Chevy Cobalt Case Summary

This week we have been assigned the task of evaluating the quality system that was used by General Motors during the recall of the Chevy Cobalt. A switch in an area of the manufacturers design caused the corporation to be in the spotlight unexpectedly. The public wanted answers and GM was deliberate in their approach to settling the matter. This essay will shed light on the perceived quality structure used in this case as well as my thoughts and opinions on whether or not GM used the proper quality system. Between the years of 2005 and 2008, GM decided to implement a different switch for the ignition in its Chevy Cobalt line. Prior to receiving this knowledge from an ignition-failure victim, GM was puzzled about what could be causing the malfunction. The article that we were given as reference for this assignment stated that at least 13 individuals had been killed as a result of the …show more content…
When the GM engineers collaborated to determine an ignition switch replacement, the user-based approach to quality should have been applied. Allowing the consumer to be a part of the product production would have given the company a non-biased view on the design. “The user-based definition favours the consumer but poses important challenges for the managers who must be in a position to measure customers’ subjective perceptions and then translate them into operational efficiency” (“Re-defining”, n.d.). The likely-hood that GM will use this method is uncertain, however, an educated guess would say that the user-based approach would require GM to do some extra work that they may be trying to avoid. The automotive industry as a whole has built a reputation of giving the consumer what they think the consumer wants. Seeking the opinion of the end user would cause GM to remove its selfish, internal culture and allow the customers the opportunity to enlighten the automaker on what they would like to have crafted in a vehicle