Japan says their cash for clunkers excludes U.S. cars and trucks

[MR.hp]

That ricers country should have all their cars sent back to that shithole and that place should be scrapped, what a bunch of 2 face bastards. Last import we bought was a honduh and it turned into a rust bucket faster than anything I have ever owned. The place I work at now has more prolblems than GM cars have had but no one wants to say anything on this because they love their import. Fuck that, I now agree with the Z-man that these clown just want our monies. Another fact is that without a turbo or some kind of boost the cars are just plain pigs and the trucks, Well I sure want a tundra with a rusted out frame:rlol:. Let's stop giving these clowns our dough and I hope the govt. starts putting some restrictions on the import asswipes. Read on>.


Detroit's Big Three automakers urged the U.S. government Thursday to take action over what they labeled Japan's discriminatory "cash for clunkers" program.

In a letter to the deputy U.S. trade representative, General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC called the program "another example of Japan continuing efforts to discriminate against imported vehicles."

The program makes "the vast majority of imports ineligible for the program's significant tax cut benefit, regardless of the vehicle's fuel efficiency," the letter said.


Japan is providing up to a $2,830 tax cut for scrapping a car 13 years old or older toward the purchase of a new vehicle, as long as it meets the 2010 fuel efficiency requirements, and a $1,130 incentive for new vehicle purchasers who do not scrap a vehicle.

The U.S. government said it was raising the issue with its Japanese counterparts and agreed that changes must be made.

The Japanese auto market has long been one of the most closed in the world for U.S. automakers and other imports, which account for less than 5 percent of the nation's sales.

Under Japan's program, no U.S. vehicles are eligible because of special import rules; 87 percent of Japanese-built vehicles are eligible.

Domestic automakers have long railed over what they call unfair hurdles to selling vehicles in Japan and have been trying to get more access to the market. It's unclear how much a favorable change would boost U.S. exports to Japan.

Carol Guthrie, a spokeswoman for the U.S. trade representative, said the government was working to address the issue. "USTR is continuing to raise this issue with the Japanese government. Our position remains that changes are necessary to give U.S. vehicles greater opportunity to qualify under Japan's program," she said Thursday.

Nearly half of the U.S. government's $3 billion Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program came from sales of Japanese cars and trucks. Japanese brands grabbed 319,300 out of a total of 677,000 in sales in the month-long U.S. "cash for clunkers" program.

That's well above the 260,561 vehicles sold by U.S. automakers, whose vehicles also accounted for 85 percent of all trade-ins.

Toyota Motor Corp. was the No. 1 seller in the U.S. clunkers program with 19.5 percent.

"We urge the U.S. government to make clear that it cannot tolerate this outright discrimination, particularly at a time when it has provided substantial direct financial support for Japanese automakers in this market," said the letter from the Detroit Three's trade arm, the American Automotive Policy Council.

Some in Congress wanted to try to craft the U.S. program to favor U.S.-built vehicles, but that idea was scrapped because of fears it would violate international trade rules.

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, or JAMA, declined to comment and the Japanese Embassy in Washington didn't return messages seeking comment.

In explaining the reason for implementing the roughly $3.7 billion program, JAMA said in a fact sheet that sales in Japan have fallen sharply this year.

Japanese vehicle sales fell by 5 percent in 2008 from 2007 and have dropped by 17.6 percent for the first eight months of 2009.

[Z28SSMAN]

No surprise to me.

I've always felt that people who buy Japanese vehicles are either confused, brainwashed or ignorant or all of the above.

Here are some comments I've heard these dumb ass people say over the past 30 years and my counterpoint:

Japan nutthuger: Oh...I will never buy american, because they made crap cars in the 70s & 80s.

Well Hondas and Toyotas were also crap back then. I sold parts for all cars during that time and the Honda and Toyota parts were up to and more than 5 times as expensive, and the cars were about as disposable as a Bic lighter. I don't hear those same people complaining about the crap Japan sold in the 70s and 80s. In fact if they were so great...where are all those great Japanese cars now???

Toyotas are just plain better quality.

Another brainwashing by the biased media. Hondas & Toyotas break just like any other car. Their service departments have cars lined up on Monday morning just like any other brand. The media seems to give them a free pass and up until recently, their problems have been basically swept under the rug. The people who buy them will talk about how dependable and trouble free they are even if they've had problems with them. They will pay for "required" and expensive maintenance repairs and then say "it's the best car I've ever had".

I won't buy a GM because their engines are old fashioned pushrod motors. GM needs to catch up with Toyota and Honda technology by building overhead cam engines.

This is the most stupid GM bashing I've ever heard. GM offers pushrod and overhead cam engines. If pushrod engines were old fashioned and outdated, then how can the Z06 put out over 500 hp and get 24 highway mpg. Is there a production Honda or Toyota that can make the same claim? The full size GM SUVs which the media has labled as "gas guzzlers" get 20 mpg highway and are able to do so even though the Suburban and Yukon XL weigh over 6000 lbs empty. A Honda Ridgeline with a fricken V6 and 5-speed automatic only gets 20 mpg highway. I don't think I want any part of that technology. By the way...this stupid assed truck once won truck of the year. I will never be convinced otherwise that the media is taking cash money under the table from the Japanese in order to pull this off.

Sure...GM has a transferable 100,000 mile powertrain warranty, but Japanese cars are more dependable so they don't need to offer as long of a warranty. Why offer it if they don't break?

More brainwashing period. From what I've seen...once the Toyota or Honda warranty is up and a failure occurs, there are no adjustments or goodwill unless you purchased an extended warranty. Depending on the maintenance record, GM has either covered out of warranty repairs or at worst maybe the customer pays a deductible or split the repair cost.

Toyotas and Hondas are American cars because they're built here. They employ many Americans creating a good lifestyle for them and their families. In fact, GM builds cars in Canada and Mexico, so they should be considered imports.

Japan is laughing all the way to the bank about this and has brainwashed people into believing this. The fact is GM and Ford are AMERICAN car companies. The profits from the manufacturing process of a GM or Ford go to an AMERICAN company. Toyota and Honda are JAPANESE companies and although they employ American workers, the majority of the profits go back to Japan which benefits their country. If those Japanese brand plants weren't here, then those workers would work at a GM or Ford plant which would benefit our country more than Japan.

The reason GM and Ford can't sell cars in Japan is because the quality just isn't as good so the Japanese public would never buy them. That's not Japan's fault! GM needs to build cars people want!

Let's face it. Japan is a protectionist country. They only want to rape this country for profits and will lie, cheat, mislead, brainwash or do anything to keep that going. I actually don't blame them as much as the idiots who buy their cars. These same people buy that shit and then when their job disappears or pay is cut, wonder what happened. The Japanese government won't give them one red cent because they are only concerned about taking care of their citizens at our expense. If the public used their brains, there would be no reason to put tarrifs on the imports. Without their ability to sell their stuff here, the whole playing field would change. In other words...if no one bought them..then there would be no market here. It's almost a parallel to drugs smuggled into this country. If there were no market for the destructive drugs here, then where would they sell them?

I'll end with this...The Japanese have said publicly that Americans are stupid and lazy. They're right about both when it comes to those who don't think about how destructive it is to this country when they buy a Toyota or Honda. To save a few MPG only to not have a job to pay for the gas savings is idiotic. Call me a patriot, but that's my opinion.

[MR.hp]

It's funny but the japanesse do collect our stuff Like old Gibson and Fender Guitars and oh yes they do like BIG domestic american cars. They are so 2 faced over there, BUY our cheap crap but we don't want to buy your stuff.