Mazda3i, 2.0 engine, Oil Level Issues

I am a new owner of a 2007 M3i, auto, with the 2.0 engine.
 
I am having issues with the oil.  I just got it changed today (oil and filter).  There's only a few hundred miles on the car, but I am old school - IMO, a new engine should have it's initial oil changed after just a few hundred miles, to remove any particles and contaminants that might be in there from the manufacturing process, because the engine and its seals are all brand new, and there may be acids released as they heat and cool during the first few weeks of operation, etc.
 
I watched the tech (who was conscientious) put in exactly 4.5 quarts (pouring from bottles), which according to the owner's manual, is exactly the right amount. 
 
When you pull the dipstick, it reads as if too much oil is in the crankcase, this 5 minutes after the change.  The tech agreed, he read the stick 5 times himself, but said since he put in the right amount (he looked it up on his computer system, and found the same 4.5 quart capacity number as is listed in the owner's manual), it has to be right.  
 
This evening, after the car has been sitting for over an hour, it still reads as high. 
 
As at least one other poster has noted, the dipstick in this car is AWFUL (I noticed it is stamped FMC - meaning it's a crappy Ford dipstick).  It's really, really hard to read, especially with clear new oil in the car.  I've owned more than 10 cars in my life, I have never seen a dipstick which is so BAD!
 
Questions:
 
1.  Where can I buy a dipstick of different design that will fit and is actually readable by human beings?
 
2.  It seems either the current dipstick was made the wrong length, or the owner's manual info that it takes 4.5 quarts is wrong.  Suggestions on how I resolve this issue?
 
Please don't tell me how to read the dipstick - I have read the owner's manual, I know where the lines are on the stick.  I am frustrated, do not want to wreck a car I just wrote a big check to buy.  It seems so stupid to have bought a brand new car, and be having an issue with something which should be so ridiculously EASY!
 

Couldn't agree with you more.  The little box design, is fruity as hell - and either it's the material or finish they put on the dipstick make it pretty much worthless.
 
You'd figure there would be market for aftermarket decent ones.  I've thought maybe scoring the end with some hatch marks (use a box cutter) would make it more useful.  From a cold engine, I get nothing.  If it sits for 10 minutes its 'over full' if I check a hot engine it's like there is no oil on it either (may be a _SLIGHT_ line on it)....

Insidious, I really think the problem is the dipstick is too long.  It's the explanation that makes the most sense.
 
I can't imagine the engineers have the 4.5 quart capacity number wrong, and that it would be listed wrong in all the literature, and on the internet. 
 
But, I could see some machine being set wrong, and all the dipstick cables being cut 1/4" or 1/2" too long at Ford.  It seems like exactly the kind of thing that would be assigned to junior staff and not be checked.
 
Can anyone help identify an aftermarket source for a new dipstick? 

OK.....wow.....you obviously have a chip on your shoulder against Ford and know little of how parts are made, and know nothing of Ford quality.....
 
Did you know that the Ford Fusion was rated higher than Toyota Camry or Honda Accord by Consumer Reports?  Did you know that Toyota recalled more vehicles than it built last year?  Have you seen the latest on Hondas "accurate" odometers that are cheating people out of lease mileage and causing them to run out of warranty early because the mileage reads high? (Affecting ~6,000,000 2002-2006 Hondas)  "Junior staff" don't get assigned to manufacturing jobs...We have trained people (almost all UAW) that perform manufacturing functions.  The lengths of parts are typically set by a machine dedicated to that part, and made with a very tight tolerance. (We use the same suppliers/technology that any other auto manufacturer uses.....)  Do you think some guy is sitting at a table cutting these with scissors or something????   Mazda designs the 4-cylinder engines (as well as the dipstick), a FoMoCo parts plant makes the part to Mazda specifications.  Get off the 1980's "Japanese cars are vastly superior" crap....it's old and outdated.
 
Sorry about the rant......Now to your oil change....I'm old school as well and changed mine after the first 1,000 miles........I've got ~48,000 miles on my car now (2.0L), I have the oil changed every 5-6,000 miles (per manual), the tech shows me the dipstick every time and I don't have a problem reading the stick.  Tip it a little in the light and it's very evident where the line is.....It's possible that when they changed your oil, they didn't let all of the oil drain down properly so that you do have a little extra oil in the motor.....I've witnessed this more than a few times, especially if your car wasn't fully warmed up when you changed the oil (thick oil drains slower)  A little high or a little low isn't going to kill your engine, keep fresh oil in there and check to make sure it doesn't get too low and you will be just fine.
 
I think you're freaking out over nothing.

I have the same problem with this piece of junk dip stick. I got my first oil change a couple weeks ago and still have no idea if there is oil in there.  But "sstlaure" has solved the issue why its so bad., UAW. another great job by overpaid and underworked union ass_H___s
 
Get a real job boy. Your all a bunch of Dinosaurs waiting for you hand outs...

quote:

ORIGINAL: eastcoaster

I have the same problem with this piece of junk dip stick. I got my first oil change a couple weeks ago and still have no idea if there is oil in there.  But "sstlaure" has solved the issue why its so bad., UAW. another great job by overpaid and underworked union ass_H___s

Get a real job boy. Your all a bunch of Dinosaurs waiting for you hand outs...

 
We need a shaking the head smiley........
 
FYI....I'm not UAW, nor was I inferring that there was anything done wrong by the person manning the machine or performing the verification...In fact, it is most likely an overseas FMC plant that produces this particular part....i.e. not UAW labor (It would be very unusual for a sub-component to be made in the US, then shipped overseas for assembly)
 
Eastcoaster.....Do you check your oil with the engine running or not?  Hot or cold....it makes a difference you know....If you think the Japanese are so superior to American auto companies, how do you explain the facts above?  These days there is little difference between the American/Japanese/European brands from a quality standpoint....Do the research and you'll see it's true.
 
FYI....I'm an Engineer with Ford, but I worked extensively on most of the interior of the Mazda6, do you want to bash me for that too?  How many Honda or Toyota websites have an engineer willing to donate some of his time to help the customers? (FYI....not part of my annual Performance Review, but something I like to do as a form of customer support.)
 
Also FYI....1 in 5 jobs in the US is associated with the American Auto industry....what do you think would happen to the economy if suddenly all of those jobs dried up (unemployment ~20%....we're talking Great Depression......).....I think it's hilarious (sad really) to see how many people wanting the American auto industry to fail, and no matter how much progress is made, they still have a negative view regardless of the data that is available....

i've had the same problem. hot or cold engine. I decided yesterday that I will post pictures, hopefully tomorrow, of what I described in my 'stupid dipstick' post a few weeks ago. Pull the stick after it has been still for a while, it looks like there is NO oil. wipe and dip for a new reading and get WaY over full on one side of the stick. and who knows what kind of a smeary mess on the other.

all I want is to know how to tell where the level is.

to throw a bone to sstlaure, yesterday I sold my '98 Ford Contour SVT in very good working order and 273,900 miles on the clock. ....the dipstick worked great too!

I shot these this evening after the car had been sitting for an hour.   Pics show dipstick is dry at first pull on both sides, then way over full after wipe, redip, and read.   So which is it?????


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VASpeed3, I wish my dipstick was a 'blade' dipstick like yours. 
 
In the 2007, the dipstick is a cable, with a small rounded cylinder shaped blob of metal attached to the end of the cable.  The metal is medium grainy gray in color, which combined with the roundness, makes it very hard to hold up to the light and see a reading.  You want the metal to be flat, and either polished silver or black to get a nice reading - so you can see the oil line glistening and then not glistening to clearly show where the oil comes up to - what genius decided to make it medium grainy gray colored, and rounded?  I've been using a flashlight, and still cannot tell a darn thing.
 
Knowing the various f-ups that auto makers all over the world have been guilty of over the years, I'm not prepared to give Mazda the complete benefit of the doubt here.  The first year they make a change (which I think is the case with this crappy cable dipstick) is the most likely time for them to mess up.  I don't understand - why change the dipstick design?  Are they so bored they have nothing better to do than change the dipstick?
 
When I talked to a tech at a local Mazda dealership today by phone about this, I could tell I was at least the 100th 2007 M3 owner he had spoken with about this exact issue (a sigh on the end of the phone) ... thumbs down to Mazda for obviously knowing this is a problem many, many of the 2007 owners are having, and not doing something about it.
 

quote:

In the 2007, the dipstick is a cable, with a small rounded cylinder shaped blob of metal attached to the end of the cable.

 
Well then, that sounds to be entirely a different kind of problem from mine.  My long lived SVT mentioned above had the 'blob', though it's been a very long time since it was new to me, I grew to prefer it because it actually went back into the tube easily, unlike a blade that will bind if it is not oriented the right way.  Maybe it was designed differently from yours, because I don't recall having trouble reading it.
 
What puzzles me about the MS3 is that when I first pull the stick, it reads "empty" or nearly so.  To me, there are only two ways that can happen: 1) there ain't enough oil in there or 2) it got wiped off on the way up the tube.   I can't tell which.  It's infuriating.   I hope someone can shed some light on this, please!
 
If there is virtually no oil on the first pull, where did it come from on the second?????  Is that the more reliable reading?   Anyone else notice this?    I can make no sense of it.    I would not care if this were the window washing fluid, but it's the engine oil for crap sake. 

VASpeed3
 
I always pull the stick, wipe it off, reinsert it into the tube, pull it back out, then take the reading.
 
Try that method a few times in a row and see how it works for you.

quote:

ORIGINAL: sstlaure

VASpeed3

I always pull the stick, wipe it off, reinsert it into the tube, pull it back out, then take the reading.

Try that method a few times in a row and see how it works for you.

 
If  you know that that's what works (I have no reason at all to think otherwise), I'll do it.   My rant came from the fact that I'm the sort who has to understand the how or why something works before I trust the answer it gives me.   I have yet to reach that point, but I appreciate your help!
 
Question, if you have a blade dipstick, what does it read on the first pull after the engine has been still for a while? 

If there is virtually no oil on the first pull, where did it come from on the second????? 
 
========================
 
VASpeed3 ... Only thing I can think is ... the dipstick being in the tube blocks the oil from getting up into the tube.  Maybe the gasket seal at the top of dipstick is so airtight it does not allow the oil up?  Removing the dipstick unseals the tube, allowing oil up into it ... which is why you get a reading on the second pull.  Not saying I total buy into the theory, but maybe ....
 
In my case (my 2007 with 2.0), I tried something last night.  With the car sitting for over an hour, if I do not insert the dipstick completely ... like maybe an inch short of being fully inserted ... I can see a line, above which the metal blob is dry (as opposed to the metal blob coming out looking like it was fully immersed).  This would support the idea that they simply made the dipstick the wrong length.
 
I was the other day talking with a mechanic who worked on Chevrolets for many years, who told me stories of certain models and years where the messed up and put the wrong dipstick with the wrong engine.
 
The perspective of other M3 owners would be appreciated.
 
 

So, I went to the Mazda dealer today, had them pull a dipstick out of a Mazda 3 on the lot, and compared it to mine.  They were identical, so I am now convinced my dipstick is OK.
 
The tech told me that the 4.5 quart capacity listed for the M3 is the "bone dry fill" capacity they use when they first fill the engine at the factory.  This is more oil than the engine needs for oil changes, as the engine is NOT bone dry ever again.  Even if you let it drain for an hour, it would not be bone dry.  He said to put 4.25 quarts in with a filter change.  Based on this, I would recommend owners tell their oil change people to put in 4.25 quarts (at least for the 2.0 engine).
 
I went back to the oil change place, and they fixed it.  They actually drained out all the oil, and refilled it - kudos to them for caring enough to do this!  I guess it helped that I didn't go in there all angry and full of profanity.  The oil level is now "full" per the line on the dipstick.  I feel much better.
 
The oil change place's computer system strangely said to put in 4.6 quarts ... where did THAT number come from?
 
Another thing the tech at the Mazda dealership told me was that, effective the 2006 engine, they changed the dipstick - not just physically, but also where exactly in the engine it resides - because so many owners of 2005 and previous year vehicles had issues with the accuracy of the dipstick reading.  He showed me a 2004, and the dipstick is placed VERY differently in the engine.  FYI.  Sorry, it sounds like some of you might have a bum dipstick.

Im sorry guys but ill have to admit and so call me a walking contradiction because i dont Fu*king care but regaurdless of the 1980's jap cars are betters. american made atuo makers fu*ked thier own reputation by thinking quantity over quality is God. Im sure im not the only one before I had this mazda 3 (my first and last mazda btw) i owned a 95 Honda accord been in three major accident at 211,000 and purred perfectly like a freakin kitten. and before that i owned a 95 Dodge Intrepid with the 3.5L 24V V6...the biggest money pit ever it has on 85,000 miles on it and my family and I have spent well over $7,000 to keep this piece a shit alive....

I would really like to see your recalls on these hondas and toyotas because personally a faulty clock or a fucked up ash tray lever or cig lighter is hardly my idea of a dangerous recall that will serverly kill people and damage thier reputations. Lets not forget Ford with the EXPLODER with the shit ass tires that resulted in flipping over killings literally thousands of people that year. (Alos FORD picked up a new acronym for this as well Flipping Over Results in Death). As far as I know, no foregin auto makers tops that so far. Going along with a steady pace of fords, lets not for get the pinto where it would pretty much spontaneous combust if the wind hit it from the wrong way from behind...Sure, bringing up the pinto is pretty much beating a dead horse but still realvent to the topic. Sure you'll see a ford or chevey or a mopar OCASSIONALY have 150,000 and hats off the luck but the number of american cars with that kind of mileage compare to the foregin car market isnt even remotely close. and to those which extremely high mileage how many times have you rebuilt that engine or have had significant engine work done. Im not talking basic gas, oil, occasional sensor, bateries ect....

As far as this mazda goes im not to impressed with the service i got between this and the honda. Mazda does not and i mean 100% does not stand behind their product and will sell you out any way they can. (at least in St. Louis anyway)  I threw a CEL 128 and 126 which first thing that comes to mind is a thermostat and it was but they tried to tell me the problem was i had a small crack in the intake boot allowing SIGNIFICANTLY cooler air to enter the engine and thus since the car was running cooler it threw thoes codes...what a freakin joke.

Chevy and ford and dodge trucks...decent....Chevy, Ford, Mopar cars, (85+) blow ass and are money pits. Lets just say hell would have to freeze over and thaw and jesus would have to walk the earth again before i even CONSIDER buying another mopar

How about 533,000 Toyota trucks recalled due to failed ball joints (you know loss of vehicle control)
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/01/toyota_ball_joints.html

Or the 30,000 Scion TC's with airbags that inadvertantly deploy
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2006/10/scion_recall.html

Or the 420,000 Toyota cars globally recalled for faulty engine parts that could lead to loss of oil and the engine to stop
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/18/AR2006071800681.html

Or the 320,000 Toyota Sequoia minivans recalled due to faulty seatbelts....
http://www.autoaccidentlegalcenter.com/news/recalls/toyota-recalls.html

Or the 81,000 Honda Accords recalled for faulty airbag sensors
http://www.japanesecarswatch.com/honda-recalls-81000-accords.html
 
Or the 45,000 Honda Hybirds recalled for defective voltage converters (causes them not to run)
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2007/02/honda_recalls_4.html
 
Or the 561,000 Hondas recalled due to a defective part in starting the engine.
http://www.autonews24h.com/Auto-Recalls/Honda-vehicle-recall.html
 
 
Believe what you want to believe, the facts are out there if you choose to look for them.  All I did was type "Toyota recalls" into yahoo search.

As for your theory about the Firestone tires....Again, do your research.  I believe it was Car & Driver that did a test where they blew out the left rear tire on an Explorer @ 70 mph, and they were able to brake the vehicle, in a straight line, WITHOUT EVEN TOUCHING THE STEERING WHEEL.  No loss of control due to the blow-out.
 
Poor driving skills (yanking the wheel when the blowout occurs, causing loss of control), bald tires (many with over 80,000 miles), excessive speed (in excess of 85 mph), overloaded trailers, and too many occupants (7 people in a 5 occupant vehicle, 4 thrown from vehicle were not properly restrained and died) were the main causes of the deaths with regards to the Explorers.  Explorers had no higher rate of roll-over than any other SUV on the market.    I personally think Jacque Nasser screwed up when he recalled all of those tires.  That thing got way out of control because of how the press played it out.

Oh yeah....
 
I put 143,000 miles on a 1984 Cavalier with hardly any repairs (pounded on that car in college)
I put 146,000 miles on a 1993 S-10 4wd, again beat the shit out of the truck, no issues
I put 76,000 miles on a 1996 GMC jimmy (in 2 years), again, no problems
I put 84,000 miles on a 1999 Subaru....A split oil filter caused the oil to spray down the engine, the front engine seal failed, the power antennae didn't work for shit.
I've put 48,000 miles on my 3 with no issues, and my wife is just over 51,000 with her 6 with no issues.
 
Apparently my experiences have differed from yours.

well yeah every car is going to have shitty years but still thoes recalls you posted which i would agree would be potentially dangerous are from what year ranges? regardless of the fact the foregin car market has been in the US what...since the late 70's early 80's (majorly). Even so, compared to the amount of foregin recalls to american recals is no where even close. undoubtly the american market has gotten substantially better at building vehicles and i would have no problem buying an american vehicle knowing it wont nickle and dime me to death starting at 60000 miles. The new GM plan 10/100k is going to help them out alot but if you think about it the wouldnt need to put such a rediculous warranty on these cars if they stood behind their cars and built a quality car. most foregin markets dont have that (or without buying it) like i have a 10/100k which is pointless because ive voided it out due to countless mods lol. But at the same time mazda will tell me my wiper arm broke (not that it actually happend) and tell me it was because i have a cold air intake. However they couldn't bullshit there way out of telling me my rear wheel bearing went out at 48k. Mazda actually had to bite the bullet and process it under my warranty. I was waiting for them to say well with this cold air intake and custom exhaust it looks like you drive this to wrecklessly and therefore it was misuse and its not covered

The reason that you see more American recalls over time are numerous...A couple are:

1)The Japanese manufacturers seem to have a habit of hiding a lot more issues than what the US manufacturers admit.  Mistubishi got into a ton of trouble a few years back for that, and again recently.  If we identify an issue, we immediately get that information out.  The Japanese do not.

"Mitsubishi Motors said on July 18 it would offer to recall or check 692,000 cars and trucks in Japan at a cost of five billion yen ($46 million), after acknowledging it hid customer complaints from the Transport Ministry for eight years." http://money.cnn.com/2000/08/22/recalls/car_recall/index.htm

Also......numerous other cover-ups....
http://www.mitsubishisucks.com/cars/scandals/2000/

2) Back in the 70's/80's, Japan was a very small player in the overall automotive market in the US (% market share), they made many fewer cars, and as such they had less opportunities to screw up.  They also launched their vehicles in their domestic market (Japan) to iron the bugs out before they shipped them over here.  We don't have the luxury of a guinea pig market to test out new products.

Those recalls are on Toyota's/Hondas that are available today.  Didn't you look at the links or are you not really interested in having an informed opinion on the subject?  (rather than the blatant bias you currently have).  These should be their highest quality vehicles assuming continuous improvement.  (unless you are saying that their quality has been slipping lately) 

I'll be the first to admit the US cars sucked in the 70's/80's....newsflash, we are almost 20 years removed from the 80's..Times change.  Get over it.

You state Mazda didn't challenge your wheel bearing at all, (i.e. meeting their obligations per the warranty) yet you characterize it like they did fight it, they might as well fight it, you seem to want to accuse them of that anyway (whether they did it or not)

FYI....Dealerships are all independently owned and operated....i.e. the manufacturers have no control over how they run their businesses.  If you have a bad experience with a dealer, find another dealer and report your experiences to the District Service Representative so that Mazda Corporate knows which dealers are getting complaints and low customer satisfaction.

If you really want to know why the Japanese are crushing the US automakers (profitwise), let me give you 3 main reasons that give the Japanese a $3000-$4000/vehicle advantage over the US Mfg.

1) Yen-dollar conversion - this gives them more buying power, i.e. they can put more content into a vehicle at a lower price than we can

2) Retirement benefits - Toyota hasn't had a Union workforce for 100 years and the subsequent costs associated with it.  Right now there are 2-3 people collecting retirement for every person working at the Big3.  That cost translates directly into the cost of the vehicles being produced

3) Health Care benefits....Japan has Nationalized healthcare and as such, Toyota doesn't have to carry the cost of benefits for it's employees.  We do.

Feel free to have your own opinion, just do yourself a favor and have it be an informed one.

SSTLAURE is right.  About a lot!  I've heard recently that Japanese car manufacturers have a real labor cost around $27/hour.  Because of legacy Union pension deals, GM & Ford's real labor cost is now over $70/hour.   It's tough to compete with that big turd on your back. 
 
For 10 years or so, I've heard in the media that American cars are the least expensive to operate overall.  They do break a little more often than the Japanese cars, but they cost less to fix.   My 98 Contour SVT might have cost me as much as $2500, maybe less (excluding tires & oil changes), over its 274,000 mile service life.   I absolutely would have bought another Ford or GM if they made a compact 4door with 6 speed stick and 250HP.  
Fusion and 500 are excellent vehicles that are dressed up and sold under different names like Volvo and Mazda.  Lots of people who don't know any better wont buy them because they have "Ford" on the label.   That really sucks!

quote:

ORIGINAL: VASpeed3

SSTLAURE is right.  About a lot!  I've heard recently that Japanese car manufacturers have a real labor cost around $27/hour.  Because of legacy Union pension deals, GM & Ford's real labor cost is now over $70/hour.   It's tough to compete with that big turd on your back. 

For 10 years or so, I've heard in the media that American cars are the least expensive to operate overall.  They do break a little more often than the Japanese cars, but they cost less to fix.   My 98 Contour SVT might have cost me as much as $2500, maybe less (excluding tires & oil changes), over its 274,000 mile service life.   I absolutely would have bought another Ford or GM if they made a compact 4door with 6 speed stick and 250HP.  
Fusion and 500 are excellent vehicles that are dressed up and sold under different names like Volvo and Mazda.  Lots of people who don't know any better wont buy them because they have "Ford" on the label.   That really sucks!

 
I drove the Ford Focus, which is built on the same frame as the Mazda 3, and has the same engine.  Despite the "major guts" being the same, the Focus doesn't hold a candle to the Mazda 3.  The handling of the M3 is vastly superior, with the same engine somehow the M3 has much better punch, and the interior and style of the M3 is 10 years ahead of the Focus.  I'm all about saving $, I could have acquired a Focus for several $K less than the M3, but I didn't want to accept a lesser vehicle.
 
I also drove the Fusion, it may be doing well reliability-wise, but I didn't care for it.  It handled like a typical stodgy US name plate sedan.
 
I guess what I'm saying is reliability is part of it, but the Asian nameplates are building cars that are not just more reliable on average, but also better in performance.  A friend has a Hyundai Sonata, it handles great, smooth like silk on the highway, nice interior, and zero problems in over 1 year of ownership.
 
GM and Ford may have the high labor costs, but also, outside of full size pickups and SUVs, what they are offering just isn't near what the Asian nameplates are doing.  They were too fat and happy in the late 90s, when every soccer mom wanted an Explorer, and every redneck wanted an F150 or a Silverado.  They invested nothing in the other areas of their product line, and are paying the price now. 

I only have one problme with your #1.ss. If we decided to take a look at the european market they are still able to price cars realtively around the same as asian or american vehicles and the Euro actually has a higher monetary value than the american dollar (not by much) and even so they are still putting better technology and building techniques in thoes cars for the same price. So if thats the case, going to your example to the Yen and being able to put more in thier cars because in turn cost them less and conversion jacks way up in the US (for obvious reasons) they are making money. Yet to the Euro (which its value is more than the american dollar) they are still putting more into their cars sending them to the US where in turn is actually cheaper than and selling them for a loss? Doesn't make sense.

quote:

ORIGINAL: mzdaspd304

I only have one problme with your #1.ss. If we decided to take a look at the european market they are still able to price cars realtively around the same as asian or american vehicles and the Euro actually has a higher monetary value than the american dollar (not by much) and even so they are still putting better technology and building techniques in thoes cars for the same price. So if thats the case, going to your example to the Yen and being able to put more in thier cars because in turn cost them less and conversion jacks way up in the US (for obvious reasons) they are making money. Yet to the Euro (which its value is more than the american dollar) they are still putting more into their cars sending them to the US where in turn is actually cheaper than and selling them for a loss? Doesn't make sense.

 
As I stated, the currency conversion is only part of it.  If all of the components for the European brands came from Europe & assembly done in Europe, then exported to the US, then you would be correct, however the European brands also have low cost countries that they can go to for labor etc. (Eastern European nations are to Germany what Mexico is to the US, and they also procure parts from Asia.)  But as they are already considered an import, there isn't any restriction placed on domestic US content (because there is none), whereas we maintain a minimum domestic content per import/export rules.    (Notice also that the European brands aren't doing all that well financially recently when contrasted with the $12Billion profit of Toyota, but not nearly the losses that the US has seen.)
 
People like to complain that jobs are going to Mexico and to China, and they are right.  But for us to be competitive with the competition cost-wise (which extensively use SE Asia markets for labor/materials) we have no choice.  The desire is obviously to have Americans employed making American cars, buying American cars.  If the jobs making the parts (however cheap you can get them) place the jobs overseas, then we lose as a country, not just as an industry.  The choice is in our hands to buy American.  The products today are the best they've ever been (And don't tell me the Camry or Accord are "exciting to drive", they couldn't be more boring...)  You're going to see more excitement out of Ford, more power, AWD drivetrains.  The Fusion/Milan/MKZ and the Edge/MKX are just the start.  I purchase my companies products.  Period. 
 
One of the main reasons this country is so strong today is because we have an extensive middle class in this country with large buying power.  A large portion (roughly 20% when you go through the entire supply chain) is attributed to American automotive manufacturing jobs.  Loss of these jobs has a direct impact on our economy.  Unfortunately, Americans want everything cheap....Walmart is the poster-child for China, there are literally millions of people employed in China to make the things sold at Walmart.  Those things could be produced here in America, but as we don't have a Communist controlled economy, the labor rate for the manufacture of those goods would be higher here (I don't think anyone would get by on the ~$1/day they make in China, which in a controlled non-free market economy will provide a living......A joke by our standards...)  The goods would then cost more. 
 
Would you pay more for something (providing all other things were equal) if it were made in America? 
 
I would.

Give this article a read.....
 
http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto_News/Commentary/At_Witz_End_Whats_an_American_Car.S192.A11981.html