Question about the auto industry...

pacodiablo · September 19, 2002

I have a question about jobs in the auto industry.

Generally, what restrictions do auto companies put on their employees when it comes to personal vehicle ownership? For example, if I worked at Nissan would they allow me to own a Ford? Would they let me own a Ford as long as I owned a Nissan too? Just wondering...

BTW - Nissan and Ford are just companies I choose, I am asking this question about the automotive industry in general.

mcali17 · September 19, 2002

I don't think they can force you to own any particular vehicle. I would think that if you had to buy a particular brand to stay employed or become employed it would be discrimination. So I would guess you can drive or own whatever you want. Although I have heard stories about someone who parked a VW bettle in the employee parking lot at a GM Plant in Indiana, and somehow it ended up at the bottom of a pond???

pacodiablo · September 19, 2002

yeah, i think if i got a job with GM they may have a problem with me driving an f-150 to work

of course it seems like many of the execs. are not all that loyal, they tend to switch comapnies a lot...

Greg · September 20, 2002

At the Chrysler Tech Center, they used to have a special (read distant) parking lot for non-Chrysler US vehicles, and an extra-special (read more distant) lot for foreign cars. I consulted at the big-3 at plants and other facilities and drove a variety of US vehicles and VWs without a problem. I drove my Suburban to the Chrysler proving grounds for an employee open house and ran the test roads and high speed oval. The only problem I ever heard about was the strange attraction the paint on Japanese cars has for keys. Oh, and Harleys are always welcome - front and center just outside the gate!

MountaineerTom · September 20, 2002

At the Chrysler Tech Center, they used to have a special (read distant) parking lot for non-Chrysler US vehicles, and an extra-special (read more distant) lot for foreign cars.

I've heard of that.

TheScaryGuy · September 20, 2002

At my dad's plant at Buick its mostly either Buicks or Chevy trucks, most people don't pass up their GM discount since it makes it worthwhile to buy who you work for. People know better than to drive foriegn vehicles in there. Well, if they don't want a permanent message in their paint from everyone that walks by.

rrsob · September 20, 2002

I imagine alot of people tend to take advantage of the employee discount. A girl I work with is from Fredonia N.Y. and she said her Dad worked for the Ford Stamping Plant in Buffalo N.Y. She said he got, I think, a percentage of discount off Dealer cost. What is sweat is she said he also got a discount included in his retirement package good for life.

But when I drove by the plant on the way to Niagra Falls I looked over to the parking lot by the highway thinking about the brand loyalty thing, and I seem to remember just about as many GM trucks as Fords, as well as many other brands.

So much for brand loyalty.

As far as having to drive the product you make, that would be discrimination. Plus, I doubt the U.A.W. would ever let them get away with that.

scooter70 · September 20, 2002

I work for Ford. Have for 3 years. See my sig for current vehicles. I have never owned anything other than GM. I get some ribbing from co-workers when they see my truck, but most of them think it looks awesome and don't mind. Of course, I work in product development, not at a plant. At the plant, it's more like what is described above.

bscottb · September 20, 2002

We have a BMW plant here and they offer great lease deals to employees. But their parking lot is a mix of everything on the road.

pacodiablo · September 20, 2002

I work for Ford. Have for 3 years. See my sig for current vehicles. I have never owned anything other than GM. I get some ribbing from co-workers when they see my truck, but most of them think it looks awesome and don't mind. Of course, I work in product development, not at a plant. At the plant, it's more like what is described above.

are you in MI? if so, how do you like it? product development is one of the fields i am interested in. i know it's years off, but im still curious about what jobs are out there.