mdenz3

Two of their large supliers are located here, and in a meeting with them on friday they both complained of a huge drop in orders, as much as 50%. That is larger than decreases in orders from their other manufacturers (including the big 2.5). In the words of the one VP, "Honda fell off a cliff on Dec. 11th"

Has anyone else noted signs of trouble at Honda?

99SilverSS

I hadn't heard anything worse from Honda than Toyota or the rest of the car companies. Sometimes they will get a bit more press in this area because they have more operations here than in the East or Midwest.
We know that Honda runs a tight ship and is much smaller than Toyota or GM and if they feel the forecasts show the market to stay in its current state they won't hesitate to cut back on all fronts. They are very focused and disciplined to the lean ways.

97z28/m6

i did read something...i'll see if i can find it....

EDIT:http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/the...-real-trouble/

Threxx

Their product line right now really sucks... I can't imagine they're making any money on Acura right now... but it seems their Honda sales are still doing decently.

Z28CamaroPower!

They still have alot of Kool-Aid drinkers to keep them going...

91_z28_4me

I don't know about that. While the Civic is odd looking in some ways, it is a very well built small car and it delivers good mileage.

Their crossovers and Acura's are starting to look horrible though.

Plague

All of the new Acura models look horrible, IMHO. It is unfortunate, because the last TL looked nice.

The new Pilot looks back at you. I really don't like that one. The new Accord is ok, but nothing spectacular from the outside. It is pretty nice on the inside. The dash in the civic is just weird. Seems like there are no so great things on several of their vehicles.

It will be interesting to see how this goes.

El Duce

2+ decades of making high quality vehicles will get you that kind of a following.

R377

Yeah, you'd really have to be a die-hard Acura fan to want to be seen in one of those ugly ducklings. For the casual non-enthusiast who just wants to buy something to project an image, I can see Acuras getting crossed off many shopping lists now.

It's too bad, since Acura started out really well with their Integra and Legend. But then made the terrible decision to ditch those two revered names, and then they never got out of their FWD mindset to to be considered a true luxury marque. In December Acura sales were down almost 40% while Honda was down 34%. I can see that trend strengthening.

Z28CamaroPower!

Sounds like you're drinking it too. If you did some research and/or had some real-world experience, you'd see that Honda's have their fair share of problems. However, they have guaranteed sales from people who believe that they are far better than other makes, especially the domestics. Thus, when car sales fall, they can still count on the people who would never consider a domestic (or maybe even any other) car.

Yes, it's the Perception thing again.

El Duce

JD Power would disagree with YOUR perception. They have facts, and you have anecdotes. Don't get me wrong, I love Chevrolets as much as anybody, but Honda is what it is and their reputation is well deserved.

Silverado C-10

Honda does A LOT more than cars too... Bikes, ATV's, generators, lawnmowers, JETS!!!, etc... how are the other ventures sales helping/hurting them?

Check out all the other stuff they make:

http://www.honda.com/

Threxx

Sorry but I disagree here... while I feel that Honda and GM are much more on even ground these days than ever before... mostly because of GM making big strides in quality of engineering, build, and materials and also due to Honda slipping a bit (relative to the rest of the industry anyway)... I think if you're denying that in the last couple of decades Honda hasn't thoroughly earned its reputation for being a high quality small car manufacturer and that GM hasn't earned its reputation for shaky quality, it's you who need to set the (GM) kool-aid down.

I'm very much on GM's side in all of this but that doesn't stop me from seeing the reality of what's happened the last 20 years and I definitely can't blame the masses for not wanting to take a risk on GM products right now, especially if they've been burned in the past.

305fan

Hondas resale is insane. Used cars go for alot--more then they should.

ad356

as far as small engines, i prefer the old kohler k series cast iron block engines. they are some of the best small engines ever built. tough heavy duty cast iron block, dual ball bearings, and fully rebuildable(oversized pistons, and connecting rods still readily available), ect. i would easily put my k301 12 hp kohler against any modern similar sized honda engine. the honda ohv engine might be smoother running and a little more fuel efficient, but the old kohler will walk all over it in durability, torque and overall strength. many old k series engines are still running 30 years later without being overhauled yet. sometimes older tech will still come out better just because they were so well designed. as far as small 5-7 hp engines go, i will stick with briggs, they are a great value. briggs engines can be had at a cost far less of a honda and they last almost as long. they are a very will built engine at a low cost. oh, yeah and both products are American made and support american jobs. my kohler might be old, but they still make the replacement parts that i eventually need.