Ok im not saying ive got the experience of some of you guys out there, but what im about to say is not just me saying it, but me my dad, grandad so on, and some people do agree. Heres some cold hard facts (not really facts but i felt like saying that) for ya: any truck will run if you maintain it properly and drive it properly. It will serve you for many years and wont give you a problem. This applies to allllll vehicle makes. Between my dad, and my redneck relatives, and myslef, i feel that that is a safe statement to make on account of their experiences. The vehicles never give them a problem until I get a hold of it or my cousins. Weve got a japanese truck as well, honestly i dont like the truck, but it does its job and doesnt give us problems. And just because someone had a bad experience with a certain make vehicle is a terrible reason to never use any of their products ever again. Im probably like the only person that can find good points in other makes, and not hate all vehicles they make cause of theyre origin or just because its not a ford. Now that everyone hates me for showing the light, let me try to redeem myself: Go ford! boo chevy and everyone else!

 

I would pretty much agree with you, but sometimes there is just a higher than average problem rate with some vehicles, and they'll just keep having problem after problem after problem.

I had a horrible experience with a ranger, problems kept piliing on.. but my dad had so much good luck wtih all of his Fords and i like ford so much myself, i decided to give it another go and got my 2000 f150, and not a single problem so far, great truck!

 

I'll admit it.

From time to time, I even go further, and say that for different people different companies make the "best" vehicle. After all, if one company built a vehicle that was truly better in ALL respects, no one would buy anything else, and there would only be one kind of car.

 

I agree. If you wuss drive even a japanese pickup, it will last awhile. However, if you WORK a truck, only a Ford will do. Now, all you wusses go by a japanese pickup.

 

You should consider the power of marketing, even some really bad cars have had good run because of it, so i don´t fully agree with your statement.

About other makes... i wouldn´t say Ford is the best brand (even though my truck really pleases me), and you can say i´m the most un-biased person you can find, Venezuela doesn´t have any brand to call it´s own (so i don´t have the "buy american or become Benedict Arnold" disease ), with that said, the best quality i´ve experienced so far (not with all their products, but most of them) is Toyota, and still i would think a whole lot before saying that it is the best brand there is, i would have to take a looooong time to come with a winner corcerning that issue.

 

Every manufacturer has their problems, and some model lines are just plain garbage, it happens. Even engineers make mistakes... I don't condemn a manufacturer for one vehicle, but with repeated problems, I will. Right now, I have the Big 3 covered and have relatively good experience with them all. Each have their trouble points, and I just make sure I am aware of them when looking at the next purchase. My bias against some manufacturers are not based on owning a vehicle, but having to repair them as my work. It doesn't take long when you have to deal with customer vehicles to figure out what vehicles to avoid...

 

> It doesn't take long when you have to deal with customer vehicles to
> figure out what vehicles to avoid...

I agree 100%.

 

I agree with you to a certain degree. Most vehicles will treat you right if your treat them right with the exception of a lemon and a few bad designs. People are always talking about their problems with this or their problems with that. When you ask them what they have been doing to their vehicles it all starts to make sense. They talk about installing after market performance parts, lift kits,drop kits,cold air intakes, exhaust systems, computer chips, gear ratio's and everything else under the sun. It's is my belief that anytime you start to muck with a vehicles design or drive it outside it's parameters you are asking for problems. Just my 02 cents.

 

Ok,

I love GM cars made in the late 80's and early 90's. That 3.1L engine was awesome as far as reliability, and longevity.

I love Ford trucks, My grandfather has a 1968 Ford he has never, and I mean never, changed the oil in, and after 300,000 miles, still has the original, seals, mounts, and every major mechanical part. He has had to change a water pump, and a generator or two (not a alternator). My dads father has a body shop, and has a 66 Ford with a 360 Y block, and its still going, and has been used as a wrecker since he bought it in 1973, and its still going. We just had to replace the rear gear after 40 years of service. I have never had bad luck with a Ford V8 pick up. I've owned a few 4 bangers, and a few 6 bangers, all sucked. The V8 ford is great.

That said, if you just want to go go pick up some furniture, or light duty stuff, Chevys are fine, but real work, I'll leave to Ford.

As far as the money, gas mileage, and reliability, I owned a little 82 Yota with a 22R engine, thing ran great, never gave me a problem. I bought it for 100 bucks, drove it for 6 months, and sold it for 1000. Thing had more rust than most fords, I don't think you could even call that a bed. I used it for deer hunting, because we had to drive so far away.

SUV's, depends on what you want. I'll say if you don't want to abuse, or use it for off-roading, then foreign is fine. The K5 Blaziers are awesome off road, can't deny that. Broncos are great to. I'm partial to Broncos, but I'm partial to Fords.

I have never like Mopars since the 60's and early 70's, pretty much junk, and that is the opinion of most body men I've ever talked to. The newer ones are considerably better, but it takes a while to get that bad taste out of your mouth.

In my opinion today, we are at a turning point in the car market, not trucks. The Jap cars have gotten to big for their britchs, they have forgotten where they came from. They used to make, cheap, reliable automobiles. They aren't as reliable anymore, and the most definatley aren't CHEAP. So, american automakers have a oppurtunity to make a dent in the Jap market. The Koreans may beat us to it though.

The Truck market will swing, depending on gas prices, one way or the other. If Ford uses this Hydrallic Hybrid I've heard about, thats great, may corner the market again. If not, look for an entirely new breed of trucks. Probably all diesel, and smaller.

Just my rant, and opinion on cars and trucks.

 

Buy tools. Lean their uses, learn not to abuse them.

Understand basic theory - and do not take shortcuts.

Realise that when oil is worn out, it does not have the lubricational (anti-frictive) properties that protect an engine. Therefore change it as needed - so that wear can be avoided.

Pistons and cylinders, valve trains and power trains - they are all much alike.

I still like twin I-Beam suspensions.

They suit me, and last a long time.

But what I like the most is the strange connection with the past and the future at the same time...

 

I agree with your post to a certain degree. It's how your take care of your vehicles. I gave The Crysler Corp two chances to get my hard earned money and both times they let me down with problems. All the problems were covered under their warranty's, but enough is enough. Never had a problem with GM, but I dont like their looks. I think its how you are raised. I was raised in a Ford household. Nothing but Fords in the driveway and Harley Davidsons. If I came rolling up in my dad's driveway today with a Dodge truck and a Honda or whatever Japenese motorcycle in the bed of the Dodge my dad would have a stroke.

 

I drove a nissan pickup for 250,000.00 miles with no problems ...sold it to my brother. Puchased a chevy silverado with 126,000 ran it over 200,000 miles...sold it. Purhsaed a gmc sonona 2.2 liter at 95,000 ran it to 175000 miles before it blew... trashed it. Now ive just bought a ford f150 7700 series with 159,000 miles. rebuilt the reaend and tranny. We'll see how long she goes. This ford seems alot more heavy duty than my previous trucks.

 

I disagree, I had a couple lemons. Some cars are poorly designed and have several failure-prone major systems.
No amount of TLC, maintenance and careful driving could stop an 89 Cougar LX front rotors from prematurely warping and eating the pads. This is a known fact, it is a published fact, everybody had trouble with those brakes.
Also the 3.8 Liter engines in those same cars had some serious issues with head gaskets, another well-documented fact.

We had a 95 Chevy S-10 Blazer, the truck was a POC! It was constantly in the Shop, the 4.3Liter vortec engines had a central port injector, that was buried under the intake manifold, they were notorius for failing often.

My family and I have gone thru many vehicles over the last 50 years. There are a few cars that ran just right and only needed the wear and tear items replaced at the expected time. We sure miss those cars cause they were rare.
Right now, we have three great rides....My 92 F150, My wifes 2000 Accord, and my 1996 1200 Sporster. All three vehicles have been around awhile cause they ran reliably and only had expected failures at the expected times.
There is one other car here also, a 1991 Ford probe, I don't why I put up with it, but it is really a piece of crap, it is a little bit sporty, and I worked out alot of the bugs.
At this point in my life I know a lemon when I see one, we will not put up with constant service headaches!!!!

PS My 1987 Mustang GT was a POC too! I loved going fast then, so it was spared an early trade-in.

 

IMO many people become more disenfranchised with the company rather then the product.
People will learn to deal with problems if they feel they have someone to help them. If you have a problem with a product, any product, and you go to the manufacturer and ask for some sort of help and get the big blow off then you are probably less likely to give them your business next time around. On the other hand if you have a product that you have had some problems with and the manufacturer helps to solve that problem you will probably give that company another chance.

Look at all the posts here about the $2500 certificate Ford is sending owners of 03/04 superduties. Some of those owners may have decided not to own another Ford because they felt like they had not been taken care of. But now with a confident swagger, some negotiating skills and their $2500 certificate in hand those people might be more inclined to walk into the dealership and give Ford another shot. All because they felt like the company had made some sort of concession.