Is Thai Automotive Build Good Quality?

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PeteC
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Is Thai Automotive Build Good Quality?

Post by PeteC »

A question I've pondered for a long time. All of the Japanese, American, European supervising engineers in the world are not going to change the mentality of a Thai factory worker being paid a few hundred Baht a day to run a production station. I doubt there is much motivation there to produce an excellent product, unlike a Japanese production line worker who takes pride and responsibility IMO. Another point is that the average person here does not run a car 35,000-50,000 miles per year as many do in the West. What would happen if they did in terms of breakdowns and failures?

Let's see what experiences we can list with bad things that have happened with our Thailand vehicle purchases.

A short list from me:

1) 2004 Toyota Tiger PU fuel line falling off the engine at an expressway toll booth and dumping fuel all over the road.

2) 2009 Honda CRV with badly rusting cast metal enclosures associated with the rear brakes.

3) A variety of Suzuki motorbikes with all fasteners rusting after 6 months.

I'll try to think of more later in the day.. Pete :cheers:
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Re: Is Thai Build Good Quality?

Post by Jaime »

Hi Pete,

I guess the way you have worded your OP suggests a certain opinion!

I don't know for sure but I'm pretty sure that automotive exports form a big part of the Thai economy, so the bits and pieces they make end up in the Hondas, Nissans and Toyotas all over the rest of the world, including Japan - and aren't Honda mean't to make the world's most reliable car; the Civic?

When they had the Tsunami in Japan last year and Japanese industry effectively stopped for a month or two, didn't the Thai automotive industry suffer as well because they had nowhere to send their widgets to?

Confused? Me too!
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Re: Is Thai Build Good Quality?

Post by margaretcarnes »

I would imagine that high humidity it going to speed up corrosion? Just remembering the days when our bikes had chrome finished handlebars and wheel rims - we used to get a special paint for them to over winter - or simply keep them smeared with vaseline. Just one winter could see the chrome beigin to bubble even on the best bikes.
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Re: Is Thai Automotive Build Good Quality?

Post by buksida »

I think Mags has got it - the tropical climate here wreaks havoc on pretty much everything. That said we have a 7 year old Mitsubishi that has started and run perfectly so far, the problems only started when we moved closer to the ocean and the paintwork started to corrode, can't fault the mechanics.

Also have a 9 year old Honda Sonic that has never had a problem even after 50,000 kilometers aside from the regular things such as batteries and tires.

The only problem I have with cars in Thailand is the cost of them!
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Re: Is Thai Automotive Build Good Quality?

Post by PeteC »

I'm not saying things are very bad, just evolving perhaps, and looking for opinions and experiences. In the 50's my parents wanted nothing to do with products from Japan and it had nothing to do with WWII sentiment, but with quality. In the 80's I felt the same way about Korean products. I still feel the same about many Chinese products.

A non-automotive example is a Thai company named Fujika that makes hot water heaters. They use a Japanese name with no association at all with a Japanese company, for what?.....to give buyers confidence. Big mistake. I've bought four of them and each failed in short order and was exchanged for something else.

Of the three examples I gave above, two are associated with parts supply quality and one with assembly quality. I think the former is much more troublesome for car manufacturers as policing third party supplier QC must be a nightmare and a huge job.

I simply can't see a rank and file Thai factory worker getting excited about what he's doing, or having much pride in it. Perhaps I'm dead wrong, I don't know. Also, perhaps the factories are so computerized and robotic now that the human factor is much less than what it used to be. Pete :cheers:
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Re: Is Thai Automotive Build Good Quality?

Post by hhfarang »

buksida wrote:I think Mags has got it - the tropical climate here wreaks havoc on pretty much everything. That said we have a 7 year old Mitsubishi that has started and run perfectly so far, the problems only started when we moved closer to the ocean and the paintwork started to corrode, can't fault the mechanics.

Also have a 9 year old Honda Sonic that has never had a problem even after 50,000 kilometers aside from the regular things such as batteries and tires.

The only problem I have with cars in Thailand is the cost of them!
I agree with that. We have an eight year old CRV and a seven year old Civic and have had no problems with either that weren't our own fault or the fault of rodents. Same as Buksi, tires and batteries replaced and other than that they just keep going. No rust that I've seen, but I haven't looked at the brakes personally. That said, Honda service is so cheap here that I adhere strictly to the recommendations in the service manuals (even change the oil a lot more often than recommended) so maybe that helps them stay looking good and running well.
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Re: Is Thai Automotive Build Good Quality?

Post by Terry »

hhfarang wrote:
buksida wrote:I think Mags has got it - the tropical climate here wreaks havoc on pretty much everything. That said we have a 7 year old Mitsubishi that has started and run perfectly so far, the problems only started when we moved closer to the ocean and the paintwork started to corrode, can't fault the mechanics.

Also have a 9 year old Honda Sonic that has never had a problem even after 50,000 kilometers aside from the regular things such as batteries and tires.

The only problem I have with cars in Thailand is the cost of them!
I agree with that. We have an eight year old CRV and a seven year old Civic and have had no problems with either that weren't our own fault or the fault of rodents. Same as Buksi, tires and batteries replaced and other than that they just keep going. No rust that I've seen, but I haven't looked at the brakes personally. That said, Honda service is so cheap here that I adhere strictly to the recommendations in the service manuals (even change the oil a lot more often than recommended) so maybe that helps them stay looking good and running well.
Agreed again

We bought our Civic brand new and it will be 11 yrs old this April - 200,000 trouble free km and still drives as sweet as a nut. I was only going to keep it for 6 years.....................

Seriously contemplating the new Accord when it comes out - a present to myself when I retire... :roll: - if the bank can take the strain

We also have a Chevy Colorado - it's the business workhorse but the build quality is not a patch on the Honda.
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Re: Is Thai Automotive Build Good Quality?

Post by STEVE G »

I've had a Toyota Vigo for six years now and although it only does about ten thousand km a year due to the fact that I'm away working a lot, it hasn't had a single problem and I haven't even had to replace the battery yet. I once left it for four months with the alarm on and it still started straight away, which really surprised me.
I originally bought it with the idea of keeping it for 10 years but if it carries on like this, I'll just keep going for as long as it moves as I like a vehicle that I can trust.
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Re: Is Thai Automotive Build Good Quality?

Post by Winkie »

I spend most days each week inside Thai Automotive Plants

The dedication of most employees is probably more than that of the Japanese (I lived in Japan for 3 years doing much the same as I do here). I've also spent much time in many Auto Plants throughout Europe, and a little in the US.

Thai people love cars, and know the value of them (which maybe is one of the reasons for such low car crime here). Japanese people are dedicated to the employer, not the product, most don't even own a car.

I have no concern driving or owning a car built here in Thailand.

At present there is no 'Thai' Car, they are all overseas brands. Maybe the situation would be different if there was a 'Thai' car, but somehow, I have a feeling they would get that pretty right too.
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Re: Is Thai Automotive Build Good Quality?

Post by Lung Per »

I don't know of any stats or consumer surveys that show whether Thai-made cars are any worse than those made in other countries. Most of the cars made here are foreign brands made on license to international specifications. Plants are highly automated and production methods computerized as in other modern car factories, leaving very little room for faulty craftmanship. I have a Chevy Colorado made and purchased in Thailand. It meets my expectations to quality viz. price.
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Re: Is Thai Automotive Build Good Quality?

Post by PeteC »

I see some "Thai Rung" vehicles from time to time. Don't know if you could call them an actual car manufacturer though. Pete :cheers:

http://www.thairung.co.th/EN/Company_Profile.php
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