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Will the bailout keep auto workers employed for 5+ years? I ask because that's what it's going to take before any of these sinking car companies are going to be able to turn things around. In the short term, nobody is going to be buying much of anything, especially not large items like cars, so the bailout money is going to have to last awhile or they will need additional bailouts over the next few years.
At the end of the day, the only way for these car companies to survive is to have people buy their cars. People will only buy their cars if they're cheaper (fuel efficient and repairs/parts) and more reliable (if you save on gas but your car is broken down or has ongoing minor problems costing you hundreds you're still losing) than the competition. People have become so accustomed to buying foreign because domestic cars don't work as well. It will take time just for the psychology to be reversed.
These car companies really screwed over American consumers and created this entire mess. I remember some people used to pony up the extra funds for an American car just to support American companies. It was the 'patriotic' thing to do. The car companies rewarded these people with an inferior product decade after decade. Even the most ardent 'patriot' eventually woke up and stopped buying.
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