Wait!!! Before you start flaming away and telling me to start a search on the forum for this please hear me out and share your good knowledge from dismantling and working on these beautiful cars.
I don't mean any harm by asking this I am seriously just curious:
What parts of our cars are made or assembled in the United States of America?
I am only asking because I'm looking at how the economy is turning nowadays and I ordered a new glove compartment and the guy said he has to order it from Germany, charged me 200 dollars. Where is our money going? I thought Chrysler brings money into our country, offering jobs to our people. I know the car was built 4 years ago, but today we are just hurting.

 

Maybe the tires. That's about it. The chrysler badges could be made here, but are probably from china.

 

My tires say made in Germany.

 

What happened to your oem glove compartment?

 

I bought Cooper tires for my Audi last year, thinking they were made in Dayton OH. Nope -- made in Great Britain.

The content of US assembled cars, whether the old " big 3" or the transnationals (Toyota, Honda, Kia, etc down south) is steadily going down as the OEMs force their suppliers to provide cheaper parts and the only way they can get there is to offshore manufacturing to Mexico, China, Thailand, eastern Europe, etc. The bottom line is that a living wage of $15-25/hr + benefits paid for manufacturing jobs in the US is too expensive compared to $10-20/day and no benefits (and little environmental controls) in the 3rd world. So manufacturing continues to bleed away as we shop for imported goods at Walmart and demand price cuts on durable goods like cars, appliances, etc.

It's easy to point at an Audi or M-B and blame the driver for not supporting America. But look at most items, other than food, that you buy in a discount store or even a big box hardware (Lowe's, Home Depot) and you'll see where it is really manufactured or the coy "assembled in the US from imported parts", which tries to give the idea that it is made in the US. If you can find something made in the USA, compare it's price to the imported alternate and you'll see why we're in trouble.

Heaven help us when the FDA is gutted and we have to suffer with imported, el cheapo drugs. At least the US drug industry is heavily regulated for safety and efficacy unlike what goes on in the 3rd world.

 

I heard the badges are actually made in Canada.
I just don't see how making parts in America for a Car assembled in Germany can be cost effective!?
Does anyone know where the ECU is acually manufactured?
Just like the VCR, an american invention that we allowed japan and now Malaysia to take from underneath us.
Like Jon Stewart's remark the other night, "stepped foot on the moon and for the next 4 decades sat back and said now what?"
Kind of that modern American spirit.
Mike

 

the original owner made 4 holes in the previous one, no idea why... i tried filling them with something black... looked like crap...

 

radar detector or data logger????

 

A lot of the "Big 3" are now made south of the border. Also a bunch of them are made north of the border. The northern manufactured cars never really bothered me, but what is the difference, financially wise to this country?

Its funny to pull out a Cummins engine from a vehicle, only find "Made In Brazil" casted in the block. I am an ex-Saturn owner of 14 years -never regreted a minute of it. Last time I was at the dealer they were offering reman engines for the older Saturns. I looked at the shipping crate, remanufactured by Cummins in Brazil. Remember when they advertised they were the most American made automobile? Times are changing, not always for the better either.

James

 

...tried to put an "OH ****" handle on there for his girl, I bet! I can see it now, he punched it and she snatched that bad boy right off there as they took off. haha.