive industry telling us why we should buy vehicles with American nameplates. There is only “Buy it because we made it” — no mention of product quality, dependability or customer satisfaction.

Not one of my last six General Motors (I still have two) cars made 85,000 miles. All were or will be traded because of the cost of upkeep. If you call the GM customer service 800 number to complain, it’s answered in India or Venezuela. The foreign nameplates have a better reliability, durability and customer service reputation.

What I (and others) want is a dependable and durable vehicle at a reasonable price. I’m tired of putting my money where their mouth is. So until the American nameplates get a reliable reputation or can guarantee a dependable product, I’ll pass.

Al Mason
Overland Park

Funkhouser’s car

Regarding concerns about what Mayor Mark Funkhouser drives: Why don’t the news media check the parking lot at Ford and see what is parked there? If Jesus came to Kansas City and became mayor, Republicans and Democrats would find fault with him. God help him if he drove a Toyota.

Larry Brown
Prairie Village

Mayor's car

U.S. automakers

The cost of a new car to Mark Funkhouser: zero.

The free publicity for Honda: priceless.

The negative connotation for our two area assembly plants: immeasurable.

Thank you Denver, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Omaha for supporting our American companies (6/14, Local, “Three Fords, one Chrysler, and a freebie”).

W. Ruckman
Kansas City

It’s a loaner

Argh! Kansas City doesn’t have anything better to do than whine about Mark Funkhouser’s usage of this car? Maybe I’m missing something here, but based on a recent article in The Star, it doesn’t even look like the mayor will even own the car.

In other words, he’s not being given a car; he’s driving a car while he is mayor. There are a lot worse things he could be doing.

Jason Parr
Overland Park