GM's Mary Barra to staff: "No more crappy cars." | Fortune

Mary Barra, who is a top contender to eventually run General Motors, is considered to have one of the hardest jobs in the global auto industry.

[@Rayelth]

So she just admitted that GM cars are crappy?

[@Trevrz1]

Shut up fanboy.

[@terrythomas1690]

Yes they are we have a crappy Astra 2.0 hatch never seen so much plastic crap in a car ever ! Breakdowns are a monthly occurance ! Cheers Mary ! Best advice to car buyers Don´t buy a GM EVER !

[@bruteman45]

what are you talking about I own a gm car and truck and has always been there for me

[@bruteman45]

you just cant take care of anything can you????? my dads z71 is 10 years old 07 has 56.000 miles still goin strong

[@grunt98444]

She otta know, they were created and built on her watch

[@emeyer6963]

This was from 5 years ago and they still make crappy vehicles.

[@howtorawk]

Checking in from 2021. Every Chevy bolt (the only EV they have delivered) ever sold has been recalled due to hazardous batteries which spontaneously self ignite, can’t charge overnight, and can’t park inside and yes they have been banned from parking garages across the country.

[@timothyhandl2223]

GM always has been and always will be crap.

[@ThePlanetZebulon5]

Great idea. Maybe GM could do something about fixing the "crappy cars" that we've already been sold.

[@DanFrederiksen]

She should have asked if GM can become an innovator and leader like Tesla or if they are all corporate cement heads. She doesn't seem like a changer.

[@Luisosaaby]

She was at the Pontiac factories,wonder why they are dead now?,she drove couple cars,yes....Fiero,Cavalier,Boneville,Chevelle,Malibu and other GM crap and call them other cars?

[@grunt98444]

She did the same thing at Oldsmobile

[@vicpetrishak7705]

Tell us about General Motors Corporation ignition switches and the cover up , Mary . Tell us about Chevrolet pickup trucks : Fuel lines Brake lines Cracked windshields Rusted frames Brake failure , rust jacketed wheel sensors

[@mikecoughlin3222]

I own a 2006 lexus rx. just passed 300k miles, no hesitation it will cruise to 400k - only two tuneups. the last tuneup took in at 275k for what I thought would be a major tuneup, since the last one was at 150k. They came back and said they just refreshed the fluids, that's all that was required, so I guess really only one official tuneup. And if you know Lexus dealerships, they are very thorough. I had a GM car once, it crapped out at 95k.

[@charlescaruana967]

Mean while into 2019....its like the development of Anikin Skywalker into Dark Vader all over again..

[@johnprendergast1338]

"No more crappy cars".....What a visionary !? What an inspiration !? Probably a good manager of GM,s demise while picking up a big check for failing on the way out ….)))

[@falconeighteen]

Cruze, Volt, vega, lumina, aztec, saturn, and many more.

[@tarawhite4419]

EXACTLY this is why I switched to Subaru

[@dannyrodriguez7451]

As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at GENERAL MOTORS CO, Mary T. Barra made $21,905,256 in total compensation. Of this total $2,100,000 was received as a salary, $4,956,000 was received as a bonus, $3,250,003 was received in stock options, $10,737,570 was awarded as stock and $861,683 came from other types of compensation. This information is according to proxy statements filed for the 2017 fiscal year. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer GENERAL MOTORS CO Fiscal Year Ended in 2017 View local and national averages for salaries $2,100,000Base Pay$4,956,000Bonus + Non-EquityIncentive Comp $7,056,000 Total Cash Comp$10,737,570Stock Award Value$3,250,003Option Award Value $13,987,573 Total Equity$861,683Total Other $21,905,256 Total Compensation

[@Tmiptime]

Best way to support staff : sell company, close factory, close research lab

[@bbbeck6573]

The CT6 is one of the best cars they have to offer. Self driving plus all the technology you can imagine. Compared to all; BMW, Mercedes, etc and from handling to acceleration; the 3.0TT although a luxury car it drives like a sport sedan, but with a lot of room! Why are they killing this car?

[@hakeemsd70m]

The only reason I can possibly think that GM will kill the CT6 is because of the new XT6 crossover thing. A sad shame, because CT6 is a really attractive car, but the XT6 is pretty bland.

[@stormtruupr]

MBA from Stanford , Bsc in electrical engineering and 30 years experience, still cant fix GM. I with a high school diploma could fix GM in a few weeks.

[@jaredstieg4238]

I did a test every truck that passed my driver side mirror mostly parallel more that 1mph head on I wrote down. 44 GM, 17 Ford, 15 dodge/ram, 3 toyota.

[@fotismpalopitas7196]

6 years later she destroys the company.

[@johnsradios484]

Telling staff “ no more crappy cars “ wasn’t & it’s that your responsibility? I’m not a fan of how the workers and the American people have been treated by GM.

[@12boocat55]

General Motors, you can do it, but your future will never look like the old corporate model again. I doubt Barra or any of the present management even have a clue about the future, they are too entrenched in the past. How one dresses is 1950's. There is a new path, but not with the current cars and management.

[@kingnillvwell381]

If words would solve the world then we’ll talk forever. consumer respect is what matters.

[@magnatone1960]

I've made the mistake of buying a new 2015 Buick Verano a month ago after owning mostly Japanese cars for over four decades. Biggest mistake I've made with a large $$ purchase ever. The car is riddled with fit and finish issues including multiple paint defects and body panel alignment problems. One of the paint defects was even rusting at the time of delivery and the rust is now continuing to spread under the paint. Here's a link to pictures showing only some of the issues this car was delivered with. www.flickr.com/photos/131226313@N05/ After a month of trying to get GM to own up to their quality control failures I've met with a GM rep today that couldn't care less about GM's stated commitment to quality and their customer's new car ownership experience. I had actually believed about half of what I've read and heard about the "new" GM from interviews like this one above and thought it was safe to trust GM again. They have now proven to me beyond any doubt that I was an idiot to think that.

[@12boocat55]

GM (the new PR name for General Motors) has lost it's lofty position as world's largest corporation, and now relies on a woman to PR a dying company. Sad, but the world will be much better in 2030 when GM is dead and other world car companies provide reliable vehicles for the people...not market segments.

[@Trevrz1]

GM isn't dying anymore than Chrysler. They fucked up and they know it. Barra is paying for those fuckups and it will take time. but if Ford and Chrysler made it so will GM.

[@12boocat55]

Trevrz1 I agree, but battling back seems like a loser trying to regain some sense of former glory. The corporate culture was not healthy; it was not a world economy issue, but a corporate greed to ignore, deny and keep raking it in culture. GM had better start making cars for the people, reliable, economical, affordable, nice design (don't say VW)....get Barra out of her corvette/camero mode and into the future....

[@Trevrz1]

12boocat Well I think they're better than they were. Not the best but improved. All I'm saying. I hope she's tough enough to get through this period.

[@mansidasgupta7104]

Motors. Means. Machine. Motionable. Everytype. Machine.

[@stormtruupr]

Her job is so simple . She dances around the problem she has and does not give a solid answers. Everything is a tradeoff "Quality vs price" it ends right there. All she has to do is benchmark the leading vehicle in each segment and build a vehicle equal or better . Then all you do is sit back and watch the market reaction and make adjustments as required. Toyota and Honda make good cars at a good price point in America why can't or won't GM?

[@WizardTerence]

She actually said "NO MOTE CRAPPY CARS "???!!!!!!!!!!! WTF

[@detroitluxury]

GM focuses a lot on their higher priced models but need to improve Chevrolet as well. Cadillac has won awards left and right and their quality is now said to be back on par with European makes. Buick has also been doing very well. Chevrolet is where the problems are, as they don't devote enough attention to these cars, and quality and safety suffers.

[@Trevrz1]

Most issues stem from older, discontinued models Brian. I would know I had a Cobalt and now have a Sonic. Needed a solid, good mpg for my business. The 'balt really was bargain bin and cheaply engineered (minus the motor) C-segment car and the new car is def a solid contender to accent, Rio, and Fiesta. Night and day. But it will take a while to permeate the American public. Much like Ford took a while after the Pinto debacle.

[@danielcolanton7504]

What?! Wait no more? Well I must say that escalade is a true SUV..

[@a.c.e.7568]

Mary, I read John Z De Lorean's "On A Clear Day, You Can See General Motors" and then "The Fall and Rise of General Motors". Really, did they "Rise"? And then after the "Buy Out" some ten years ago, nothing seems to change at GM. I have looked at GMs, but I would never buy a GM because compared to Asian and German cars, you still produce "crappy cars". I know how you people think. You produced a car with an ignition switch problem that killed just over 100 people and nobody is in jail considering GM knew about the issue. As for the dress code at 4:08, De Lorean was the first to do so in the 60s. Sorry, but I can't take GM too seriously.

[@emailbenjie]

Can a line worker stop the line when he/she notices a defect? If not, they're doomed!

[@e.rivera4251]

...It is not up to her..is called "Planned obsolescence" and lies down there at a small room in the engineering dept....meanwhile in japan...................................

[@darthbane5408]

American car companies are known for trucks and muscle cars, but lately I've seen sedans coming up. But they're going to have a hard time changing public's mind due to horrible sedans built only for profit. Hyundai is still trying to shake that mantra.

[@nycrl5228]

Mary lets get in the backseat of my impala

[@wfurey]

Pleasant interview. Not exactly hard hitting but a competent job. My takeaway? Why on earth do you allow the ads to come on at triple volume? For me this speaks magnitudes on Fortune magazine's technical incompetency. Do you even listen to your final production? Pathetic.

[@CarlosRodriguez-ey8zl]

And since then, a slew of crappy cars and recall worthy fiascos. She needs to go.

[@mansidasgupta7104]

Nice. Company. General. Motors. Covers. World. Please. Launch. Security. Option. In. Internet.

[@דניאלאלון-פ4ג]

It's very important to know!!!!!!!!!!! The GM customer service will be finished immediately after buying and receiving the new vehicle!!! Then there are problems, lots of visits to the garages, lots of liars in the garages, and total lack of customer service!!! Very dangerous to buy a car in GM!!! 👎👎👎👎😬👎👎😬

[@jamessmith5535]

GM still hasent hit the mark on quality automobiles

[@mansidasgupta7104]

Make. Electric. Gun. For. Electric. Shoke. And. For. Burn. To. Bones. And. Musseles. For. Safty.

[@bettyritchie6632]

Yes, you make a crappy product and your warranty sucks.

[@philipleonardo798]

They admit tbey do crappy cars that is why they loose clients..GM need to change their crappy leadership lol

[@118Columbus]

GM sux. Always has, always will.

[@detroitluxury]

No it hasn't always...My '67 Cadillac was built like a tank and my '08 Cadillac DTS hasn't let me down yet. The cheaper cars (Chevrolets) do need improvement.

[@RazorKane22]

Brian C You are one stubborn mule

[@detroitluxury]

You're probably right, but I hate giving up on U.S. companies. I watched the Zenith T.V. plant near me ship off to Mexico. It was one of the last, and now there's no more American T.V. companies. Hard to compete with dirt cheap labor and virtually no regulations abroad, I guess. I hope GM improves and keeps jobs here.

[@dynjarren7523]

The Corvette sux? The Camaro sux? I don’t think so. GM used to make quality cars with powerful engines. I owned and drove a Pontiac. It was a great car! I don’t know what they are doing now. This CEO does not inspire confidence. She’s not a car person. Pontiacs were great rides but they got rid of the Pontiac brand back in 2008. Big Mistake! Its too late now. The chickens are coming home to roost.

[@fortune]

VIDEO: GM's Mary Barra to staff: "No more crappy cars." - Mary Barra, who is a top contender to eventually run General Motors, is considered to have one of the hardest jobs in the global auto industry #FortuneMPW #MaryBarra

[@terrythomas1690]

+Fortune Magazine Eath to fortune Magazine ! Mary is still making crappy cars ! Now the Police cars have steering problems ! Whats next ?? Stop praising these corporate idiots who pay themselves too much and produce crap vehicles !

[@garrywest7737]

Yeah & she's in charge, ummm, maybe GM'S problems are MARY BARRA, trying to make a name for herself, at the people's demise, het rid of this person, if not GM be looking for another bailout, buy FORD PRODUCTS, BETTER AUTO'S , BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE.

[@jtan2010]

volt is still a very very crappy ugly car!!!!!!!!

[@12boocat55]

Barra is old school left-over corporate crap.

[@JeepCherokeeful]

12boocat this is being proven, worst, GM crap!. Chrysler is kicking their asses! And I’m all For Ford;)

[@hatelazymarxists4472]

Marry Barra shows how total incompetence can ruin a well established company

[@RazorKane22]

If people are stupid enough to buy GM vehicles then they deserve every bit of their misery.

[@bruteman45]

I own a gm car I love it you just gotta be a hater

[@hakeemsd70m]

Sounds like somebody has been drinking haterade. GM cars are great, we love our Chevy Malibu. I got a Cadillac Deville on the way soon, hopefully.

[@MegaThunder70]

No more crappy cars huh , I work next door to a Chevy dealership and a friend of mine who works there said he has had several new Silverados that had the high pressure fuel pump that crapped out at 75 miles yeah high quality there. Not to mention their new cars and trucks are made in Mexico and China yeah they’re making great cars.

[@steveboback6812]

so what, men did this job. Her head is now on the chopping block, and she will die, as will GM.

[@Trevrz1]

People said the same shit after the Ford Pinto. All bs. Actually Ford holds the record for recalls. Fanboy is stupid obvious.

[@paulwilliams2024]

Ya the same way toyota died right ? No wait they made faulty cars , and people still buy them !

[@prancer71]

+Steve Boback GM won't die because it will get 100 more bailouts from uncle sam who feels sorry for the angry white male workers there

[@bruteman45]

gm never got bailed out

[@jaredstieg4238]

How come all the mechanics drive GM

[@timw4369]

if thats the case you might have to get rid of your entire lineup. NOthing but garbage.

[@S.M.214]

She needs to say it in Mandarin and Spanish because Canada and the USA are seeing their plants closed by GM.

[@JeepCherokeeful]

Can’t make crap cars if you don’t have them

[@howardkoor2796]

Very informative

[@12boocat55]

GM is not General Motors any longer. Their PR people are parading Barra to every media venue...just another sign of a weak business. Buy anything else, avoid "GM" they are dying (as are their customers).

[@inachu]

No more crappy cars= Must get 36 MPG or more. All electronics packages are standard. Mandates to dealships must not replace good tires put at on factory. Doors having mutliple notches for various sized parking lots. Many American cars only have 2 notches and those are not enough to prevent scratches in tight lots. For muscle cars fire the sales men who sell the cars with all weather tires on them. #ripoff.

[@cableandchain]

black guy been desighn cars for 40 years he started about 1973 when the chevy truck came out with 4 head lights and all that stupid chrome on sides yah go gm go

[@Hurricanemarty]

Very impressive. Mary Barra seems to be perfect for CEO job. Z06 is an awesome start. I think the Z06 will kick butt on anything below 300k! C5 Camaro mostly sucks though(accept LE and z28) I'm sure C6 Camaro will be lighter, smaller(too fat now) ...as an example, the turbo BRZ :)..driving feel is super important. The Camaro drives like a fat muscle car(old GM style). The FRS/BRZ drives like a motorcycle fun, light and easy.

[@jamesmcdonald240]

NO GM....spend 30Grand on a car that one month later starts having issues and the local dealers say its normal and they wont do anything about nor will they let you drive another one to prove that the issues appearing in the vehicle are in fact NOT NORMAL for a brand new 30K car..DONT DO IT

[@nimueh4298]

Five years later same old same, that's why 5 plants are closing because of poor sales.

[@TheWwong]

Good luck Ms. Barra. After decades of mismanagement and "crappy cars" the buying public will be wary of being victimized again by buying a GM product again.

[@howtorawk]

Chevy bolt checking in from 2021 😂

[@zookaru]

😂 mary is from royal oak, so i know she drives 95mph

[@Megscol23]

Remember who your customer is

[@Atombender]

At least we're not Detr...oh wait :(

[@12boocat55]

maybe it's time for "GM" to give up the Durant 1908 model of corporate growth and begin to cross-share it's european models and american models and move their dealers into the future... the time of "different markets" is over.

[@grunt98444]

They already have. The last few years of Saturn were re-badged Opel's as were the Cadillac Catera and their only BEV. The last gen GTO's were AU Holden's. Their purchase of Saab killed the company.

[@howtorawk]

You were far ahead of the curve. Impressive

[@danielswanson5113]

Shove it or leave it is the GM motto.

[@Springbok314]

Mary Barra is exactly the right boss at the right time for GM. She obviously has the education and experience to run the company. But she clearly also has the insight and emotional intelligence needed to make the systemic changes needed. Those who keep harping on the GM quality problems of the past are missing the point. It is about the customer and the product. She knows what she is doing and GM will lead the industry under her direction.

[@grunt98444]

Yeah, lead them right into bankruptcy again.

[@sellershymel1744]

Nice job on the Cobalt,Mary.

[@Trevrz1]

She didn't develop the Cobalt you tool. And it was discontinued in '10.

[@hudsonpitts994]

Not hard to see why she became CEO....There's hope for GM...

[@praxsta887]

+James Wisrik This literally has no meaning at all to GM becoming better, but good job though.

[@praxsta887]

As I was saying... This isn't about GM being better than Lexus or whatever you drive, the point is that they're getting better, or at least trying to make a better go of it.

[@TURBOINTEGRATYPER]

@@praxsta887 Explain how they are getting better.? By closing plants and thousands out of work.? Dog shit doesn't sell very good bud.

[@grunt98444]

This the same Mary Barra who killed Pontiac, Oldsmobile and damn near Chevy in the 90's. How did all that platform sharing working for ya Mary?

[@TURBOINTEGRATYPER]

What a useless ceo. She’s done absolutely nothing except put hard working people out of a job and collect her 22 million dollar salary while doing it.

[@kubanskiloewe]

keep on, newest US cars generation is very capable....looking forward for Camaro 2016 . greetings from germany

[@bruteman45]

IF ANYBODY FEELS THAT GM DOESNT MAKE RELIABLE CARS HERE'S MY ANSWER ARE YOU READ? BUY A BICYCLE HOW BOUT THAT