Term Paper on "Chrysler Pt Cruiser"

Term Paper 5 pages (1712 words) Sources: 4 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

PT Cruiser

DaimlerChrysler's PT Cruiser

The PT Cruiser, or Personal Transport Cruiser, is a brand of automobiles manufactured by American producer Chrysler. The car has a rather old style look and it is generally taller than an average vehicle. The production was initially commenced in 2001 and the automobile was well received by the market. To boost up sales, the manufacturer diversified the product offering and created a new design, the convertible PT Cruiser. The strategy was successful and it quite managed to reinvent the car and attract new buyers. Another successful strategy was implemented with the enlargement of the accessories, which also captured the interest of the audience. Also, the manufacturer only issued a limited number of convertible PT Cruisers, which added more value for the buyer, as the purchaser was able to become the owner of a product belonging to a limited edition. Limited editions were also produced with black windows that would not allow the pedestrians to see anything inside the car (Yoxon).

Impressed with the results retrieved on the American market, Chrysler then began increasing the production lines and selling the car to foreign countries as well, such as Canada, the United Kingdom or Australia. The basic strategy at the core of the PT Cruiser was based on the car's uniqueness and the numerous elements that made it special and different. "Those who dare to be different will earn the admiration of some and the scorn of others. So it is with the PT Cruiser. But Chrysler has to be commended for designing and building a vehicle that is so decidedly different, even more so for making it comfortable, practical and fun to drive" (Yoxon)

But despite the beneficial features and outcomes of the PT Cruiser, later news indicates a major decrease in sales of Chrysler's automobile and the company has even announced that it will cease its production in 2009.

Despite the relatively large numbers of satisfied customers, there were also registered high numbers of unsatisfied customers. And proof of all the encountered problems stands the current status of the automobile. The primary insufficiencies of Chrysler's model include an excessive oil consumption, delays in repairing the damaged vehicles due to poor services and a wide series of improperly running components. Also, from the part of those that did not purchase the car, comments have been made regarding the old style of the vehicle. "The Cruiser, with its dominant hood, high roof, front and rear fenders, and steeply sloped back has been likened to a modern rendition of a '39 Ford or a hot rod for the people, but it was just as likely to conjure up the image of a miniature hearse, which turned some people off" (Yoxon).

The problem of increased oil consumption was made public by various PT owners. Shawn Chastain for instance said that his car came to consume one quart (quarter of a gallon, approximately one liter) of oil per 500 miles driven, to even come to one quart for 370 miles. Through numerous 'visits' to auto repair services, the owner found out there was a major problem with the car's valves. "Ferman tore down the engine and informed me that they found nine bad valve seals. Ferman replaced the entire head. They also replaced the valve cover, there is an issue with some 2001 model PT Cruisers have a defective valve cover that causes the PCV valve to suck in oil" (Chastain). The efforts had however been in vain and the car was eventually replaced by the manufacturer. The old one was taken back, repaired and placed again onto the market. And the list of unsatisfied customers that have reported oil consumption problems and had to deal with poor repair services in endless.

Other problems of the PT Cruisers as identified by customers revolve around misplaced and poorly running wires and connections and difficulties in adjusting the front seats. "The handle needed to be pulled up by a very strong person in order for it to work. They lubeed the track and never fixed the recliner handle" (PT Cruiser Problems). Also, the breaks, the safety belts and the key remotes were not always working properly, all to culminate with situations when the owner could not get his car to start. And to top it all, the customers also complained about the inferior quality of the services received whenever they called or went over to have their cars (still in warranty) fixed. "Called the dealer (I was around the corner) the service department had just closed. The person who answered the phone was very rude and not at all helpful" (PT Cruiser Problems). Another example of poor services was given by customers who had to fight to get an alternative means of transport from the dealer for the period when their cars were in services.

A question being posed here is whether the path of the PT Cruiser was drawn beforehand and the company had nothing to do about it, or were there mistakes in their approach. In other words, could other strategies have been implemented to increase the success of the PT onto the market and to avoid ceasing the production next year?

In order to avoid the unfavorable outcome, I would have gone about four different directions. First of all, there would have been superior customer services; then, I would have maintained constant communications with the clients; I would have also invested more in product development and improvement, and finally, I would have better identified the target market for the PT Cruiser.

A higher quality of the services offered to customers would have definitely resulted in more favorable results and significantly reduced complaints. The additional efforts would have revolved around 24 hours assistance for urgent situations; as such, the owners of PTs would not have been forced to request the services of other auto garages if their cars broke down in the middle of the road at 5:05 PM. Then, the service providers should have been better trained and more polite with the customers as they ultimately represent the manufacturer's liaison with the end consumers. Chrysler should have also maintained constant communications with the customers as to retrieve feedback; the complaints should have been filed and introduced in the process of product improvement. For instance, the company could have listened to the first complaints with oil consumption and improved the quality of the valves so to reduce excessive oil consumption.

To offer another perspective on the PT's fate, one should first identify the market addressed by Chrysler's automobile. Whether it was a mistake or not remains a decision for each to make, but the manufacturer did not identify a particular target market for their car. This decision was based on the belief that the car would appeal to "anybody with money" (Kachadourian, 2000). For the youngest consumers, the purchasing decision was based on their personal characteristics. For instance, the confident youth would get the courage to appreciate the car's boldness, but the shier ones seeking social acceptance would generally reject the PT. By the more mature and older consumers, the car was believed to be perceived as retro, and receive positive feedback and several purchases (Kachadourian, 2000).

But since the production of the car will be ceased in 2009, it becomes obvious that the strategy implemented was not the most beneficial one. The company should have better selected one target market and specialized on it. For instance, they could have chosen to address the mature buyer, of both genders and coming from the medium income population. The medium income criteria could have been a generic one and it would have been based on PT's retail price to the end consumer, somewhere between $16,000 and $20,000. The age criteria would also have been successful for three main reasons. First of all, the mature population has a formed personality and a better knowledge of themselves; ergo, they do not need the acceptance of society; or at least, not so much as the insecure adolescent. Then, more mature individuals are likely to better appreciate the retro look as it would remind them of the cars drove by their parents or even by themselves in their youth. A third reason is strictly linked to the cars' design and it revolves around its height feature, which is generally appreciated by the older consumers, who find it as such easier to get in and out of the car.

The PT Cruiser is currently in its maturity state as a product and its decline is unavoidable. However, a re-launch on the market would be possible if certain requirements were met. In this order of ideas, the quality of the product has to be improved. The efforts must be sustainable and real as they have to repair the negative reputation created so far. Then, the company employees in the sales and service department have to be trained and taught how to treat customers with the utmost respect. They must also learn how to efficiently retrieve information from… READ MORE

How to Reference "Chrysler Pt Cruiser" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Chrysler's Decade of Debacles: 2001-The Present Thesis

Chrysler's Decade Of Debacles: 2001-the Present

As early as 2003, Chrysler's obituary was being written by Jerry Flint of Forbes.com. According to his article "Chrysler's marketing mistakes," Chrysler had done… read more

Thesis 2 pages (804 words) Sources: 3 Topic: Transportation / Mass Transit

---

Sweet Grass Cheese's Development and Growth Term Paper

Sweet Grass cheese's development and growth over the years, focusing on planned and unplanned occurrences that grew their business. In addition, it discusses challenges and opportunities that they, and other… read more

Term Paper 4 pages (1139 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Nutrition / Diet / Eating

---

Impact of the Higher Gas Prices in the Automobile Industry Term Paper

High Gas Prices on the Automobile Industry

The heart and soul of this study, the primary research question, purports: What impact(s) do higher gas prices exert on the automobile industry… read more

Term Paper 44 pages (12212 words) Sources: 20 Style: APA Topic: Energy / Power

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>