Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Magna, Utah

Magna, UT Car Consumer Discussions

Re: Chrysler Minivan stow n go latch problem. [srt10]

by concerned7 on Fri Sep 12 06:12:58 PDT 2008

There are many Chinese suppliers that are very good. You would probably be surprised at how may of the parts come from China. More than just a few knobs. However some of the suppliers switch material to keep the price low. The currency exchange rate is hurting the Chinese companies as it strengthens against the dollar. So some resort to cutting corners. U.S. suppliers do the the same thing but not on the same scale. Chrysler doesn't know because they purchase the entire floor from Magna. Once the individual parts are initially approved they do not keep track until there is a problem. I used to work for the U.S. sales representative of this particular Chinese company and have intimate knowledge of everything they do.

Re: - [ljgbjg]

by gyusher on Fri Sep 05 15:58:53 PDT 2008

Honda engines have always been high revving/low torque engines - just their engine theory coming from having been primarily a motorcycle manufacturer. They have never had low end grunt. If you do not care for that, I suggest you look elsewhere for a car No torque doesn't bother me so much plus I do love my 08 4cyl coupe. Nice and smooth and I do like how Hondas pull harder and harder all the way to redline. I remember my Honda bikes with much fondness as well. I owned a V65 Magna and a V30 (500cc) at the same time. Now the V65 had plenty of torque and would make your hair grow plus eat your lunch too. The little V30 on the other hand was much more fun for many reasons. One was how she would literally scream all the way to somewhere around 10 or 11 grand. I rode her to work which at the time was second shift. Didn't get much better than coming home at 3AM except for the bugs. I'll always miss that bike. I have no doubt that I would love the V6 too. After all its a Honda right?? Still my little 4 banger pleases me greatly. It wasn't the gas mileage, it wasn't the cost. It had more to do with the fact that as soon as I saw my car sitting on the show room floor I wanted it. I walked past it every time I went there to check out the Si Civic, several V6 sedans along with a couple 4cyl sedans. At the end of every session I would tell the salesman that I wanted a V6 just like that red one sitting on the floor. On one of my visits he asked me if I wanted to drive that red one. I told him "no I want a V6 just like it but I would like to drive a coupe just to check it out". The rest is history. . . I drove that 4cyl red coupe home and have had absolutely no regrets period. It had much more than I expected. Plenty for 95% of my driving. I'm sure I could have lived with the sound of the 6. Actually the sounds from the V6 only really bug me when driven flat out. Normal driving they sound fine for the most part plus I would agree that Honda's V6 sounds better than most. The bad ones are American push rod types like the 4.3 that was in my pickup.

Chrysler Minivan stow n go latch problem.

by concerned7 on Thu Sep 11 12:42:49 PDT 2008

The latches which are going into Chysler minivans since at least August 2008 are not made with certified material. They are being supplied by a Chinese company named Jinyi. Instead of using approved material Jinyi has mixed in recycled material. This causes the latches to break easily. These latches are being bought by Magna International the Load Floor supplier to Chrysler. Magna knows the latches do not meet standards, but they are a huge cost save. They have not told Chrysler of the change.

in topical news

by steve_ on Fri Aug 08 12:09:51 PDT 2008

"Chrysler workers represented by the UAW will receive supplemental unemployment benefits for up to 48 weeks. The benefits guarantee most of their base salary. Then, Chrysler will put those workers back on the payroll for up to two years, earning their regular base pay. At the same time, they will be in a "Jobs Bank," where they will wait for work or a chance to transfer to another Chrysler plant." Last day at work for 900 Chrysler workers at Fenton plant (STLtoday.com) "Magna’s profits dropped more than 13 percent in the second quarter, as the Canadian auto parts supplier dealt with slumping auto sales as a result of a slowing economy. More than 2,000 people work at the plant. In an afternoon press conference, UAW Local 624 chief Scott Stanton said, "We just ratified a contract, like everybody is aware, only a few months back and the ink's hardly dry. You can imagine our members are somewhat upset, and I don't blame them. But we will do everything we can to keep this business in Syracuse." Magna considering NPG plant closure (WSYR)

Re: Can Wagoner survive? [credulity]

by dallasdude1 on Sun Aug 03 12:05:29 PDT 2008

By Frank Williams January 3, 2008 - 32,806 views I once worked for a colonel who'd address all obstacles by saying "you can solve any problem if you throw enough money at it." While our budget officer would have to breathe into a paper bag for a half hour afterwards, the colonel always managed to squeeze whatever was needed to resolve the crisis du jour from the budget– and solve the problem. Automakers native to the People's Republic of China (PRC) must have bugged his office; they've adopted the exact same philosophy. Successfully implementing the "I'll buy what I need" strategy requires two things: 1) money and 2) knowing where to spend it. The Chinese automakers certainly meet criterion number one. The PRC is now the world's second largest auto market; auto sales are booming. The Chinese law requiring all foreign automakers to buddy-up with a domestic partner has delivered unto them an enormous financial windfall. Criterion two– locating mission critical knowledge and/or technology– is a no-brainer. While there have been auto factories in the PRC since the mid ‘50s, the Chinese auto industry discovered the technological benefits of the aforementioned joint ventures (JV) since A Flock of Seagulls first flew. For the last thirty years, Western JVs have been flooding the PRC with new automotive designs, products and processes. Initially, these JV partners used Chinese labor to assemble automobiles already in production elsewhere. The Chinese partners learned how to bolt together a car, but not much more. By the 1990s and early 2000s, the foreign partners had started designing models specifically for Chinese consumption, retooling their plants for full-scale manufacturing. At this point, several "independent" Chinese auto manufacturers (i.e. companies not enmeshed in joint ventures) began leveraging their newfound carmaking skills to send in the clones: selling exact replicas of other manufacturer's models built for Chinese consumers. Blinded by golden goosehood, stymied by laughable and unenforced Chinese copyright and trademark laws, GM, VW, Ford and others turned a blind eye to this sincerely flattering fraternal competition. Western automakers wrote it off as the cost of doing business in a military dictatorship. Besides, in China's burgeoning automotive market, there was– and is– plenty of pie for everyone! Of course, Chinese manufacturers had bigger plans… For the last decade of so, Chinese automakers have started eying foreign markets. As they dipped their entrepreneurial toes into Western climes, they realized they lacked competitive cars, and the engineering expertise to design them. Disastrous European crash testing literally drove the point home. So Chinese automakers have started throwing money at European and North American automotive companies. Michael Laske, president of Austrian-based AVL China, says "The Chinese fundamentally lack products and knowledge, but they need to get into the market very quickly." And so AVL is banking big bucks, designing an entire engine line from the ground up to pop China's Chery. Companies selling world class technology in so-called mature markets are falling all over themselves in their rush to cater to China's hunger for the best of the best. The list of successful sellers includes BorgWarner (turbochargers, clutches, transmissions), Sweden's Autoliv (safety systems), Austria's Magna Steyr (marketing strategy, legal requirements), Robert Bosch (diesel technology), Italdesign-Giugiaro and Pininfarina (design assistance) and A.T. Kearney (management consultants). The joint venture partners are infusing their Chinese partners/competitors with cutting edge technology. GM has an engineering and design center in Shanghai, soon to be joined by a hybrid research center. To provide Chrysler with a small car for the U.S. market, Chrysler's engineers are tweaking every aspect of Chery's operations. So what happens next, once this technology transfer is bang up-to-date? China's domestic automakers will use their imported expertise to export cars abroad. Chery is already selling cars in Mexico; they've declared their intention to enter the U.S. market in the next two to three years. Chinese automakers will be out in force at this year's North American International Auto Show. To further the cause of global export, the Chinese government is pushing their domestic auto makers to merge into a "Big Three" and a "Mini Three." Given the government's protectionist views, once the mergers and reorganizations are over, GM, VW, Toyota et al will find themselves out in the cold. Western manufacturers seem blissfully unaware of their own usurpation. They keep pouring money and engineering talent into China– even as the Chinese manufacturers are taking the first steps toward merging into megacompanies. Once again, western car companies are so blinded by the money they're making that they can't see the dangers lurking beyond the next quarter's bottom line. But hey, that's the way the fortune cookie crumbles. If we don't do it, someone else will. Make hay while the sun shines. Pump and dump cuts both ways. That kind of thing. But any automaker that doesn't see China as a short term play, that stakes its long term financial future on the PRC, is headed for a rude awakening. Sooner rather than later.

Re: F150 exhaust system ? [wesbuck4]

by tfoster2 on Tue Jul 01 17:49:49 PDT 2008

i have a 2005 f150 4,6 v8,i installed a cat back exhaust system .which installs behind muffler,new system muffler has dual outlets and tail pipes mine is magna flow with great sound,but you can get flow master or many others .i got mine at ebay store called madhatter mufflers for 169.00 with chrome tips ,but they are on ebay for as low as 117.00,you will feel the difference,you might also look into cold air kit .from kn,airaid and others ,it gives real horse p[ower kick. hope this helps