Consumers wary about automaker bankruptcy

"It's the area most impacted if there's disruption in the supply chain of replacement parts in the repair industry," said Ron Pyle, president of the Automotive Service Association, a Bedford, Texas-based group representing 10,000 independent facilities.

"If you can't get original equipment manufacturers parts, there could be a huge impact," said Sean McCall, owner of Hatch's Auto Body in Denver. "Aftermarket (collision) parts are definitely not of the same quality, they're not as strong, don't fit properly, and your vehicle wouldn't be considered in pre-accident condition."

A shortage of mechanical parts would take longer to bear out, Pyle said, because general repair shops often use aftermarket parts.

The fear of bankruptcy may exacerbate the loss of market share that has helped push the U.S. automakers to their weakened state to begin with. GM, which held 35 percent of U.S. market share in 1990, captured 24 percent of sales last year.

As gas prices rose, Consumers started shopping for smaller cars and hybrids, and ended up turning to foreign brands, said Mark Guarino, senior automotive analyst for Chicago-based Mintel Group Inc.

"The Big Three have been really hesitant to invest in those alternative-fuel technologies," he said. "Instead, they've done everything they can to wring all they can out of the market through their luxury and SUV lines."

Darlene Blount, 33, a human resources executive in Los Angeles, drives two luxury cars, including a BMW convertible. She said when she thinks of GM, she thinks of Cadillac, "and when I think Cadillac, I think of my dad's car."

"Considering I and many others don't have a lot of faith in the GM brands, I would be concerned with a bankrupt GM cutting corners in the manufacturing and design of future vehicles to save a buck, especially in a time where they should be spending more money to research fuel efficiency and other things to enhance their brands and make them competitive."

But there are GM loyalists, such as Stacey Startzel and her husband Norman. The couple recently purchased a 2008 Pontiac G8 sedan after selling a GMC Envoy and trading in their GMC Sierra pickup.

"Even with GM facing bankruptcy, I would not hesitate to buy one again," said Startzel, 33, who lives in Germany where her husband serves in the Air Force. "We have the factory warranty, but I'm confident that even if they file bankruptcy it won't mean that their doors will be shuttered, and the warranty will be honored."

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