Why is Chrysler sitting at the free money trough with Ford and GM?

Question 1
Why is Chrysler sitting at the free money trough with Ford and GM?...  Ford and GM are publicly traded companies and their stock is subject to impact average Americans and their retirement plans. I don't agree with a bail out, but I see why they are at the table begging. I can't believe no Senator or Representative in either of these trips to Washington asked Chrysler why they were there also. They are a private firm held by a private company that has plenty of money. If they need money shouldn't they just ask the parent company for it? Are we really going to give a few billion dollars to a hand full of guys that already have a few billion dollars in the bank?

Answers
1)   Chyrsler is about 80% owned by the UAW, United Auto Workers, so I imagine the retirement/pension issue is handled.

Fiat owns bout 20% and does the management. - Squeaky Wheeler

2)   They were asked why they were there. They were told that the parent company needed to foot the bill- so the private owners sold the company. That sale was one reason that Chrysler received "bail out money".
Ford did not get any "free money", the Ford Family did not want to loose control of the preferred stock bailed out the company with family money (along with other resources).
China has driven the price of GM stock up, and if you read the money market reports this may be a prelude to a worse world economy. China bought up Volvo and several other companies GM, and Ford ditched in reorganization.
So you missed a lot of details in the news summaries. - Old Man Dirt

3)   Yeah, the big 3 have the govt buffaloed.

All 3 are cash strapped. Chrysler is a fairly new company that is privately held and does not have the backing of a huge number of stockholders. Daimler still holds 20% of Chrysler, but Daimler is not interested in putting any more money into the company. Chrysler's intent is to eventually buy out Daimler.

But Ford and GM need Chrysler to keep out of monopolistic charges. For example, if there were only 2, and one of them did not offer a specific product, the other company could claim monopolistic practices and the lawyers would get rich at our expense. Back in the '60s, GM financed Chrysler's greater warranty program in order to keep Chrysler afloat.

If the car makers were smart, they would crank out a high quality model and private lable it to the other car makers. Like Toyota Matrix does for the Pontiac Vibe. Why should each company produce very similar models? All cars are going to look virtually alike because fuel economy dictates a shape that moves through air efficiently. - unbelied

4)   The way they ended up with money was to sit around in nice suits and convince other people to let them use their money. It’s called using other People’s Money, or OPM. In that business you never leave any cash on the table. Other People’s Cash. If legislators are dumb enough to stack the thousand dollar bills to the ceiling, no Wall Street type is going to leave a dollar on the table.

And they don’t have that much money either. You see money is *all* they have. Once that is gone the show is over. No more yachts and cigars. And if you publicly blow all your money on a bad investment, the OP are somewhat reluctant to let you manage any more of their M. - highwayman

5)   management of these companies without restrictions who screwed up and, in the case of Bank of America, won't give a loan to that company where the employees are picketing. And all of those bonuses and golden parachutes that are being paid to those executives with our money. Who is protesting against that? Not enough people that I can see. But I do believe this feeling against the Big 3 is a backlash.

The loan (not bailout) is being given to the Big 3 so that our last manufacturing base in this country (thanks to the Bush administration) does not go under. Manufacturing cars has always been a tremendous industry in our country, and in WWII the assembly lines converted to war production and helped us win the war. This is a gift to main street, the hourly guy who breaks his back everyday for maybe $28 per hour (not the $72 talked about). If we allow them to go belly up, there are about 3 millions jobs across the U.S. that will go under because they are small businesses that get their income from the auto industry. You are talking of crippling Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. This will tip us over into a real Depression. This is a lot like locking the barn after the horse has run away. You think things are bad now, just let the Big 3 go under.

I admit that the public is disgusted with the previous bailouts, but the emphasis on punsihing the Big 3 for the others, is unfair. The automobile companies are guilty in the past of riding the gravy train, but so was everyone else, the American public for instance. How much have you charged to credit cards? Can you pay your mortgage? Let's get real.

I come from Michigan and know how much the Big 3 supports the Mid-west. My family is still there and things are so bad now with layoffs that there are a rash of home robberies going on now. People are afraid that if the Big 3 goes down, the state will become a welfare state and crime will become rampant.

But, as I said, this loan affects main street, not corporate executives, and we have enough people floudering because of the home failures, let alone adding a 3 million job loss to the burden that Obama will take over in January.

To put things in perspective, Bush just bought a $2 million house in Dallas where he will reside after his presidency. He gets us in two wars, bankrupts the surplus, in debt to China, and leaves us with a near disaster of an economy. Why isn't anyone angry about that?

It's smart business to save the Big 3, and it's a loan people not a bailout. - seamy

6)   The automobile industry in America is absolutely huge. I can't tell you why the CEOs decided to ask for a bailout, but I can tell you that we've got to do it. There are way too many possible seriously negative outcomes if we don't bail them out. I understand that we're going to have some hefty governmental oversight of their businesses after the money is received. I'm furious at all the wealth some of the car manufacturer CEOs and higher management have socked away. If they had been saving some of that excess money they wouldn't need a bailout. Mis-management for sure, among other things.

Not to mention disgusting that they showed up for their first go-round at asking for a bailout in private company jets. What nerve! - Lisha Barta

7)   From the Wall Street Journal:

Lawmakers last week questioned Chrysler Chief Executive Robert Nardelli on Cerberus's commitment to the company. In one exchange with Mr. Nardelli, Sen. Robert Corker (R., Tenn.) criticized the firm. "Cerberus has cash, lots of cash, that it is unwilling to put into this company," Sen. Corker said.

I'm not sure if Senator Corker was the only one to actually ask the question (I was at work, and am relying on media reports), but plenty of others are objecting to Chrysler getting money. In fact, it's bipartisan opposition:

If the Senate fails to pass a measure to aid the industry, the House will not act.

That would be fine with Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton. He opposes providing money to Chrysler, which is owned by Cerberus Capital Management LP.

Admittedly, Rep. Kagen's opposition sounds personal: Another of Cerberus' companies closed paper mills in his district, but refuses to sell the facilities to investors who want to have a go at running them. But he's urged other Members of Congress not to give Chrysler any money at all.

It looks like there are Congresscritters who support giving GM and Ford help that object to giving Chrysler help. Whether they're enough to change the outcome remains to be seen. - hubbard

8)   Because they can, and because we've given millions to foreign companies that don't need it so they can create jobs/compete against domestic companies. Chrysler has been working hard at improving, but they face the same un-level playing field as Ford and GM. This article was really insightful on how those companies have attempted to reduce costs while still providing healthcare to their employees, several years before asking for financial help. I feel sorry for our companies, because they're sued and penalized by juries, even after complying with every federal safety regulation, or, in the case of Chrysler, they're ordered by the NHTSA to recall gas pedal assemblies despite the fact that there hasn't been a single complaint of uncontrolled acceleration. Think about that. Imagine if you made a product, and not only was nobody injured, but nobody even complained of a problem, and you were forced to issue a recall on a part that had no problems! Only in America! - Ryan M


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Question 2
Should I buy The Chrysler Crossfire?...  Anyone know if these are good cars?
I have an insane need for speed.

Answers
1)   Crossfire ain't fast. Maybe you have the need for slug speed. - Hank Scorpio

2)   no, you're looking in the wrong place entirely. the Crossfire is a complete piece of junk. it may be based on the old Mercedes SLK roadster, but that's the only good thing about it. it uses a Chrysler V6, and they're complete garbage in terms of reliability. the power level isn't high at all(even for the SRT), and it's only available with an automatic transmisson. they're also heavy as hell and handle like garbage considering their softer suspension. if you're serious about performance, then they have nothing to offer you. there's a reason why these things are so cheap.

if i were you, i'd check out an older Nissan 350Z or Honda S2000. you can get a decent one for a little over 10k these days(even less for the S2000). even the Honda makes the same amount of power as the Crossfire, and it uses a four-cylinder. both cars are also lighter, have much better suspension and handling, are available with a stick-shift, and have will be a lot more reliable if you plan on using it as a daily driver. - James Dean

3)   i am a crossfire certified technician through chrysler and i can guarantee you will hate that car as much as i do - bone breaker johnson 2010

4)   Rather than listen to these people (some of them are clowns who know nothing) test drive it and make your own decision. It is based on a Mercedes Benz SLK 320 so parts are pricey when they wear out or break. The SRT-6 is a blast to drive. The interior is a bit small for me. - C-Tech

5)   I believe it only has a V6 and it's not even turbo charged. You're better off buying a Dodge Challenger SRT8 or R/T, which comes with a powerful HEMI V8 - The Great Brandini


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Question 3
Is a black Chrysler 300 with 22 black rims '08 with 60,000 miles on it for 20,000 dollars a good deal?...  Paymets are 400 a month!
Would really like to kno if I got jipped!?
It's in great shape tho!

Answers
1)   No. It's a Chrysler. When you're financing your financing terms matter as much as the negotiation on the sales floor. You got fucked. What's your financing rate?? - Sean S

2)   I think that is a ton of money for a car for a 2 year old car with that kind of miles (regardless of the rims!) - roadrunner426440

3)   If you like the car and feel good about it, then you didn't really get cheated and should just enjoy the car for as long as you want to keep it.

It really depends on what options it has as to what it's worth.

If it's a standard sedan (2.7 liter), you overpaid a bit.

If it's a Touring sedan (3.5 liter), you overpaid by just a little bit.

If it's a Limited sedan (3.5 liter), you paid around an average price.

If it's a 300C with a 5.7 Hemi, you got a pretty good deal.

If it's a 300 SRT-8, you got it at an excellent deal and saved quite a bit.

These are the main items that will affect the value, but you can go to www.kbb.com and input all of your info to see exactly what your vehicle is worth according to them. - Mark B

4)   No, walk away. - C-Tech


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Question 4
Have a chrysler 300 and the gas mileage has dramatically decreased...?...  I drive a 2007 Chrysler 300 Touring. I got the car in March and it was doing fine with gas mileage but as of late it has become terrible! It seems like it is getting only 5 miles to the gallon. Im having to put gas in it just about every other day and it is frustrating as hell! I dont know if the gas gauge is messed up or if the car itself is really burning up all this gas. Any suggestions on what may be wrong and how to fix it?

Answers
1)   First of all you need to make sure the car has had a tune up,do regular oil change every 4 to 5000 miles... Don't carry a lot of weight in your trunk... Also make sure that your tires are all properly inflated... Theses are all points that will effect your fuel mileage... Also driving habits of not jack rabbit starts from a Traffic light,also effects it... And last try using the right octane gas... You should be alright if you do all of those things... Happy driving :} - ryan55

2)   is it leaking gas? - willowns

3)   Probably an oxygen sensor issue. When they go bad, your fuel/air mixture gets all messed up and usually results in poor fuel economy.

Usually when one of these sensors goes bad it trips your check-engine light. If you can check your codes, it should tell you which oxygen sensor to change. My Volvo had 4 sensors, 2 before the cat and 2 after. From my experience, it is usually the upstream (before the cat) sensors that go bad and of course they are the hardest to get reach. - Steve J

4)   If the car seems to be running good and you don't have any indicator lights on, I bet someone is stealing your gas or your car is leaking it. If it were the gauge, you would eventually run the tank over, adding every few days. - bullibe


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Question 5
Can anyone help me find service manuals for 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser and a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500? Thanks?...  I need these to download for free.

Answers
1)   try your dealerships parts dept. They should have order forms for what is available. - badbill1941

2)   You won't find any free service manuals online that are especially fully complete but you might find someone online at the Dodge forum etc sites that might have a manual scanned.Believe me when I say it's a ring around the rosy experience online regardless if your even looking to pay for it, a lot of the manuals don't have full wiring info or full schematics etc.I'am not saying that you won't find one but the chances are extremely slim but really the most important is exactly what part of the manual or manuals are and why.

You can purchase manuals online or download some parts schematics via auto zone or other auto parts companies but their selection is vary basic.Even the store/online bought manuals aren't that good bec most are just aftermarket service manuals so your really limited to the type of info their supply.I truly recommend that you look online on sites like Ebay bec I've seen several original factory service manuals for as little as 10 bucks plus shipping costs.


Hope that helps and best of luck.By the way trouble shooting especially the electronic devices or wiring can be a real challenge and without the full knowledge from past experience it's almost impossible and still can be quite a headache even with the full factory manuals on hand. - helpful bob

3)   click on the link below and register. it is free and the manuals are available.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ - techpaddle


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