With Recent Scandals At Toyota, GM, And VW - Are There Any Automakers Left That You Still Trust?

Moral indignation is fun to express, but Toyota and GM's sales are just fine. For VW, it's different. Their sales were already sputtering from consumers realizing their products come with greater reliability than competing models. Factor in the Jetta and Passat that feel 15 years old relative to the competition and the only bright spot was TDI. Now that VW has crapped all over the cash cow things will get much worse.

VW will need to decide if they are going to double down or pack it in and go home.

At least in the case of GM = the part was small - cheap - and easy to replace. People who understand legal proceedings know that they did not directly cause any deaths as well - the car had to get into an accident first. So - no matter what some say - the matter was less of an issue.

I believe you meant that Audi and VW cars were LESS reliable than the competing miles - and that will come more to light as things get reported publically. However - there are still a number of car manufacturers in the world who make significantly worse cars than VW - ALthough I still believe that the ONLY way that VW will be able to sell Diesel cars in this country is by having them certified by an independent lab- or going through additional tests as the GM trucks will go through. VW cars will sell - the dealers will have mark them down- and the owners will take a hit in resale value - but for their gas cars - I suspect this will result in good deals for many people.

THe actual problem is not the software - it is WHAT will be done to correct the problem and How long will this linger in the media. (I suspect until that next problem for another car maker)

Matchbox Cars and Hot Wheels !

I estimate VW's loss at $20-$30 billion or more in expenses and this does not include lost sales or lost stock market value. Article in NY TIMES today even suggests loss of life due to extreme carbon emission from faulty cars. Lawyers and governments worldwide are going to pick the company clean.

So....a merger with GM or FCA might not be such a bad idea in a few years huh?

Nope - Sorry. FCA's only good value would be Jeep - and GM has already spent the money to develop the platforms for their next generation SUVs. Chrysler would end up being another Oldsmobile - with maybe the exception of the Mini-Vans.Chevy already has plans to introduce a lighter more aluminum Truck in the works - so they don't need RAM - and there is not a single car Fiat produces that GM does not have a competitor already. With maybe the exception of the Ferrari V-6 - which would not come with FCA - GM engine technology is far ahead of =FCA as well. So - they would essentially be buying another SUV brand - which they would have to migrate to their own platforms and compete with themselves. Now - it depends on the price - if FCA is Bankrupt and the cost is in pennies - I would think about it. I hope by then though- Opel has completed its turnaround that they don't need help in europe.

FCA + VW makes MASSIVE sense because in the USA only Chrysler and VW products overlap.

The GM ignition switch could and did kill, when it allowed a vehicle to switch off at high speed and safety devices to lose power.

Just because the likes of BMW or Mercedes aren't embroiled in scandal doesn't mean they're not still a**holes to deal with on things like warranty claims and the like.