When it's worked so well for them up to now building vehicles they think folks want.

The problem with Ford and GM and Chrysler is they only see today,there for they cannot look back to yesteryear for inspiration and they cannot look to tomorrow for salvation because they screwed up so badly in the last 15 years.

If the big three were as good at designing and building autos as they are at platitudes and broken promises Toyota never would have stood a snowballs chance in hell.

The dealerships are another huge problem IMO, when is the last time you heard someone comment on how helpful the salesperson was or say something like gee they had no small print in the sales contract.

Customer service is a joke IMO and only getting worse.

I have been a Ford customer for many years and owned many New and used Ford products currently we own a 2007 Ranger but warrenty and product being what it is these days in 2012 we will be in the market for a new vehicle,
currently Ford has nothing that interests me. I guess that means Ford loses another customer.


It's truly a great shame and I'm sure if Henry Ford knew how badly his company has been driven into the ground he would roll over in his grave.


Rick.

 

Sir, I feel you are extremely bitter for whatever reason. I get excellent service from my ford dealer, I've been dealing with the same dealer for allmost 20 years. Ford had looked to the past for insperation, like with the current mustang, the last t-bird and ford GT-40. There also comming out with a new bronco that is to be some what retro. They have been building what people want, as with the suv and truck craze, the fusion sold off the hook and the escape continue's to be hot. The mustang is awesome and the mustang convertable is the best selling convertable in the country. The redesigned focus is doing verywell, ford is going to start building the fiesta next year with a couple other small cars comming for the econobox lovers. There will be a new ranger, 4 cylinder based in 2012. I don't know what you want. but ford can't please everyone. I'm on my 7th ranger, I love the trucks very much and will hate to see the current plateform go. Our mariner, like our 01 escape were the best suv's we've ever had as far as comfort, mpg and capability. Sure it isn't a jeep. but perfect for my wife, I have a couple of jeeps if I want a bouncy ride and climb rocks. The F-150 continue's to be the best selling truck in the country, with a redesign for 09. A new off road edition for 2010 with a rear locker and a new 400 hp 6.2 engine called the raptor. The taraus has been upgraded with a 260 hp V-6, plenty of room and comfort. I won't bother to list all the new upagrades and up and comming vehicles, but I assure you ford is trying hard to please thier customers. I would like to have a new ranger 4x4 with manual t-case and lockouts, but thats not what most of fords customer want, I'm a minority, but at least I still got a manual transmision. I would say your shopping at the wrong dealer. If ford vehicles don't satisfy you, then I would say it's time to move on to some japanese junk or whatever that has caught your eye. I've been a ford man all my life and have no intension of changing now. Actually I'm excited about what ford is doing and what is up and comming. I'm sorry you feel the way you do and have a right to your opinion. I'm sure you won't mind if we all don't share your view. Personally I wouldn't hit a dog in the butt with toyota or any other japanese junk peddler. Ford put bread on the table and supplied everything we had as I was growing up, they paid my doctor bills and provided my father with a good living. Japan has done nothing for me but take 2 of my uncles at peral harbor.

 

I said nothing about buying Japanese, you assumed.

You had uncles die at pearlharbour 60 years ago and that's sad but it is no reason to hate an entire country.

As for dealerships we did find a great dealership but they are 50 miles from us, so they are the exception and not the rule.

You seem to base all your beliefs on your own experiences, I have spoken with many folks and watched the number of foreign autos grow accross NorthAmerica, as Ford GM and Chrysler sales continue to plummet, is that because people think Ford GM and Chrysler are doing a great job?

I'll give you an example of just one problem we had on buying the last Ford product, my wife wanted a standard transmission Ranger, it took me the better part of two weeks to find one.

Every dealership I called said nope we get calls all the time for standard trans but we don't have any, the dealers all claim Ford doesn't build that many and Ford corp claims the dealers don't want or order them so who is lieing or is it both?

As for the Mustang, great car and good call on Fords part, the ThunderBird was however a Huge sales failure.

The new Flex is very cool looking but it's over priced and over loaded IMO.


As for your thoughts on Ford you may well be the exception than the rule.

Have a look around your neighborhood how many folks are driving foreign autos? Lot's I bet.

Henry Ford built a great company but the folks running it for the last 30 years are killing it imo.


Rick.

 

Rick, the problem you've had finding a manual transmission Ranger isn't just Ford. My wife likes having a 5-speed and also is a Honda fan. Each time we buy her a new Accord, it's an adventure finding a 5-speed with the color and equipment list she wants.

As a retail store owner, it doesn't bother me because I know that the dealer has to keep his inventory focused on what turns over most frequently. It's too expensive to have slow-moving items on hand. So we do the locater routine and the dealer always finds us what we're looking for.

I think you'll probably also find your experience won't change if you shop dealers other than Ford.

 

The media has done more to hurt the american auto's than anything. You can't pick up a car and driver or motor trend, that there not bashing american cars and praising foreign and it's mostly unfounded. I've driven fords all my live and never had to walk or even had a fender fall off or any real quality issue's. There's been alot of brain washing that has went on in this country. Toyota has noted problems with frames rusting in two on the tacoma, t-case, tranny and tailgate issue's on the tundra. They've had major recalls, but they mostly go un noted. Let an american company have a recall and it's plastered all over the news. I don't hate a whole country because of pearl, I don't hate anyone. My point being is thats all japan has done for me, unlike ford who has provided us with a great living and great cars and trucks over the years. I had to order my ranger to get a manual and thats fine, because I'm in the minority of people who want one. My dealer doesn't keep manual's on the lot because there hard to move. Most people don't even know how to drive a stick anymore. The last figure I saw, manual trannies account for 6% of fords sells and it's shrinking. It's not just ford, it's all the car makers, because the automtic is the perfered tranny. I'm old school, to me a truck isn't a truck if you can't shift it. However, very few people feel that way any longer. It's even hard to find a jeep wrangler on the lot with a manual tranny now a days. I live in the country here in the mid west and out here you still see mostly american trucks and cars in the driveways, but if you go into the cities, there's imports everywhere. It seems to be more of a reginal thing. People that really work there trucks and depend on thier cars for not maybe the best road conditions still perfere american. Folks that live in town with plowed streets and good roads buy imports. I can't speak for the country, but thats how it is around here. You do know that ford is doing the best of the 3 and isn't taking the bailout, there doing something right. The t-bird wasn't really a flop, they only intended to build it for a couple of years and they sold everyone they made. It didn't sell as well as they hoped, but it wasn't a flop. Personally, I loved the car, but haveing just one seat was a little impracticle for my needs. However, if I would have money to burn, I sure would have bought me one, maybe two. I just read today on blue oval news, that the new fusion hybrid gets 43 mpg city, thats awesome for a mid sized sedan. and the new for fiesta gets 47 mpg with a 118 hp duratec and will have a 6 speed manual option. The new 4 cylinder based ranger that will be out in 2012 also will have a 6 speed manual. So the manual tranny isn't dead yet for us, the more they sell, the more they will make. So lets keep asking for and buying manuals. The new bronco will have a removable top and solid axles front and rear witha 6 speed option. It will compete with the jeep wrangler. Fords trying to build vehicles we want. Even the new raptor F-150 will be an SVT off road ready race truck with fox shocks, long travel suspension, a rear locker that can be engaged at speed, 33" BFG tires and a 400 hp 6.2 engine, is that not cool? The new shelby mustangs are the bomb. There working on a fusion GT with a 340 hp 3.5 V-6. Fords trying to put together a lineup from gas sippers to *** haulers and getting serious about off road capability with there trucks. Sorry it's so long, but actually I enjoyed talking to you .

 

You're biased plain and simple. It's not the medias fault that Ford has a bad perception in quality. Ford has been building poor quality vehicles for years. The Media just calls it like it is.


Only recently has their quality improved and that's if you actually believe it.
Ford claims they are now on par with Toyota.
Are they really? I don't believe it at all. They might be getting closer but it could have something to do with Toyota trying to be the biggest and suffering in quality.

It likely is a combination of Toyota's quality dropping and Fords climbing so the are getting closer in the middle.
Toyota's VP says he is ashamed of the new Tundra and it's a dissapointing vehicle. Ford says it's on par now.

How does that stack up?

Decades of building junk vehicles and their crappy warranty work and unhelpfull dealerships with poor customer service has left a brand on them that they will have a hard time recovering from.

Too many consumers like me were burned with poor quality Ford vehicles in the past and they are not going to forget it. It will take decades of building the best vehicles for most consumers to give them a try again.

It sounds like you have been lucky with your Fords but you are the minority for sure.
Apparently you have never owned a Japanese vehicle or you would know they are not crap. Most of the people in this country would disagree with you on that point.

 

You spouting about Ford quality is just plain BS.

I've owned 8 Ford trucks. The 93 150 in My sig has 230K WORKING miles. Doing Concrete work. Not Easy. Completely OEM. 'Cept for the exhaust system.
The '93250 towed a 5th Wheel for close to 80K miles. Then graduated into the concrete work. 155K miles All OEM except for the turbo, and wheels. The 85 has over 300K miles doing concrete duty.

Sure there have been some shortcomings, but nothing worse than any other manufacturer. Even Toyota has had probs. We could go on about sludge filled engines, rusty frames, ect.

 

It's not just me. It's most of the people who have had any experience and the media as stated above.

There are exceptions to everything. Why are the domestic autos not seen in as positive a light as the Japanese vehicles?

 

Toyota? are you kidding me, thier quality when it comes to trucks is a bit to be desired. Thats why the F-150 is been the best selling truck in america for years, that tells you where the quality is. "HELL YEAH" I biased, I'm a ford man, thats why I'm here and not over at toyota;s -R-US. Bull crape the media calls it like it see it. Just like in one of the popular off road rags. They had there 4x4 of the year contest. They had like 7 vehicles, one being a jeep wrangler rubicon, and one being a toyota, a rav-4 or something. Guess who won? The yoda. Anyone with common sense knows that the jeep rubicon is the best out of the box 4-wheeler made and should of won hands down, but no they pick some crossover half assed yoda as 4x4 of the year. Then as you look through the mag, you see a dozen yoda advertisments, so you know where they get thier money. I've never had a problem with fords quality over the years since I started driving in the 70's. A blind man can see the media biased against anything american. You guy's go suck up all the japanese junk you want, some people can break a cotton ball. If what you say is true, ford wouldn't even be around now or would they being doing the best of the american car makers. most of ford problems has little to do with quality and more to do with the UAW sucking them dry. You don't speak for the country either. Ford was concentrating on trucks and suv's, cause thats what the country wanted, then we get
4.00 a gallon gas, then all of the sudan ford is the bad guy for building trucks and suv's instead of gas sipping cars. Well now there building gas sipping cars. However, were still buying trucks and suv's, cause thats what we need here in the country. We don't want no econoboxes, we want gas at a decent price. So go drive your japanese junk, if your not part of the solution, then your part of the problem. Why are you even posting here, are you a troll or what? I'm sick of you ford bashers comming on here just to put ford down and brag up that japanese junk. Go post where there's other japanese junk lovers, we don't need that crap here. If ford is such junk, why are you even here, besides to **** me off? This site is called ford truck entusiasts, not ford bashers, so do like cow crap and hit the trail. Ford would have to take 3 steps backwards to match toyota quality.

 

Fonefiddy is right. The Fords all have things we would like to change, but overall they are a competetive product. The trucks, especially, are rugged and are more (or as) dependable as the other trucks on the market.

Ford is the only one of the big Three that had started to do the reforms to turn its business around without being forced to by the government (in order to get a bailout). They are the only one that might make it through this tight times without taxpayer funds. So they must be doing something right.

That said, they have a long way to go. If they really wanted to keep their lead in pickup trucks, they need to keep track of forums like this one to see where the problems are and what features the customers like or dislike. Then refine their products in response. Building vehicles is an evolutionary process. You find out what works, the refine your product each time you find a problem to fix or feature to add. Eventually, you end up with "The best product we can make at the price our customers can afford."

That quote should be at every auto employees work station, from bottom to the TOP!!!!!!

Jock

 

Besides my F350, my daily driver is a 2008 Ford Focus. It's as good as any Honda my wife has ever owned and more fun to drive than her Accord. The car is quiet inside, handles the freeway interchange Grand Prix without drama, and gets 37 MPG. And you can buy that car now for around $10-11K, I believe.

After 8K miles, it hasn't so much as whimpered. The controls are pretty well laid out, the interior materials are better than I would have expected in an entry-level car, and the ride is pretty smooth.

All I can say is kudos to Ford. Of course, the ultimate proof is that my wife likes it, too, and may want one when we replace her Accord.

 

I'm going to tread lightly because I've danced this dance with several of you and I don't care to dance anymore with Ford bashers.

I have been dealing with the same dealer for 20+ years and that SOB in charge of service betrayed me big time. I reminded him of my continued loyalty and he turned his back on me. Fortunately for Ford, a neighboring Ford dealer saved the day and made this guy look like a fool.

I was a Ford saleman for a short time back in '90 (between military careers) and it was explained to me that most everything comes loaded, ie. XLT Lariat, Platinum, etc because that's the image that Ford wants to project to the buying public.

I've owned Fords all my life with a couple of GM's and a POS Honda and I've been more than satisfied with my Fords except a '95 T-bird.

It's been my experience that Ford's customer service (corporately speaking) has improved significantly. Likewise, it's been my experience that service at the dealer level is very inconsistant. That's a problem.

I've been driving for 30 years and in my experience Ford's build quailty has improved dynamically with each new vehicle purchase. My '99 Taurus and my '04 Expy have to this point been bulletproof. Very minor warranty issues, nothing chronic. I don't drive hard, I operate 15K miles per year or less and have done nothing more than normal maintenance on most of my Fords.

What will a Japanese offering do for me that Ford hasn't? I'll leave that answer to the Ford bashers.

To say that Ford isn't building what we want is plain wrong. To say that Ford isn't building ENOUGH of what we want is more accurate.

My chief complaints with Ford or it's products: Warranty, inability to build exactly what I want and factory tires.

Lets Dance!

Tim

 

I have had a multitude of cars and pickups in my 44 years on this globe. They have ranged from a '65 mustang to my wife's '06 Screw. I have owned new vehicles from all of the big 3 and I have had zero complaints about quality. EVERY problem I have had has been fixed under warranty with no complaints.

I have never had to replace and engine or transmission even though many of these vehicles were approaching 200,000 miles. Change the oil regularly and point them in the right direction and they will go as long as they should.

 

My wifes Ranger has been a great little truck but it was a settle for vehicle, we wanted a 4 door small pick up truck with 4x4 capabilities, GM makes one Nissan makes one Dodge makes one, Ford does not.

I own two Broncos a 78 and 79 excellent both but if I wanted to buy something new like them now I'd have to buy a Jeep or a Toyota FJ and I don't want to do that
I would like to buy a Ford.

You seem very angry and unable to have a civil discussion on the merits of Ford or its vehicles, my first post was a touch tongue in cheek but you take it way too seriously.

Rick.

 

"That said, they have a long way to go. If they really wanted to keep their lead in pickup trucks, they need to keep track of forums like this one to see where the problems are and what features the customers like or dislike. Then refine their products in response."

Precisely. Harley-Davidson essentially copied all the popular classic custom features OWNERS added to their rides, and has been a sustained success. Ford know how to sustain the lead in pickups, but they could do with a look at the owner forums for foreign cars such as Honda. Ford ceded markets until is was depending on a vulnerable one, which is some example for the company that did the Model T and Model A.