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[chuckdoc]

Your asking are the foreign car dealers any better, well I can tell you the real question is quality. I know all the surveys say domestic is catching up or equaling imports (I know, they are built here for the most part) but that is initial quality and 90 day quality. After two times of going on the factory tour, it was quite clear to me that the problem is not the workers, as these are hard working employees with pride in their efforts. The problem is the cheap parts and poor decisions from the top. I do not know anyone who would buy one car over another just because it is 100 bucks cheaper. People want a car that fulfills a purpose for them as well as being reliable for 100,000 miles. That is where the real difference comes about.

My Dad bought a new lexis 6 years ago and I can not tell you how the lexis experience was because nothing, I MEAN NOTHING, broke. There was no need for a dealer repair service. Unfortunately, my father has passed away and we took the car to car max and they found nothing wrong with it and gave us the price we thought was fair.

My other experience is with a Jaguar. We have had quite a few repairs but honestly I knew that before buying. Now the major difference is in how we are treated by the Jag dealer in Annapolis. Wow, it is night and day from a GM dealer (even the good ones). A fantastic though expensive experience. And Jag mechanics know the car inside and out.

Again, the real shame is I love the car and fully expect to replace the engine when it goes with an LS2 but I will get a private mechanic. I have free oil changes on my solstice but who can deal with the hassle of having to wait 3 hours for a oil change, wonder if they put in Mobil one, and lifted the car correctly and this is with scheduling three weeks in advance. It is just too easy to do it myself. Also when I had intermittent problems with idling, I took it to my friend Joe whether dealing with the hassle of dealers. My car is still under warranty but I try as much as possible to avoid dealers. There is a dealer in Annapolis, who is very easy to get to for me but after two horrible experiences, I drive to Laural or Manasas, both quite a drive, rather that deal with the rude and incompetent service people in Annapolis. Think it is just me, well how would you feel if you went in with a check engine light 1/2 hour before closing and service writer laughed at you and made a joke at your expense, thinking you could show up without an appointment. Second time, I walked out because the two service writers were fighting with each other. I mean screaming and calling each other names. There was a women boss who came out, but they then started yelling at her. By the time one paid attention to me, I told him my concern, which I learned from this forum, and he said "oh no, another internet expert." I walked out. I am the boss of 92 employees and would never have this happen without immediate correction.

Well that's my experiences and I know nobody from GM management would ever ask customers what they think. The surveys are not designed to really illicit a complete picture of what our problems are. Maybe, just maybe, someone from management will read this thread. That is why I have taken so much time in posting.

Please do not assume I do not love this car. Check my many other posts. But I do resent GM, for what they have done to their workers and to our country. I will really be upset if my tax money goes to support their corporate misadventures.