My Rodeo had a recall cause of the ABS module. Also the 1987 300sdl if it has the trap oxidizer has a recall that Mercedes will still honor.

 

Car makers have to make a profit. Instead of doing mass recalls that can cost many millions of dollars and **** off a boat load of stockholders (and put their jobs at jeopardy), they prefer to make repairs for complaining customers and fix the problem for the next model year. This is what a lot people and organizations translate into "denying" the problem exists.

If the defect is serious enough and known, they are forced to do mass recalls through lawsuits or in the US, by the federal government via a NHTSA Campaign. The length of coverage is part of the campaign and is not indicative of a company's good feelings for you. For those of you who have loyalties to certain car makers and think they conduct recalls out of the goodness of their heart and because they don't want to lose any sleep at night, you're being a bit naive.

Mass recalls severely affect profits. They are avoided at all costs (no pun intended).

 

And without profits, how else can the Ford top dogs buy a new Mercedes?

 

And how can the M-B top dogs buy Fords?

 

(laughed out loud)

 

I'm not a die-hard Ford fan and feel uncomfortable defending them, but this discussion has been unfairly biased against Ford. It needs to be levelled a bit. I just don't fall for this supposed "feel good" stuff coming from today's large corporations. They don't care about individuals. Not even Saturn.

 

There is a lot of "us and them" going on with automotive labor that effects most manufacturers. The workers wear union insignias at work on their clothes and ignore "the company" logos.

A temporary change in worker attitude effects the product and IS a reflection on the workers. Thus effecting public perception of brand quality long term.

That was a mouth full.

 

Lugnut I see what you are saying. To me not matter what I drive or what I wear or buy, deep down inside I know good and well that large corporations could care less about an individiual, especially after you bought the product. Why should they care? The money is in there pockets now. Remember when you went to buy ya new Mercedes? The dealer knew everything in and out, but when you go ask about a problem, he has amnesia and you be lucky if he/she even remembers your name. Call up Ford, Lexus, Mercedes, or who ever and get ready to be on hold and or snubbed and stuck with the problem. As far as they concerned, you mean nothing to them unless you are ordering a new Ford, Lexus, Mercedes, or who ever car, shirt, shoes or whoever. They getting profits together to go buy that new Rolls-Royce convertible that's coming out and on their way out the door to play 18 hole golf, in the backyard.

 

I think that's different, but I agree. I've been snubbed like that before from an individual salesman, service rep, or even a sales or service manager.

What I was talking about is the big corporation that not only doesn't care about you as an individual, they don't care about the dealership either. Can we guess what happens when an M-B dealership stops making profits? Heads roll. Do you think anyone in Germany sheds a tear or othersise gives a flying crap if anyone gets their feelings hurt?

Can you imagine the debate in a corporate conference room when the movers get together to decide what to do about a dozen cars that light on fire when certain specific conditions exists? Do they jump up and insist that they spend millions of dollars of stockholder profits to examine every car produced that merely fits the description of the cars that have lit on fire and perform preventive repairs on them all? Or, do you think they try everything possible to get out of spending anything, or spending the least amount possible which would include addressing those dozens cars that actually have a problem? It's just a business decision. It's probably even much cheaper to eat a few lawsuits than conduct a mass recall, redesign a part, and coordinate global repairs of possibly millions of cars while trying to get out the next year's model. I'm just trying to be realistic. Any car maker will resist a mass recall.

 

Thats true but how many people want to buy Firestone tires because of the probelms? Negative publicity costs alot also.