Getting the Word out about General Motors

[GMBoy]

All-

As many of you know, GM is my employer and with the tough times we're currently in and with all the bad publicity (some of it justified I know) I just wanted to pass some positive news out for a change. This is not political - just information.

http://communicator.gm.com/comm/global/features/2008/speakout/doc/GMsStory_Final.pdf

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

I think most of us would like to see GM survive.

 

[JHZR2]

doesnt want to load for me...

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
doesnt want to load for me...



+1

 

[BrianWC]

Oh no did they already shut the doors???

Just kidding. I have a love/hate relationship with the General. But I don't want to see them go out of business by any means. Especially not since they have some cars I wouldn't mind driving for a change other than SAABs.

 

[javacontour]

Is that an internal website? I can't seem to find it from here either.

 

[JDD]

Bad link---------

 

[GMBoy]

Sorry! That must be an internal GM link.

 

[GMBoy]

I cut and pasted the article as best I could here:


TELLING THE GM STORY

Auto Industry Impact on the U.S. Economy

• Nearly 4% of the U.S. GDP is auto-related
• One out of every 10 U.S. jobs is auto-related
• Accounts for $690 billion, or about 20% of all U.S. retail sales
• Generates more than $10 billion of annual tax revenue
• Largest purchaser of steel, aluminum, iron, copper, plastics, rubber and electronic chips
• Second only to the semiconductor industry in R&D spending

GM’s Contribution to the U.S. Economy

• Directly employs approximately 96,000 people
• Has 6,500 dealers across the country who employ another 340,000 people
• Provides pension benefits for nearly 475,000 retirees and spouses
• Extends health care benefits to about 1,000,000 people
• Purchased in 2007, $30 billion of goods and services from 2,000 suppliers in 46 states
• Sold 22 million vehicles in the last five years that have more domestic-parts content than
Honda and Toyota
Learn more at gmfactsandfiction.com
View a video at youtube.com/watch?v=72cHfOKoA1c

Changing for the Better

• GM negotiated a landmark labor agreement with the UAW in 2007 that will enable us to
match labor costs with foreign automakers by 2010 and virtually erase the competitive gap
• 11 of GM’s last 13 new vehicle launches have been cars and crossovers, and 60% of our
capacity will be dedicated to these vehicles by the end of 2010
• GM leads in manufacturing productivity in 11 out of the 20 North American segments in
which it competes (2008 Harbour Report) and has 5 of the top 10 best rated engine plants
in North America and the #1 transmission plant
• In the 2008 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, GM had more segment leaders than Toyota
or Honda
•We’ve reduced warranty repairs by 40% over the last five years
•We’re targeting fuel economy leadership in every class of vehicle we introduce and for 2009,
GM has 20 models in the U.S. that get at least 30 MPG highway – that’s twice the number of
our nearest competitor
• GM is making a major commitment to hybrid cars and trucks and offers nine hybrids for 2009
• GM is a world leader in biofuel vehicles with more than 3 million flex-fuel vehicles on the road
in the U.S. and has committed to make flex-fuel vehicles 50% of annual volume by 2012
•We’ve established the world’s largest hydrogen fuel-cell test fleet here in the U.S.
•We’re working to bring the Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle to market by November
2010. Volt is designed to move 75% of America’s daily
commuters without using a single drop of gas!
Learn more at gm.com/experience • media.gm.com/volt • chevyvolt.com

PROMOTING OUR PRODUCTS

Gas-Friendly Vehicles
At least 30 MPG highway Chevy Aveo and Aveo5 • Chevy Cobalt • Chevy HHR and HHR Panel •
Chevy Malibu and Malibu Hybrid • Pontiac G3 and G3 5-Door (both arriving early 2009) • Pontiac G5
and G5 GT • Pontiac G6 • Pontiac Vibe • Saturn AURA and AURA Hybrid • Saturn ASTRA 3-Door and
ASTRA 5-Door • Saturn VUE Hybrid 37 MPG highway Chevy Cobalt XFE and Pontiac G5 XFE
(gm.com/fueleconomy)
Hybrids Cadillac Escalade Hybrid • Chevy Malibu Hybrid and Tahoe Hybrid • GMC Yukon Hybrid •
Saturn AURA Hybrid and VUE Hybrid Coming early next year: Chevy Silverado Hybrid, GMC Sierra
Hybrid and Saturn VUE 2-Mode Hybrid (gm.com/hybrids)
E85-Capable Vehicles (gm.com/biofuels)
FlexFuel lineup Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT • Chevy Avalanche, HHR, Impala,
Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe • Buick Lucerne • GMC Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL • HUMMER H2
and H2 SUT

Some Suggestions for Varied Needs and Lifestyles

Midsize family cars Buick LaCrosse • Chevy Malibu • Pontiac G6 Sedan • Saab 9-5 Aero Sedan •
Saturn AURA

Larger sedans Buick Lucerne • Cadillac DTS • Chevy Impala
Hauling kids and gear Chevy Traverse • GMC Acadia • Saab 9-3

SportCombi • Saturn OUTLOOK

First car Chevy Aveo and Aveo5 • Chevy Cobalt and Cobalt XFE • Pontiac G5 and G5 XFE • Pontiac
Vibe • Saturn ASTRA

Luxury Buick Enclave • Cadillac CTS • Cadillac Escalade • Cadillac SRX Crossover • GMC Yukon
Denali • Saab 9-5 Aero SportCombi

Towing Chevy Avalanche, Silverado, Silverado XFE, Suburban, Tahoe and Tahoe XFE • GMC Sierra,
Sierra XFE, Yukon, Yukon XFE and Yukon XL

Performance Cadillac CTS • Chevy Cobalt SS Turbocharged • Chevy Corvette • Pontiac G6 GXP
Coupe • Pontiac G8 • Saturn VUE Red Line • Saab 9-3 Aero Sport Sedan • Saab 9-7X Aero

Open-air driving Pontiac G6 GT Convertible • Pontiac Solstice and Solstice GXP • Saab 9-3

Convertible • Saturn SKY and SKY Red Line

Flexibility Chevy Equinox • Chevy HHR • Chevy Trailblazer • GMC Envoy • Pontiac Torrent •
Saturn VUE

Play HUMMER H3, H3x, H3T
Browse GM vehicles Print product info one-pager Read news releases and see photos
gm.com/vehicles gm.com/vehicles/guides media.gm.com/us/gm/en
gm.com/catalog
Shop GM Vehicles by Brand
chevy.com pontiac.com saturn.com saab.com
buick.com gmc.com hummer.com cadillac.com
Read about GM vehicle financing and current offers
gmfamilyfirst.com
gm.com/vehicles/currentoffers
Find sales referral tools and obtain authorization numbers for GM discount programs
gmfamilyfirst.com
For GM employee educational purposes only.

 

[StevieC]

I would buy a GM/Ford/Chrysler in a heartbeat and contribute to the NA economy, however they need to be as reliable, easy to service as the competition and need to be what the customer wants.

The have made many changes for the good, and are somewhat headed in the right direction, but they have very far to go to catch up and beat the "Foreigners"

Nothing in the GM lineup fits my wants as a consumer, and I'm still not sure they are that much better in terms of longevity and service life as the junk they tried to pass off in the late 80's early 90's.

Until the big-3 start using the "If you can't beat 'em, then join 'em" strategy and start making hard changes to their labour structure, they might as well flush the company tomorrow.

 

[heathenbrewing]

Here's the problem: The corporately-criminal practices behind the big three auto makers have caught up with their miserable track record of failing to provide products that the public will buy, coupled with massive corporate cushions that they have so generously provided for themselves.

The automotive corporations, now begging for a bailout, need to fail because they have failed at everything that any real business must pay attention to.

I say give a new car manufacturer a try - one who will make the necessary adjustments, keeping in mind future energy issues, sustainability and foreign oil from countries who hate America and are trying to destroy this nation. Oil companies who do not have America's best interests at heart have had a monopoly for far too long.

 

[XS650]

I'm not dumping on you GMBoy, but what most taxpayers want to know is how GM will use the money wisely, when we will get paid back and the odds of getting paid back.

Something I observed over a few years of managing large hunks of programs and siting in on program reviews is that the further in the hole a program is, the better the performance the program leaders project for the future. In reality, it rarely works out that way. GM has a long ways to go to convince the taxpayers representatives that it has a workable plan.

If GM is still sinking with all the great things claimed in the article, what are they going to do better to recover on our nickle?

 

[scoobie]

So why did they kill the Volt - that would have guaranteed they would survive.

 

[heathenbrewing]

Originally Posted By: scoobie
So why did they kill the Volt - that would have guaranteed they would survive.


Because of special interest.

 

[StevieC]

We have a small town in Ontario (Canada), that is about to collapse because it all revolves around GM much like Flynt, Michigan did. I think it's sad that this will happen and thousands of families that depended on the plant through primary income or secondary income streams through other local economies somehow connected to the plant but things have to change and change usually is never in fitting with whats comfortable for society, but GM and the rest need to learn hard from their mistakes and move on. A bail out is like putting a temporary band-aid on an attery thats gushing, it might help but in the end you will still die. The Market is over saturated with vehicles and the production rate of replacements and for first time buyers is far outweighed by how long the vehicles last in service, this coupled with boomers retiring and needing less vehicles to go to work or to take them around means massive economic slow down. It's N.A. fault that we put all our eggs in one basket (the Auto industry), it was inevitable and it's history repeating itself like in the appliance industry back from the 50's/60's. It's done, save tax payers money and invest of retraining employees and moving them to other jobs

 

[mrsilv04]

Looks like a lot of the same talking points in the full page ad that appeared in my local newspaper.

There are two sides to every story. When will we get the other side?

 

[PT1]

I'll share my last experience with a top of the line GM product. After growing up in a "GM family" (my father worked in the retail div of GM for 45 years and it even says Chevrolet on my birth certificate). I have driven almost every Chevrolet vehicle model made since 1970. I have owned 5 GM trucks/SUVs.

The last one did me in:

2006 YukonXL Denali. MSRP: $55,685.00 purchased in 2006 trade in value in 2008 $19,500.00. Fortunately I didn't pay $55k but paid under $37k for it.

I drove this truck 45,000 miles and traded it on a Toyota SUV

issues within 45,000 miles since 2006:

1.failed water pump
2. failed powersteering pump
3. failed rear control arm bushings
4. failed windshield seal only 1/2 way repaired
5. failed abs wheel speed sensors
6. leaky door seals
7. failed 6 CD changer
8. finish on console peeled off-replaced
9. cold start engine knock (for 4-5 minutes)due to piston slap in 6.0L engine at 21,000 miles.
10. both zenon headlights burned out the second day I owned it.
11. Roof luggage rack almost blew off because the torx fastners were less than finger tight (I fixed it myself)
12. The seal on the XM/Onstar antenna failed and leaked. I silicone sealed it myself
13. moon roof seal failed and leaked.

The grand finale was the failure of the carrier bearings in the front differential which would have required a $2500 repair.

Needless to say, I am done with GM and will never buy another GM product as long as I live.

 

[mrsilv04]

 

[ksJoe]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
When will we get the other side?


I don't know if this counts as the “other side” or not, but here's my take...

In the last 10 years, I have:

Bought a wrecked Honda with 55k miles on it, put it back together and drover it for 10 years, selling it with about 250k on it. I bought my wife a 03 new Saturn Vue, which now has 103k on it.

The salvage title Honda had less problems, and less rattles than the GM product bought new, driven easily, and carefully maintained.

The Honda was my first foreign car. I replaced it a couple months ago, without considering any “big 3” product. I never even went to one of their dealerships, never sat in one of their cars.

“Initial Quality” ratings are meaningless to me. I'm not so concerned about how many issues will happen while its under warranty. I care about about the next 100 or 200 k.

I'll consider a “big 3” product when their long term reliability data is contently at the top.

 

[bretfraz]

Quote:
The Market is over saturated with vehicles and the production rate of replacements and for first time buyers is far outweighed by how long the vehicles last in service, this coupled with boomers retiring and needing less vehicles to go to work or to take them around means massive economic slow down.


Hmmm.... don't think this view is accurate. At least in the states the population has been expanding steadily. Most of the new people want/need cars. The car market has grown steadily as well, to about 17 million sold per year. In 2006 Toyota (well, Lexus) projected sales of around 20 million a year by 2010. Obviously that won't happen by then but it will happen eventually.

Look at the explosion of models and all the new plants built in the southern US. We have new plants in SC, AL, TN, IN, KY, OH, GA and MS that did not exist in 1990. Brands like Audi, BMW and Benz have dramatically expanded their product lines in the last 20 years. Look at Lexus and Infiniti, both launched in 1990 with 2-3 models. Now both brands sell more SUV models alone than their entire product mix of 15 years ago. I won't detail the massive model growth from brands like Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and others

It's not that the US automakers do not produce a quality product, they do. The problem for them is the insane amount of competition that simply did not exist 15-20 years ago. It was easy to sell Buicks and Fords when the foreign competition was either overpriced or cheaply made. But their cars got a lot better, faster. The domestic brands could not/would not keep up. Now they're in a situation where the economy has contracted, the competition is super aggressive, and everyone is slugging it out for a smaller piece of the pie.