This is not good. We really need to do something and the only thing that I can think of is a massive Government project. Starting such a project will be an huge task and not simple. Go after that which we know is driving us crazy...energy. No more dependence and it will put a lot of people from Engineers to Truck drivers to the person with their shovel in hand (as well as some paper pushers) to work. Only issue with Government projects...they take time and money. We have neither. It is of no use to blame anyone, let's just fix it!

If GM or Chrysler think that they are going to make money by raising the price of cars and truck, they are dumber than we thought. Car prices are already to high. That is why people go with overseas companies. They should have done something about this 12 years ago when they saw it coming, but no, they just started a lease program to put more cars out the door and really flood the used car lots. So now they are right back where they were years ago with nowhere to go. Who pays for it....US! I will start buying Fords or foreign cars! I will not buy from someone that does not know how to run a buisiness and puts thousands of people out of work!

You do that go and buy a ford, thats funny... If its a truck your fuel mileage will suck and then YOU will bitch about fords.

Its really funny to read some of these post. Why don't some of the bashers bash the banks that are screwing us to the wall, they knew this was coming years ago when the auto business, so why don't these people get after them.

totally agree.

The consumer will pay for this in the end. Larger dealers mean higher repair labor rates, that's always been a fact and the option to go to your "neighborhood" dealer will soon be eliminated by poorly managed corporations. Having the manufacturers clean up their acts is only solving half the problems in the auto industry. The mega dealers with their "profit at all cost" attitudes are also responsible for the problems in both the auto industry and the financial market.

most dealers are not making the big bucks you think they are. most have been strugling for years. As far as service goes, find good dealer service and you will save money in the long run. Most problems fixed right the first time.

Cindy:

I feel your pain but this really is all about the greedy executives, fat unions, generous legacy expenses and products that can't compete in a global market as most Big 3 autos are not as reliable and depreciate far quicker than most every import brand. It's just being felt on Main Street!

These car companies and unions could see this coming down the road for a long time... They just chose to turn the other cheek and keep chasing higher profits by producing gas guzzling trucks and SUVs rather than investing in newer, more efficient technologies. The Big 3 are now at least five years behind the eight ball running an up hill battle against the wind.

I'm sorry that there are thousands of people that will be laid off in a horrible economy but the corporate pigs are the ones to blame here. You can't blame a president that has only been in office for five months. The blame should rest squarely on the shoulders of the executive committees of the Big Three. Shame on all of you!

Cindy I agree with you 100% they have to lay the blame on someone so WHY not the new guy I guest this MESS just took place 100 days ago no one 8 yrs ago could not see this coming because they were to busy stuffing their pocket full of hard working people MONEY. Now what are the BAD BOY's gonna do. Where are they going to go and get those BIG salaries now.

The blame is on the american people that have kept buying foriegn stuff so it kept coming and coming, It is the american people who keep buying these foriegn vehicles that have betrayed the real americans.

Camaro, you are a completely uneducated, moronic, fan boy. I've read quite a few of your comments and I am pretty sure many people find your comments dumb and ignorant. What you fail to realize is this: If you sell a QAULITY product at the PRICE that people want then you will make money. That is the name of the game in capitalism. You don't like it go in a corner and cry. It is NOT about people buying foreign cars and supporting American products. These companies so called "American" companies find it too difficult to compete with the foreigners but they still want to find a way to maintain their extravagant lifestyles. So what do they do? The pump out a high quantity of cheap quality crap and expect it to sell at a low price while the foreigners have found a way to provide quality at a reasonable price. Don't believe me? Go and read every Consumer Report Automobile issue for the last 10 years and you will see that the overall quality of the big 3 is weak in comparison to foreign vehicles. And then you can shut your yap. Or maybe you won't and you will continue to rant about the supporting them and it is everyones fault. PLEASE PEOPLE BE FOR REAL! I owned 1 vehicle from each of the big 3 and all of them fell apart faster than flash. And don't give me the you get what you pay for garbage. Quality should be number one no matter what vehicle line you buy.

The whole fiasco is based the ultimate failure of management ( they ignored the threat of the foreign auto makers for too long), poor quality and design, and the unwillingness of the union to make concessions. All the crying people are doing on this discussion board and this ranting with blind loyalty is complete garbage. Wake-up Camaro and realize the real reason your beloved dealers are falling and stop finding blame in the government and everyone else. Educate yourself and do some research before you and others like Blab on about whose fault it is.

Sorry guys... Blaming an administration that is all of five months old or blaming American consumers for purchasing foreign branded products that are of higher quality than domestic brands is short sighted at best.

Blame should be aimed at the corporate executives that failed to reinvent themselves into the new global world 20 years ago by investing in newer more efficient technologies. The rah, rah, rah rant of Buy American is only effective when American made products are the best in the market.

Sadly, cars manufactured by domestic brands are simply not that good and have not been that good when compared to the imports over the last 10 years. Don't get mad, get even by producing a better product. Unfortunately, that may take a few years and I'm not certain the Big 3 have that much time left!

I am in the car business and have family that has worked for GM for a long time, even my dad who has worked at the same chevy dealer for 37 years (which thank god didnt get the ax) has been saying this would happen for years.

The big problem is people bought foreign cars because for years ford, Gm and chrysler have made "disposable" cars. While Toyota and Honda.....although their cars are boring....made reliable ones. Where the lower end models were junk and the higher end models, although very reliable for the most part were pricey. Nowadays....at least Ford and GM are making products that are just as good as Toyota and Honda if not better.....however it's too little too late. They should have done this 15 years ago and now they are suffering from their own arrogance (except ford that is).

The other problem is that GM makes too many cars and many of the cars they make are one and the same across brands. Like for example.....a chevy cobalt is the same car as a saturn ion and a pontiac G%, a Malibu is the same car as a G6, the grand prix is the same car as an impala. With exterior looks aside, these cars are exactly the same. Why in the hell would someone pay an extra 2000 dollars for a G5 when they can get the cobalt much cheaper? The business model and ecnomics dont fit.

The biggest reason Cadillac is one of GM's best cars and their second biggest seller is they are unique.

Also....I blame execs taking ridiculous bonuses and lazy union workers.

Case in point:

If you work at a honda factory...and you drive a forklift as your primary job, and you only have 2 hours worth of work. You are sent elsewhere in the fqactory to help assemble cars or unpack parts.

If you work for the big three in one of their factories and you drive a forklift and you only have 2 hours of work, you can sit on your ass for the remaining 6 hours, get paid for it, and not get in trouble.

The UAW is about as greedy as the execs in my book.

People also rip SUVs, however, guess what? Many SUVs and large trucks are still bought by many businesses as fleet vehicles.

What pisses me off even more is that we are elminating jobs here in the states and these companies now will be shipping parts and cars from other countries. So, in a move that is suppossed to save jobs, is elminating them and for all of you lifelong GM owners who complain that people buy too many foreign cars (and yes I am a lifelong GM customer). Remember this, most Toyotas and Hondas are made with more american made parts than your GM cars are. My HHR was built in mexico, my dad's impala was built in canada, my firebird was buolt in canada. However my uncle's toyotas are built in ohio and my best friend's honda was built in ohio as well. Most of the "foreign" cars are less :foreign" than most american cars nowadays.

The good news though is that many of these forign companies like toyota, volkswagen and the like are expanding and building plants here in the usa which will supply some jobs (but not enough).

They say it is to get rid of the competition in the community so they can get more for each vehicle. Just what we want. To pay more then the ridiculous prices already out there. What needs to be done is fire the current top officials of Chrysler and GM and hire somebody who cares about people not bottom line.

Companies need to maintain their brand. While we as consumers say we love it when prices go low, that is not really the truth. It actually has the reverse effect. If I buy a car for $40,000 and my neighbor gets the same car next week for $5,000 less, I feel I got the shaft and will be less likely to buy my next car from that company. My other neighbor looking to buy car now decides not to and wait to see if prices fall further or he goes to another car company to buy a car that will not lose its value. So with dealers lowering prices to beat out the other dealer down the street this car company lost a current purchase and one future purchase.

Ford is just as high priced and over from the others.

What is sad that TRUE AMERICANS can't support business in our own country well maybe its time they go over seas and maybe they'll be appreciated over there.

hey ignoramous - name one car that is from China that is sold in the U.S. Although as a country we import a lot of crap from China, their POS automobiles have not been able to pass our safety standards yet. I don't know of any OEM parts imported from China either.

gm has already said they were planning to bring cars here from china. on news this week!

after taking 15billion dollars from taxpayers this what we get?

screw them.

Thank you Jack...good to see someone reads. But then again I am the "ignoramous".

Then move to japan and continue to support their economy. How many jobs did your import cost? way to be american

Don Anderson - Based on your comment, I wonder if you have half a brain.

you suck for buying a gas guzzling,made in japan product.support your country ,buy amrerican products,you anti american pig.

And what percentage of "Japanese" cars are made in the U.S. They are mostly made here.

Amen. I also own a Tundra and even have some Toyota stock. If the big three become the big ONE (Ford) all my neighbors who own GM overpriced pieces of junk will have to join me. My Tundra was made in Texas. That's still part of America isn't it?

For what they stand for? How about what the average American stands for? Feeding his family and paying his bills. Do you work for an American company? Do you work at all? If so, do you think you're safe? Think again! I'm sure you've heard of trickle down. Enjoy that Tundra. When you take a pay cut or loose your job, ask yourself this. Was buying foreign really worth it? MORAN!

unfair-1105138. The Toyota Tundra is imported from Texas. Texas may advertise that they are "A whole other country" but it really is part of the USA.

Here's the American free market way - buy the car that gives you the most for your money. The way to improve Detroit is to vote with your money. Apparently Detroit wasn't paying attention when sales shifted to other makers. And for the record, Honda, etc., have as much American content as most Detroit brands, who outsourced much of the parts years ago. I am sympathetic to those hurt by Detroit's bad management, but the choice has come to paring down Detroit companies to get them competitive or supporting them forever with taxpayer dollars, and I don't want to continue paying for their bad behavior.

hey tundra man,are you part of the destroyers who need to be destroyed?or perhaps i should say tundra boy.

Mark - for years, the "gas guzzling" vehicles you are speaking of were NOT from Japan but rather the good old USA. It's funny how Toyota can run a UNION FREE plant here in America, pay their employees a fair salary, produce a superior product for YEARS and you rant about being non-American if you don't buy american products. Who the heck do you think works to produce those vehicles made at toyota plants here in the USA....AMERICAN employees!! The profits just aren't going to grease the union and American executives.

hmm.. chrysler gets a lot of its cars built in mexico...... gm gets them from everywhere... australia, korea, japan, etc.. and gm is importing chinese cars in 2011.... if chrysler actually built a quality car, i would own one... nothing like owning a sebring that you paid 25k for that is worth 8k a year later... ill stick to my toyota thank you.... 

how many parts are MADE in the USA on that tundra? not just parts,but r&d in teh development of that vehicle,and all of teh otehr variables that go into a single model.ALL American cars are not junk,just as all Japanese cars are trouble free--do you think they do nothing but change oil and filters at teh Toyota dealership?ask a tech--cant make a living changing oil all day.And Im sure the parts dept survives selling just oil filters and wiper blades since imports dont ever break,right?I have worked for domestic and foreign automakers as a tech,and each brand has their problem cars.I have also owned both.After 170,000 miles on my Dodge Ram,and 2 Caravans with 200,000 plus on each,Id be hard pressed to even consider a Toyota.Yeah you can say some of the Dodge Rams are assembled in Mexico(from American parts) so that makes the Toyota just as American in your opinion.But the $$ from the Dodge goes back to Chrysler(an American company) Just my opinion.buy what you want.but dont call a Japanese truck American.

typo from above--all Japanese cars ARENT trouble free.

But are a lot more trouble free than other cars from US and European manufacturers. That's one reason they depreciate so much less. For example, a good used 2000 Honda Accord is worth more than a good used 2000 Cadillac Seville.

And the profits on a Dodge sale go to the stockholders of Chrysler who are likely not a much different group than Honda stockholders (except for the profits that go into executive pockets and on that scale, US companies are thieves).

typical Anderson comment. Shows what a moron you and your clan are

The root of the problem is 17 million vehicles sold 2 years ago and we will be lucky if we sell 9 million vehicles this year. The big 3 have bad and good products as do the foreign companies. If you can get credit to people to purchase vehicles again we would not be in this mess. My opinion Wall Street screwed up Detroit and the rest of the United States!

Aren't Tundra's built in Texas?

You are part of the problem too! You don't buy American cars. Go pack your bags and move to Mexico, and get a job down there making $0.25 an hour, and buy all the overseas crap you want. You complain union workers make too much, or American cars cost to much, if it's not one thing it's another. Nine times out of ten either you jealous you aren't making that kind of money or you can't afford it, either way....Grow UP!! If you want to make that kind of money then work harder for it, and if you saved all that money you waste on overseas crap you could afford an American car. Don't come on here and and grip about it. What are you 5?..... Grow up!!! Life isn't free or cheap just cause your an American. You want cheap and free rides get out of my country!! No room for slackers here!

What Chrysler and GM are doing these past 2 days is not affecting them. What it is affecting are the hundreds of small businesses around the country that employ thousands of people. They are forcing all these businesses to go out business for something they had nothing to do with. My dealership for example is not a low volume dealership and we are profitable. We also have all 3 brands. There are a lot of other dealerships in our area that sell less than half of the cars we do and loose money every month. So please explain why closing my dealership makes any good business sense. And why they should be allow to do so without an explanation.

Anyone that buys toyota, honda, mitsubishi, or any other foreign piece of crap, have themselves to blame for the auto mess this country is in. People, grow up. If you cant support U.S. made products, you deserve to LOSE your precious import and walk to work.

Wow! alot of angry folks here, angry that a fellow American would buy a Japanese vehicle instead of an American vehicle. Get over yourselves!! Why should we buy a piece of Detroit crap as opposed to a finely engineered and produced vehicle from Japan? Just to keep over paid Union Slugs in a job? These folks earn 30 to 40 bucks an hour to put the same screw in the same hole for 8 (minus breaks) hours, threaten to strike anytime their panties get wadded up and untimately produce inferior product.

You want to blame someone for this mess? Blame the Unions, they're the reason Detroit can't compete with Asia in the Auto Market, not those of us who choose Quality over a false sense of patriotism when buying a Vehicle. I researched Quite a bit before buying my very first new Vehicle, no American made trucks were on my list. Why? because they're crap! Cheaply Made, very little imagination or creativity when being designed, low gas mileage, low life expectancy. I bought a Honda Ridgeline. Well engineered, stout (the door shuts like a vault, not like an amusement park ride door like on a Dodge or Ford) The engineers actually thought about what a consumer might appreciate in a vehicle (its a truck, with a trunk!).

Unless Detroit starts putting out a Quality product thats affordable, they'll just flounder until there is no more Detroit. There again, Unions and Corporate Greed are the problem, not Smart Shopping Consumers.

I am a tech and I have worked on them all. People do not and I say again do not understand what all goes into developing a vehicle. There are good and bad from all of them. But I say that by far the gm and chrysler are the easiest ones to work on. You people that grip don't a clue on where to start. Miliions of dollars go into building these vehicles. But for the tundra yes it is built in texas but is funded by foreigners. They are in as much trouble as the rest of them. Why haven't we seen the tundra get all these awards????????? And by the way they have crap for fuel mileage...

Thats right you are a foreigner. I know that toyota has just as many problems as the rest of them.

Get over yourselves, This is america still and you are free to speak your mind. All I can say is good luck with your toyo. Just remember they break down just as much as the others. I think that you need to go do some research. And see a shrink.

the next comment I expect to read is how great the Honda truck is.....WTF the Tundra is crap and unreliable, gets horrible gas mileage and has tailgates made of reynolds wrap. The Honda is a freaking joke and anyone that buys one expecting to use it for a truck is truly an idiot. Real trucks are made by the Detroit 3 and the new Dodge is simply over the top as far as ride quality and functionality goes. Oh by the way tundra boys...just because they are assembled in Texas doesn't make them Patriotic or American! The profits (or this year billions in losses) go oversees to a Japanese owned company that is constantly being funded the the Japanese government in the research and development arena's. So if our government has to help out to save a few houndred thousand AMERICAN jobs all I can say if it's about time!

Rockhead:

We are fighting an uphill battle... These flag waivers will eventually get a hernia and lose their voices from yelling so much.

If you are going to get angry, aim that anger at the fat corporate pigs at the Big 3 that ruined once great corporations! Don't blame your neighbor for buying a better made foreign car.

If I were a Big 3 employee, I'd be pissed off at the executives for running three great companies right into the ground over the last 20 years. I'd also set my sights on the current great manufacturers and try to build better cars in the next 5 years.

Turn that anger into productivity, people! Quit whinning and complaining and build a better product...

I think this all started with the banking industry. But the blame all goes to american people. We as americans let this get out of hand and the word is GREED. So we all need to blame ourselves for letting this happen. Not only the auto industry but the banking was in trouble years ago with the auto field. And by the way FORD DID take a bailout in 2006... I feel its sad to see the good ol usa become foreigners.... We have very few americans these days in this country.

Sorry, not banks. I live in Kokomo, Indiana home of huge Chrylser and Delphi plants. Just heard a guy last night laughing that he was getting 80% of his pay and unemployment on top of that to sit at home. Overpaid, undereducated rednecks that caused a once Fortune 500 company to collapse. Don't really feel too sorry for you. I have bought your cars to help my friends but never again. Pieces of sh*t. I will be fine, I have an education!

But the govt doesn"t care....

What, you couldn't buy a Ford or Chrysler, to show GM your opinion? All you did was support Japan and dump on Americans. Shame on you.

Detroit doesn't get it. They missed the fact that foreign competition was killing them so they failed to respond with cars people wanted (and not just style but also quality and reliability). Now they think like the the painter I tried to hire. Because of the economy he si doing fewer jobs so responds by charging more for each one, and he wonders why he gets even fewer. So Detroit's logic is cut supply and people will pay more - for vehicles they didn't want at the lower prices. Amazing!

Hi foreigner. Have a great day.. DOn't breakdown..

Explain exactly how the government caused Detroit to be brain dead. The situation is of their own making. They paid too much in wages and benefits ( a guy who puts screws in doors all day makes almost double what a teacher does, and gets far better benefits), they made crappy cars that weren't reliaiable and depreciated too much, and they allowed their dealers to mistreat customers and failed to stop it.

The real problem for the workers is that most of them were vastly overpaid for their skill and ability levels, and now can't find employers dumb enough to pay them as much. How about some sympathy for those who didn't do anything wrong - paid their bills and aquired the skills needed to get good jobs. Why should they bail out Detroit with their tax dollars?

No one is guaranteed a job. You have to be able to provide something that is more valuable than what you get paid, and most auto workers don't.

Cindi - Unfortunately, the jobs being lost are NOT Union jobs. Small dealerships, like the ones being closed, employ on average 50 or less people. They are not union shops. The UAW, with their life time guarantee for employment, will not be hurt in the least. Their workers will be being paid to sit on their couches at home and watch TV while the salesmen, mechanics and administrative workers of these dealerships are pounding the pavement looking for work. I worked for 6 years selling Fords and saw the market going soft after 9/11. I stayed with it and got my business back (I ran a Commercial Sales Department) and then left about 3 years ago to try something else. The Dealership I worked for was bought back by Ford in their round of dealership closings in 2006/7 (didn't make the news then because the media was fixated on getting the Messiah in the White House). Now we have GM and Chryslerputting middle income people on the streets, where is the bail out for these folks? The Administration extorted concessions from the Car Companies, but what did the UAW give up? Not much, if anything. So, Obama did not hurt his voters, he went after those who may have voted for the other side, the middle class.

Let me say this I am a gm tech and to see this happen is sickening. There are alot of good techs out there that are without jobs and what do they get , not jack****. I'll say this to yes some are over paid and alot are not. Take it to your jack shop, MOst of all the newer vehicle they cant even work on so they bring it to the dealer where it does get fixed.

Lets see your teacher comment is crap. Most teachers these days don't care and all they are there is the paycheck. All teachers should be paid for how they teach. How hard is it to show movies....

This is actually funny, What I want to know is how many of you uaw idiots voted for obamama? What you gonna do when the fire you.....

Awesome! Now maybe the consumer will get more than 65,000 miles out of a GM product. (Not even gonna comment on Chrysler...enough said)

If you don't get over 65'000 miles then you don't take care of your vehicle.

Correction : USSA