Reputations for quality can be reversed fairly easily.
Look at Audi in the mid-'80's... Their Mktg. slogan could easily have been:
'The Audi 5000... don't let it leave home without you'!
Audi had one of the worst reputations of any automaker in the World
In '08, Audi was one of the only manufacturers (actually the only mfr.) who actually increased sales over the previous year - Toyota was in decline for the first time in 35 yrs.
So, it can be done. But it's a bottom-up proposition, meaning the UAW has to be behind it even more than co. management is. They (UAW) have to reverse a 40 yr. mindset in their membership which has been to do as little as possible while expecting annual wage/ benefit increases and job preservation that were totally detached from the company's health and earnings. Good luck with that...
