Well, now I have to respond. As has been said before, Forums such as this are a great resource for prospective buyers like myself. Without places like this for owners of a product to get together and talk about problems and such, people like me would be making a less informed purchase. I cant speak for anybody else, but for me when I am considering spending 35k, especially on something such as a horrible investment like a vehicle, I want to be sure I know what I am getting myself into. If a problem exists in a model and people talk about it in public forums, Ford is more likely to take action as their reputation is at stake. In my opinion, Ford and GM need to wake up and realize that they cant just sit on their rears and expect to rake in the billions in profits that they used to, with stiff competetition from Japanese automakers and they advent of the internet they have to do something or they will be gone. Just look back as little as ten years ago, what has happened the the domestics market share, its shrinking fast. I think these forums benefit everybody in the end.

I also dont believe that people with nothing better to do come here and muck up trouble just for fun, especially when you see the same problem over and over again, and the same person making many, many posts.

Even though I own a Honda I would much rather own a domestic, but I feel I wouldnt be doing Ford or GM any service by purchasing a product from them that is sub-standard. This is America, and Americans should be building the best in the world.

With that being said, this is why Im here in this forum, I'm considering an F-150. For reasons that I have discussed before in this thread,

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=370988

Go to a Toyota or Honda forum, I have frequently. While I understand that they sell less, and therefore you wont see the same quantity of numbers of a particular problem, you just dont read about constant issues over and over again.

 

You're making my point. Don't take anything at face value but gather information from many sources before you make a decision on what is true or what to purchase. I live between 2 cities and the newspaper in one is very left wing and the other leans to the right and I take both. It's amazing how both can take the same story and tilt it their way. Sometimes one is accurate and sometimes neither is accurate. Different networks and channels on TV are the same way. Very positive or very negative information clearly indicates that further research is needed. To good to be true is accurate but to bad to be true is also accurate.

 

I agree with this. The media would plaster this everywhere considering Ford's stock prices are so low and the Firestone fiasco of a few years back. They would enjoy it.

mlazuka, I read through the thread you linked to. I still haven't digested all of that info ChrisAdams is great at breaking this stuff down to simple terms. I happen to work in an assembly plant, I build Econoline vans. We can get parts in on the same truck from the same vendor, but have bad ones. Parts coming from all over can vary by a significant degree. It takes some time to narrow it down when so many components *could* be at fault. The drivetrain consists of a whole lot of moving parts. Narrowing it down could take time. I'll admit though, after 1 year I would think it ought to be narrowed down pretty well.

Very fortunately I don't have the problem. I work along side many new 150 owners whom don't either. But...I'm NOT saying a problem doesn't exist. The truck was drastically changed in nearly every way as Chris mentioned. Being involved in a model changeover first hand I can vouch that new designs will have flaws and that a first run vehicle....(while supposed to be perfect)....often is not and in the real world it takes time to iron out the kinks so to speak. Vendors have to modify their part, the assembly process may need revised. Our van has not be redone since 1992. Our largest changes may be wire looms, or trim panels. Yet the company has a 120 day period to move/change job processes to get it all right. They use it all. I've never been involved in a massive model change such as the truck, but speaking from experience I'm AMAZED there aren't more issues than there are now.

Drive 'em all like someone else posted. Good long test drives and see how they all compare. Pick the one you like. I hope it's a domestic...but you may feel otherwise.

I know, I know long posts are hard to make it through so I'll end it here.

You're making a huge purchase, just make sure you're 100% comfortable with it. If it feels even the least bit wrong to you then you're probably better off following your gut.

 

supercrewdude you just made the point why I never, ever buy a first year, and prefer not to buy a second year model vehicle.
since there is somemuch Ford bashing I must state I used to work for a chevie dealer, and in the 80s they came out with the 700r4, now you want to talk about problems, they made design changes for the first couple of years, and if you own a 87 or older one that needs rebuilt they actually tell you to throw it away cause to follow the list of changes would cost you $25,000 to redo that trans (yes a lot of them are repeat changes of the same part but that is the list, and having a older one you must follow that to get the trans correct) this trans is so bad you not only have to know the year, but the month, day, hour, and preferably the minute it was made to know what you have and in 1987 they made 242 design changes IN ONE DAY. after 1987 GM took that trans away from chev, and made the turbo hydromatic division straighten it out. So it's not just fords that have problems that go on, and on, and that was just one example I could give for GM they had a lot more than you ever could read.

 

monsterbaby, you have a good point about not buying the first year, and only maybe buying the second. Look at 68 vette, etc. But then look at the last year 82, of the 'mako' vetts. it made the first year look good...

The 97 'new' ford f-150, was a nice truck, but notice they totally revamped the trans for 98...

First year of the new Tahoe had teething problems, like a baby shark does...

Still, I bought the first year of the Eldo, a 1992, first of a twelve year model run, and not one teething problem. 0.0. Much less trouble than the 2001, which has still been pretty good.

I also bought the first year of the new Tracker, and the only problem involved large vehicles hitting it front and back... Can't blame that on first year... Never saw the dealer for 60k miles.

And finally, I bought the 2004 F-150, and don't see how I could have been happier with the truck. The only 'bug' was a defective blower fan. A faint ticking sound, that was annoying. It's fixed, and I am presently helping a friend shop for a new 2005 Supercab...

Chris

 

Had a meeting with the Dispute Resolution Board today. I'll know in 7 to 10 days what my fate is. If what you say is true about the 36 complainers, then why doesn't Ford do whatever it takes to satisfy these few people? Truth be known, its probably more like 36,000. If I were you, I would hang onto the Forerunner. From my experience with my wife's Camry the Fore will outlast the Ford 5 to 1.

 

supercrewdude, its nice to hear from somebody involved in the production process at Ford. Ive always been interested in how cars come together, from engineering to assembly to final product.

I do understand that first year products sometimes have issues (even though Ive purchased first year models that have been trouble free) I believe it comes down to how much money a company is willing to spend on R&D. I would think that a vehicle so crucial to Ford's success such as the F-150 would have much more spent on research than they average car, and they would be doing everything in their power to make it as close to perfect as possible. Seriously, how much money did Ford put into the GT? What is that car going to do for them? Wouldnt that money be better spent keeping average Joe Blow happy with his F-150, especially considering the fact that Ford sells about 900,000 F-150's a year while probably not even a thousand GT's?

Like Ive said before I would much rather be driving a Ford or Chevy, I just want to be sure I'm making a smart and economically wise choice.

I dont think that Japanese vehicles are any better in terms of engineering. In my opinion what they have down very well is quality control, your far less likely to get a lemon from Honda or Toyota.

I think Honda and Toyota getting into the truck business is great for us as consumers, more competition for the domestics. Just look how far Ford and GM have come in the past few years in terms of quality, its really amazing.

I have taken test drives in all of the trucks Ive been considering. The Ram and Silverado felt archaic, and the Toyota just doesnt have the capability that Im going to need, and to me its styling was bland. No question that the Ford is the truck that I want. It beat all the others in everything Im looking for. I just want to make sure its not going to give me headaches down the road.

I had no idea that the econoline's were built so close to me here. I'm assuming you work in the plant in Avon. I live about 20 minutes east of Cleveland near Mentor.

 

mlazuka, I'm glad you've test driven the various models. It's the best way to make a choice. Sure these forums provide some research for you, but hands on is the best way. As far as those who would come into these forums soley to "trash" the product, you better believe it. Maybe you're new to the internet but there are what are called trolls in almost every format of chat/talk forum. What their motivation is I cannot guess. Some become religiously loyal to a brand. Some are just mean spirited and just love to stir up trouble. I submit we have a troll in this very thread. neveragainford says it all with his screen name. I went back and read all his posts, and every single one is trashing the F150. There is nothing constructive at all to his posts and I even get the feeling he doesn't even own a F150. But even if he does, what exactly is he accomplishing in this forum by simply bashing the F150?? To me that is the definition of trolling. So don't believe every post in here that claims to have the vibration problem. I realize many do have the problem, but if you read it many have solved the problem.

 

I have '04 FX4 Supercab, with 14.5 k miles on it. the only problem I've had was a wind noise at the center of the windshield. Which they justed fixed. problem solved. No vibrations, clunks or grunts. Great truck so far. Pulls my 3000 lb. bass boat like there's no tomorrow and get 14.5 mpg doing it. and it also gets 17-18 on the interstate. It came with 18" Goodyear tires that have only been rotated twice with no balancing. But, I wish I had gotten leather seats instead of the cloth. The cloth is hard to keep clean. I hope to keep this truck atleast 10 yrs. and I believe it will make it with out a major problem. This is a June '04 built Truck from the Virginia plant.

 

mlazuka,

The Avon plant builds and paints the bodies and they are trucked to us in Lorain where I'm at....for final assembly. In January of 2006 it will all be built at Avon. Lorain is slated to close.

If you ever venture toward Dearborn, they offer tours of the Truck Plant there. It's the most modern facility Ford has as far as assembly plants. I've heard from some people that have gone through it and they really enjoyed it. For the everyday person it's quite an interesting thing to see. I remember when I hired in how cool it was to see an automobile made from scratch. Just sheetmetal in one department and down a ways, a finished car driving off the line.