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GM to spend $1 billion to expand Chevy Bolt EV recall due to fires:
GM said it is pursuing reimbursement commitments from EV battery supplier LG Energy Solution, which produced the defective parts in plants in South Korea and Michigan. Parts from the U.S. plant were previously not involved in the recall.
The automaker plans to replace the vehicle's costly battery cell modules. GM also said it is working with LG to rectify the cause of the defects and increase production of the new modules.
"Our focus on safety and doing the right thing for our customers guides every decision we make at GM," Doug Parks, a GM executive vice president who oversees products, purchasing and supply chains, said in a release. "As leaders in the transition to an all-electric future, we know that building and maintaining trust is critical. GM customers can be confident in our commitment to taking the steps to ensure the safety of these vehicles."
The expansion follows the companies finding that the batteries for these vehicles may have two manufacturing defects — a torn anode tab and folded separator — present in the same battery cell, which increases the risk of fire.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 23 2021, @10:10PM (4 children)
Honda quality fell off a cliff in the 21st century.
We had a new Honda minivan, and as usual for Honda (Toyota is not like this), Honda designed a too-small brake system. The rotors are too small and get hot. (Cheap steel, too.) If you used the brakes and then splashed through a rain puddle, instant warped rotor. Happened to us and everyone else multiple times. Nice having a vibrating steering wheel. None of my American cars did that. Also, after one year, the premium paint job starting getting chips (on the sides, where gravels would never hit!), and orange rust streaks would appear. The thing was a complete rattle trap. Now, my parents have a Honda minivan that is 20 years old, and there is no comparison between the old and the new for quality. The old is great. The new is shit. Toyota minivan, similar story. Just sold our 13 year old Toyota minivan. Great ride, but some things went bad on it over the years. (Both automatic side doors went bad, rear small windows too, had to install a new steering rack twice within a few years, some other issues). I likely would have bought a new one just like it, if were they still made. But no. New Toyota minivans are little, underpowered, cheap-interior vehicles. They suck.
My point is that we PEAKED in general vehicle quality some time ago. Honda I would say peaked in the 1990s. Toyota was still good up to 2010. It's all downhill from there.
The quality difference between "American" (as you call them) and "Japanese" (as you call them) is pretty close these days. These companies are WORLD companies, and they use many of the same international parts suppliers, and "American" cars might be made in Mexico and "Japanese" cars might be built in heartland America.
Your info on GM versus Japanese represents facts that are extremely outdated. "American" cars got better while "Japanese" cars got worse.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 23 2021, @10:16PM (3 children)
》 "American" cars got better while "Japanese" cars got worse.
That's why I drive a Yugo. Quality was consistent from the first one produced until the day Bill Clinton bombed the assembly line.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 23 2021, @10:25PM
"until the day Bill Clinton bombed the assembly line."
And nobody noticed - even the serbs were like "meh."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 23 2021, @10:30PM (1 child)
It's a cult classic!
If you also had an East German Trabant, you'd have a pair of the finest small transportation communism was capable of producing.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 23 2021, @10:32PM
Keep them travants away from pigs - they eat them.