Just bought a 23 Equinox made in Mexico. Overall its very well built. The paint is excellent. The only issue I have found so far is some of the screws on the plastic splash shield under the engine front were not driven tight and could have been the source of a rattle. A few turns of the nutdriver on several of them cured it. Other than that its bueno.
cars made in Mexico
- Thread starter flinter
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NAFTA (North American Free Trade Act) made USA, Canada and Mexico a single automotive manufacturing region.
My 2017 VW GTI was made in Mexico. A reviewer compared the Mexican made ones with the ones made in Germany: no difference in quality or fit and finish.
Fact: all those Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Chrysler HEMI engines are built in Mexico. The HD Rams are completely assembled in Mexico. For the Dodge's: HEMIs are shipped to Ontario, Canada and installed in the Chargers and Challengers.
My 2017 VW GTI was made in Mexico. A reviewer compared the Mexican made ones with the ones made in Germany: no difference in quality or fit and finish.
Fact: all those Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Chrysler HEMI engines are built in Mexico. The HD Rams are completely assembled in Mexico. For the Dodge's: HEMIs are shipped to Ontario, Canada and installed in the Chargers and Challengers.
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Are vehicles assembled in Mexico of higher quality than vehicles of the same price assembled in the US?
I have had Japanese and US made Hondas, the US made had loose bolts and poor fit and finish.
I've had German and US made version of their vehicles and the US made have poor fit and finish and an aura of cheapness.
I don't know if something similar is with Mexico and US comparison.
I have had Japanese and US made Hondas, the US made had loose bolts and poor fit and finish.
I've had German and US made version of their vehicles and the US made have poor fit and finish and an aura of cheapness.
I don't know if something similar is with Mexico and US comparison.
My old Ford Escort wagon was assembled in Hermosillo. No complaints about quality or fit and finish.
Mazda has a huge plant in Salamanca. Many Mazda3 models for the US are built there.
Mazda has a huge plant in Salamanca. Many Mazda3 models for the US are built there.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
My made in Mexico Ford Fusion was missing two bolts mounting the transmission - (found on oil change) had the dealer install them - put 157k on that car …
Absolutely not
IMO it's the culture of the automaker and suppliers with regards to QA that matters rather than the location of the plant. Besides the assembly process contains so much automation that reliability is probably weighted towards component design and materials choices rather than assembly. The plant has no say in the matter.
There are plenty of anecdotal stories about loose bolts/fasteners or improperly torqued bolts on cars assembled all over the world including the US and Germany.
I bought one of the very last ones to cross the border, then sold it after 11k miles for $900 profit during the height of the craziness.
Ford Fiesta: worth the gamble?
There's a Ford dealer within a reasonable distance from me who has a new 2019 Ford Fiesta w/ manual transmission advertised for $9,999 plus T&T. VIN is 3F, so it's a Mexican car. I've been looking for a decent used Toyota or Honda with a manual to use as a beater since I stupidly sold my 07...
bobistheoilguy.com
My Canadian Corolla and Matrix were fantastic cars. My dad’s Canadian Chevy is a pile of junk.
It’s not the nationality of the workers that determines the quality of the car, it’s the quality of the management.
My 1992 (USA made) F150 w/t they forgot to run the bolts in on the trans bellhousing - except one starter bolt. 4.9 5MT
My 1999 (USA Edison, NY) Ranger, I head something dragging on the ground, - a cross brace holding the exhaust and trans(?) was not bolted and was dragging on the ground. It was a 4 cyl 5 speed base w/t.
My 2011 Ford Ranger (built ?) They forgot to bolt the front of the clip to the frame on both sides. Made in Spain 4 cyl gave up the ghost in about a month eating coolant and spewing it out the tailpipe. Brought it to dealer with the complaint that it emptied the pressurized, sealed overflow. They just topped it off and said, "thats normal". Engine ran very rough.
2007 Chevrolet 1500 W/T (USA, Indiana) The RR taillight fell off after hitting a pothole in front of the service exit at the dealer. They blamed me saying, "the screws were stripped, but we'll fix it as a courtesy this one time". The clutch slave stopped working since someone left the parts bin barcode tracking label in the reservoir and it dissolved an got sucked into the slave.
Caused gear clashing since the pressure plate wasn't being pulled off. Had to bring it to a Caddy-Chevy dealer in a richy-rich town to get someone to fix that. But then 2nd and 3rd synchros were toast - even with granny style and double clutching.
Then, later had unstable idle and light throttle rough running from the 4.3. Found the throttle body was not tightened to the manifold when looking for leaks. Also noted that the PCV was glued to the valve cover (by design I guess) and there was no anti-backfire pill in it (also by design)
I could go on for hours
- Ken
My 1999 (USA Edison, NY) Ranger, I head something dragging on the ground, - a cross brace holding the exhaust and trans(?) was not bolted and was dragging on the ground. It was a 4 cyl 5 speed base w/t.
My 2011 Ford Ranger (built ?) They forgot to bolt the front of the clip to the frame on both sides. Made in Spain 4 cyl gave up the ghost in about a month eating coolant and spewing it out the tailpipe. Brought it to dealer with the complaint that it emptied the pressurized, sealed overflow. They just topped it off and said, "thats normal". Engine ran very rough.
2007 Chevrolet 1500 W/T (USA, Indiana) The RR taillight fell off after hitting a pothole in front of the service exit at the dealer. They blamed me saying, "the screws were stripped, but we'll fix it as a courtesy this one time". The clutch slave stopped working since someone left the parts bin barcode tracking label in the reservoir and it dissolved an got sucked into the slave.
Caused gear clashing since the pressure plate wasn't being pulled off. Had to bring it to a Caddy-Chevy dealer in a richy-rich town to get someone to fix that. But then 2nd and 3rd synchros were toast - even with granny style and double clutching.
Then, later had unstable idle and light throttle rough running from the 4.3. Found the throttle body was not tightened to the manifold when looking for leaks. Also noted that the PCV was glued to the valve cover (by design I guess) and there was no anti-backfire pill in it (also by design)
I could go on for hours
- Ken
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Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
My old Mitsubishis were UAW made here and weirdly they later went back to Japan and the quality diminished...
Internal plastics and fabrics were cheapened. Against the norm.
Internal plastics and fabrics were cheapened. Against the norm.
Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
Did you blow that one too Ken?My 1992 (USA made) F150 w/t they forgot to run the bolts in on the trans bellhousing - except one starter bolt. 4.9 5MT
My 1999 (USA Edison, NY) Ranger, I head something dragging on the ground, - a cross brace holding the exhaust and trans(?) was not bolted and was dragging on the ground. It was a 4 cyl 5 speed base w/t.
My 2011 Ford Ranger (built ?) They forgot to bolt the front of the clip to the frame on both sides. Made in Spain 4 cyl gave up teh ghost in about a month eating coolant and spewing it out the tailpipe. Brought it to dealer iwth complaint that it emptied the pressurized, sealed overflow. They just topped it off and said, "thats normal". Engine ran very rough.
2007 Cheverolet 1500 W/T (USA, Indiana) The RR taillight fell off after hitting a pothole in front of the service exit at the dealer. They blamed me saying, "the screws were stripped, but we'll fix it as a courtesy this one time". The clutch slave stopped working since someone left the parts bin barcode tracking label in the reservoir and it dissolved an got sucked into the slave.
Caused gear clashing since the pressure plate wasn't being pulled off. Had to bring it to a Caddy-Chevy dealer in a richy-rich town to get someone to fix that. But then 2nd and 3rd synchros were toast - even with granny style and double clutching.
Then, later had unstable idle and light throttle rough running from the 4.3. Found the throttle body was not tightened to the manifold when looking for leaks. Also noted that the PCV was glued to the valve cover (by design I guess) and there was no antibackfire pill in it (also by design)
I could go on for hours
- Ken
I'm going back to my hole.. don't beat me... 
I thought I noticed this in my 1996 2 door Mirage S 5 speed. Jewel like, but somehow odd materials; very foreign to me.
But maybe it was just a mirage
The Spain Arranger? So much for the Duratec. It ran beautiful on the test drive. filled it up with SHELL swamp water across from the dealer and in 5 mins heading home it started to decline. Then maybe my "Ricky Rudd" driving style caused cab-chassis bolts to fall out?Did you blow that one too Ken?
IDK anymore. Wife says, "get a horse". I replied, that I shall never be responsible for the health of a sentient being.
That's why I don't play with the cat.
The 2011 Ranger was built at the Twin Cities plant in St. Paul, Minnesota, so US–built. The plant closed at the end of that year. It was the only plant by then building the old-style US Ranger.
Ford had announced its intention to close Twin Cities a few years before, but the Ranger was selling too well to stop production then. The 2011 model year (and a few 2012s at the very end for commercial buyers) was especially large than had been the norm in the previous few years, to satisfy dealer demand after Ford confirmed those would be the last ones. The quality issues with your Ranger probably stem from the workers knowing the end was coming soon, so they didn't care about building them well.
One of those "better ideas" from Ford apparently. Kind of like that old joke about how "no one goes there any more because it's too crowded".
That is surprising. How do they deal with the cartels? From what I've read the plants are in prime cartel owned areas.