Forty-one percent (41%) of Americans expect the quality of General Motors cars to get worse now that the federal government is the majority owner of the bankrupt automaker.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 19% believe the quality of GM cars will improve while 16% expect little change and 24% are not sure.

Investors are even more dubious. Forty-five percent (45%) say the quality of GM cars will get worse.
Most skeptical are current owners of GM cars, 48% of whom say the quality of the company’s products will go down under majority government ownership. This helps explain why GM owners are looking elsewhere for their next car—just 42% say they’re likely to buy another GM product.

Sixty-nine percent (69%) believe it is likely that the government will get deeply involved in making decisions at GM. That figure includes 44% who say it is very likely and 25% who say it is somewhat likely. Only 15% believe that the government is not likely to get heavily involved.

Only 18% of Americans think the United Auto Workers union with a majority stake in Chrysler and the federal government with majority ownership of GM will do a good job running the companies.

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As is often the case, the Political Class has a different take on the situation. By a 2-to-1 margin, those in the Political Class believe the quality of GM cars will improve with the government in charge. Those who hold populist or Mainstream views overwhelmingly expect the quality of GM cars to get worse.

Overall, just 26% of American adults say it was a good idea for the federal government to take ownership of GM to keep it going, but 17% say Americans should protest the bailout by boycotting the company and refusing to buy its cars.

Americans have consistently opposed taxpayer-backed bailouts for GM and Chrysler since the two struggling automakers came to Washington late last year seeking federal assistance. As the result of government-brokered deals, both are now in structured and expedited bankruptcies to keep them in business.

GM, which has already received over $20 billion in government loans, is slated to get a $50 billion bailout in exchange for the government taking at least a 60% ownership share in the company. But most Americans expect the company to be back for even more bailout money.

So far, in the public’s mind, the biggest beneficiary appears to be Ford, the one Big Three automaker which has not sought government help. Ford increasingly has become the most popular of the three and is the auto company most Americans say has the best chance to survive and return to profitability.

But 57% also believe the federal government, because of its stake in GM and Chrysler, is likely to pass laws and regulations that give the two automakers an unfair advantage over other car companies.

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