Free Mafia Hat on 2040-cars

Auto blog

China's rise, global restructuring wither GM's Korea division

An article in the Daily Kanban suggests the sun is setting on GM Korea, and it could already be well into dusk. GM Korea came about when General Motors, along with co-investors SAIC and Suzuki, bought Daewoo Motors from parent company Daewoo Group in 2001; it had a previous tie-up with GM, a joint venture that ended in 1992, although Daewoo cars were based on GM cars until 1996. Over the decade following the purchase, it became such an important part of operations that it was renamed GM Korea in 2011, "to reflect its heightened status in [the] global operations of GM." Just two years later, the printed rumors were that the subsidiary responsible for a fifth of Chevrolet's global production could be shutting down. The division's sales were down almost 21 percent through November of last year, counting domestic South Korean sales, exports, and CKD – Complete Knock Down – products. That makes the labor strife, already an issue for four years, even more acute, reports say the subsidiary will lose $36 million a year if it can't get the job and wage cuts it wants, and government concessions can't make up for the losses. And it gets worse, so head over to Daily Kanban to read the rest of the story.

Suzuki calls in 26,000 Daewoo-built Veronas for overheating lights

Suzuki is recalling yet another Daewoo-built model due to possible problems with the daytime running light module in the instrument panel. This time it covers about 25,899 units of the Suzuki Verona from the 2004 through 2006 model years that need fixing. Like the repair campaign of the Forenza and Reno in May, it's possible for the part to overheat, melt and potentially cause a fire.
According to the Chronology of Principal Events section in the defect notice submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this recall was actually a direct result of the Forenza/Reno campaign. After finding the problem in those vehicles, General Motors Korea started investigating for more affected models and discovered that the Verona was also at risk. However, the report says that no cases of melting or fires have been found in the Verona.
Obviously, Suzuki will be notifying affected owners and will replace the DRL module free of charge. Scroll down to read the recall request or check out the full defect notice in PDF format, here.

Junkyard Gem: 2001 Daewoo Nubira CDX Sedan

From 1988 to 1993, North American car shoppers were able to buy a new Daewoo from Pontiac dealers: the LeMans, a South Korean-built version of the Opel Kadett E. It wasn't until the 1999 model year, however, that Daewoo-badged cars became available in the United States, with the debut of the Lanos, Leganza, and Nubira. The descendant of the Lanos lives on here (as the Chevrolet Sonic), but the Daewoo name departed these shores in 2002. You won't see many Daewoos on American roads today, but I was able to photograph this very rare top-trim-level 2001 Nubira sedan in a Colorado self-service wrecking yard. These cars were a bit cheaper than their Japanese rivals, but most American car buyers didn't feel so confident about an off-brand marque that they— correctly— felt would disappear in a few years. The CDX was the top trim level of the Nubira, and it came standard with such features as cruise control and a CD player. MSRP for the CDX sedan was $14,199, which didn't look like a bad deal next to the $14,995 Chevrolet Cavalier LS or the $16,910 Honda Civic EX. Daewoo found few takers, though. This one got well past 150,000 miles, so it appears to have held together well enough for its 17 years on the road. The melted, dog-hair-covered rubber lizard on the dash must have cut its resale value by at least half, when the Nubira's final owner was contemplating calling the wrecking yard. The engine came right out of the GM Global Parts Bin, a 2.0-liter Opel-designed DOHC four-banger, built in Australia by Holden and rated at 129 entirely adequate horsepower. Much more reliable in the South Korean Mojave than a 1980s Celica! Featured Gallery Junked 2001 Daewoo Nubira CDX View 16 Photos Auto News Daewoo Automotive History Sedan