This is becoming a bigger problem at least for me and it PISSES ME OFF. I pay for the better grade, whenever there is one offered and STILL get Chinese parts for my Michigan made Dakotas. The latest is the heater core I got for my 99 the other day, a heater core isn't something I want to do even once in a given vehicle's lifetime, let alone more than once. I bought "THIS" truck over a couple of others that I was considering because I got every service record for anything more than a quart of oil that the PO ever had done to it since 2002. and (the heater core wasn't among the pile of paperwork) it seems that the overwhelming majority of stuff I have had to work on/maintain, is stuff that has already been done at least once. and judging by the brands of parts I see, alot of what he had put on this truck was cheap Chinese crap.
and people wonder why I will often scout Ebay and hunt for old stock of parts and wait for the mail to come for "common" parts... and when I find a "gold mine" I stock up. This is my 5th or 6th Dakota (1st of this gen) plus my Durango so even if not on "this" one these parts WILL get used and not go to waste.
Is tehre really such a thing as a "better grade" of parts any more, or is it just a different sticker on the same box that tricks people into paying more for the "better" stuff?

 

Just about everything is made in china these days. Very few brands are actually made in america. And don't let the 'assembled in usa' label fool you. Everything that goes into it was still made in China. And now with the covid thing going on, EVERYTHING is getting interesting to come by, and the manufacturers are finding they CAN'T get a bunch of their parts from..... China..... Maybe this will have the side affect of some of those folks bringing their manufacturing back to the US. I would be willing to pay more for a part that I know is going to be significantly better quality than the cheap chinese crap.

 

This thread makes me chuckle. It was probably typed on a computer or phone made in China. The funniest part is (or not), American vehicles leave the factories with many Chinese parts to begin with... LOL

https://www.statista.com/chart/20913...d-accessories/

 

That's very true.

What's even funnier is, your average Toyota has more american content in it than your typical Chevy, or Ford.

 

And you last 2 post-ers don't see a (the) problem?

 

Of course. I saw this coming when NAFTA first passed. I knew that was simply a stepping stone. And then the politicians all bowing and scraping to China..... the writing was on the wall.

Trouble is, the folks that are advocating for the 'global economy', are doing so because it makes them more money. Why pay american workers 15 bucks an hour, when you can pay some chinaman a couple bucks a day?

 

Like HeyYou said... of course, buddy. I was just chuckling at the futility, cause the problem is bigger than most realize. Just look around your house and count the items made there. Cars are no different. Its like standing on the beach cussing about the sand in your shoes.

China produces crappy parts, as well as some with quality. Just have to figure which is which. You won't be able to completely avoid them the way things are right now.

Even our Military uses Chinese made components, sometimes unknowingly. In the near future we'll be driving Chinese made electric cars.

 

Some Buicks are already made in China.......

 

Supposedly those Buicks are destined for the Chinese market only. Buick to the Chinese is like Mercedes or BMW to Americans, it's considered a luxury import and there's a certain amount of prestige attached to owning a Buick.

Well, at least around MY house there's less foreign made than you see in a lot of them. In some places you just can't get away from it, but the actual Chinese content in my house is very low compared to most. And, I've returned stuff bought online that said made in the USA but when it arrived it said made in China. If I have something from China in my hand, it's only because I couldn't get it from somewhere else and couldn't do without it, and I've found that I can do without a lot of stuff when it's only available from China.

 

I work in logistics and my company sends out a daily digest of various trade papers. The supply chain was disrupted by the Covid-19. First in China then here. Companies first went to China because of cheap labor. It's still sort of cheap but the average Chinese citizen is starting to make good money. There are a few elite getting filthy rich but that's everywhere. India, Vietnam and other S.E. Asia countries are starting to eat China's lunch though. China still uses some free labor in it's work and re-education camps. Supply side logistics is starting to rethink the China supply as a lot of American companies had to shut down for lack of parts. Places like Wally Wurld are seeing issues with single source products. I look for World trade to be less China centric and more domestic as well as true world supply. I'm not a fan of Chinesium parts myself. I've had good luck with some and some was junk.

For the record, I drive a Japanese built Mazda as my daily driver.