I realize that.........but the question is: Just because it's sourced from an American company, is the part made here???


[just like a Ford Fusion]

 

[QUOTE=Fordsflylow][QUOTE=DOHCmarauder]...is there a site that lists % content?

And even if the part(s) are sourced from an American company, where are the parts actually made?

Kinda all over the place on this post.

First of all, the Japanese haven't price dumped product here in years, most Japanese cars/trucks are MORE $$$$ than their American competition and very rarely have rebates or financing deals (or at least not as steep)

The Koreans are still cheap and watch out for the Chinese(like you already mentioned)


As far as Ford TRUCKS go.....It's kinda like being a "little bit pregnant"
Pretty sure all chassis cab (F-550 and up) are still made in Mexico and a certain percentage of F250/350's are/were made there.( Fred, Big350, says the 250/350's are no longer made there and I have no reason to doubt him, but my '01 250 was built in Mexico)

My point being is I don't care if ONE F series is built on foreign soil, the bottom line is the profits so many people are worried about are used to employ other than U.S workers.

As far as cars like the Fusion; I honestly don't have any allegiance to a car based on a Japanese chassis that's assembled in Mexico over a Japanese car assembled in Ohio......I'll buy what I feel is the best value at the time or the car that is an emotional purchase (my VW Jetta TDI is a very rare value purchase for me and the Marauder and current Mustang GT were emotional purchases)

Based on recent drives, if I had to pick between a Camry or Fusion I'd pick the 270HP Toyota. When Ford drops the 3.5L Duratech in the Fusion, I'll re-evaluate. (the Camry pick is not JUST about power)

It matters little that the foreign built Fusion has a Ford oval on it.....it's built by a global company and the "profits" go around the world.

 

Well said DOHCmarauder. Most people don't realize this equation amongst the American Auto Industry. A vast majority of these cars are built with many components that are sourced from Mexico etc. So why in the heck haven't the prices come down on any of the so called American Models. It's all about profit and not investing it in itself. They've bogged themselves down with mergers such Jaguar, which still bleeds tons of money after a 5 Billion Dollar Investment. They should have invested it in their R&D departments to make those models more appealing and dependable. Needless to say we haven't mentioned their failure to recall certain models due to recalls. I saw a take on either 60 Minutes or 48 Hours that referenced certain model Ford Explorers or Expeditions that had caught fire due the cruise controll assembly. I think they said the part cost something like $10.00 but Ford refused the recall even though a few people had lost their homes because the vehicle was parked in the garage. It's a no brainer to me, fix the problem. Sure it will cost but it shows that your interested in cover those who matter to you, the customer.

 

An you guys think Toyota is immune from these similar problems. The have had a huge number off recallson there vehicles an yet people fail to acknowledge this.Well Brent you should be in charge off Ford. It seems to me everybody knows what the problems are except thepeople that run Ford. Dont forget a lot off the profits off of Ford vehicles supports the economy right here in the United States an to Detroit. Instead off Toyota where there main headquarters is in Japan.

If its about quality Ford has it an Toyota doesnt. My take is Fords cars are a better built car then Toyota right now. Huge nember off recalls by Toyota proves that. Its hard to believe people ignore this fact. Siounds like to me a whole new generation of people who have no concept about what you here an reality. I give the american consumer an F on there thinking here. I really idint think people were that dumb but I guess i was wrong.

 

Since we're grading........I think an F is in order. But hey, maybe your generation of Americans have no concept of spelling or punctuation????


Please explain the profit thing to me..........I really want to learn.

Also, please link the Toy recalls.....I don't think that Toyota is immune but do you honestly think they have as many as Ford????

 

There is no doubt in my mind that Ford has reach parity with Toyota and others as far a reliablity goes. At least that is my take. Where Ford is lacking is quality of materials IMO. Good vehicles but Toyota is just that much better. That is what is seperating the 2. And as long as it cost Ford more to build the same type of vehicle with cheaper materials things are going to stay that way.

 

I also agree on the quality of American verses the Japanese stuff.

The problem is...too many people read CR, and that magazine has been promoting Japanese products for years, just like MT used to (and still does) promote Mercedes-Benz.

People read the clap-trap, and believe it....my big complaint vis-a-vis CR, is that the data in so many of their reviews is based on cars/trucks tested years before.

Unfair...and IMO...CR doesn't give a damn whether GM or Ford falter.

 

From Business Week:

"So much for Toyota's vaunted reputation for quality. On July 18, the Japanese auto giant announced a recall of 418,570 vehicles worldwide for faulty engine parts. This follows an even larger global recall of nearly one million cars and trucks at the end of May for faulty parts that could cause drivers to lose control of the steering wheel.

The current recall affects about 150,000 cars sold outside of Japan, mainly in the U.S. and Canada, though no accidents have been reported due to the faulty engine component that could lead to oil leakage. In the U.S. more than 34,000 cars were recalled, including 26,200 Echo and 8,500 Prius models. While Toyota (TM) is no stranger to recalls—in May 2005 it recalled more than 750,000 pickup trucks and every single 2006 Toyota model line from the Avalon to the Tundra has experienced some form of recall—this latest round may finally dent its Teflon image if steps aren't taken to improve quality."

but, to be fair, they go on to say

"BusinessWeek.com set out to examine which 2006 models have been recalled the most. Though the problems may range in severity, multiple recalls are a significant annoyance for consumers. In conjunction with Edmunds.com, we found that multiple recalls affected companies in nearly every vehicle segment and price point, from the proletarian Civic to the upscale Land Rover Range Rover Sport."

Linky

 

They all have recalls, some minor, some major. The question should be why doesn't Ford recall all vehicles affected instead of waiting for a mishap to occur. I currently own a '04 6.0 King Ranch and '07 Epedition. I however feel that they should do more to rectify their problems. These other companies also put alot of money into the US economy and by the way a majority of all these parts American and Foreign are sourced outside of America.

KISSIMMEE, Florida (CNN) -- Early this year, Laura Hernandez nudged her husband, Nestor Oyola, as he slept in their Kissimmee home and asked him to put the Ford Expedition he had bought her the day before into the garage.

She did not want to risk leaving it on the street, where it might be vandalized.

"That was my dream, to have a Ford Expedition," she recalled to CNN about the $22,000 Eddie Bauer 2001 model SUV -- green with gold trim and leather seats.

Oyola moved the Expedition and they went to sleep.

After years of sharing a single car, the couple -- who moved five years ago to the United States from Puerto Rico -- were finally living the American dream: They owned two vehicles and their home.

At 5 the next morning, half an hour after her husband had driven his SUV to work, Hernandez was awakened by barking from Chakuil, their Chihuahua mix.

"He saved our lives," said Hernandez, who smelled smoke and roused her 15-year-old daughter, Rotsenmary.

They had time to grab only the dog and their pet birds before flames spread from the garage and engulfed the house.

Rotsenmary suffered a second-degree burn to her left leg; the charred remains of their 6-month-old cat -- Beethoven -- were found in a corner; the vehicle, the house and its contents were a total loss.

A fire investigator, hired by their auto insurance company, said the blaze was caused by a cruise-control deactivation switch in the SUV -- a type of switch that Ford installed in millions of its vehicles from 1992 until 2003.

An Iowa family is suing Ford over the switch, claiming it was the likely cause of a fire in the family's 1996 F-150 parked in an attached garage that spread to their house. A 74-year-old woman died in the fire and the house was destroyed. Ford, however, says the fire did not originate in the F-150. (Full story)

Several fire investigators hired by major insurance companies and auto engineers consulted by CNN say the switch is causing some Ford vehicles to ignite.

Expanded investigation
The $20.57 switch shuts off the cruise control when the driver firmly steps on the brakes. The switch is located under the hood of the vehicle and is attached to the brake master cylinder on one end and wired to the cruise control on the other.

On most of its models, Ford designed the switch to be powered -- or "hot" -- at all times, even when the vehicle is off and the key is removed from the ignition.

Inside the switch, a thin film barrier separates brake fluid from the switch's electrical components. Investigators say fires can occur when the film cracks and brake fluid from the master cylinder seeps into the electrical side of the switch.

Ford has already recalled more than 1 million vehicles in two separate recalls to replace the switch.

The first recall was in May 1999, affecting 279,000 Crown Victorias, Grand Marquises and Town Cars for model years 1992 and 1993. The second, issued in January 2005, affected 792,000 vehicles, including model year 2001 F-Series SuperCrews and 2000 Expeditions, Navigators and F-150 pickups.

But a Ford document obtained by CNN shows the same or similar switch was installed in a total of 16 million vehicles, far beyond what was recalled. Those vehicles include:


Mark VII/VIII from 1994-1998


Taurus/Sable and Taurus SHO 2.3 L 1993-1995


Econoline 1992-2003


F-Series 1993-2003


Windstar 1994-2003


Explorer without IVD 1995-2003


Explorer Sport/Sport Trac 2002-2003


Expedition 1997-2003


Ranger 1995-2003

In March, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an expanded investigation into more than 3.7 million of the vehicles.

NHTSA says it has received 559 complaints of spontaneous fires, 253 of them in unrecalled models, and its latest investigation includes the 1995 model years of the F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles.

Ford says it has initiated its own investigation and is cooperating with the NHTSA probe.

"We have identified specific populations of vehicles in which the speed-control deactivation switches have had increasing rates of failures and fires," said Ford spokeswoman Kristen Kinley in a written response to questions submitted by CNN.

"When we have seen the fire reports increasing, we have recalled those vehicles and replaced those switches. Ford has used the basic switch design in a large number of vehicles and the risk of fire related to the switch is much different in those certain populations that we have recalled."

She added, "It is important to understand that all speed control systems are not identical in Ford vehicles. ... In those populations with an increasing fire report rate, we stopped using the switch through the recall process. ... The switch has performed well in many models for many years."

In another statement to CNN, Kinley said "we have been asked why we have not expanded the recall. The last thing we want to do is make an important safety decision on incorrect or incomplete information."

Kinley also said, "We have not determined at this time that there is a defect with the switch, but for reasons we still do not understand the switch is failing ... and we are trying to understand why."

Ford no longer uses switch
But, in a recall notice to owners of 2000 F-150s, Expeditions, Navigators and 2001 F-150 SuperCrews, the company seemed less equivocal about the switch. The "switch may overheat, smoke or burn which could result in an underhood fire," it said. "This condition may occur either when the vehicle is parked or when it is being operated, even if the speed control is not in use."

The company stopped using the switch altogether as of the 2004 year model, and is now using a new design.

Meanwhile, the Oyola-Hernandez family has hired a lawyer to reach a financial settlement with Ford but have not filed a lawsuit against the company.

The company says it has not yet investigated their auto insurance claim, but notes that the insurance industry reports about 100,000 noncollision fires per year involving nearly all makes and models sold.

"Simply because we have allegations of fire doesn't mean they are necessarily linked to the speed-control deactivation switch," Kinley said.

The charred remains of their house were recently demolished. But, the family has not been able to rebuild.

After the fire, they moved in with Hernandez's mother, who lives nearby. Since then, after reinstating their home insurance, they have moved into a rented house. Their insurance company sent them $120,000 but rebuilding their home is estimated to cost $185,000. They are hoping Ford will reimburse them for the difference.

They are, once again, a one-car family. This one also is a Ford -- a 1997 Explorer -- and it, too, contains the suspect switch, which has not been recalled. The family parks it on the street instead of the garage.

CNN Investigative Producer Pia Malbran contributed to this story

 

Recalls aren't going to kill the company. They give the company a black eye, sure, but even the fiasco with the Pinto didn't kill Ford, even when it came out that the executives knew about the potential for exploding gas tanks.

Bottom line: Ford needs to make cars that people want to buy, they can no longer expect their trucks to carry the entire company.

I see these buyouts as a good thing. It is painful, especially for the workers, but the company should survive as a result.

 

Recalls are not a infallible gauge of overall quality. A company could have subpar quality and just issue less recalls. The issuance of a greater number of recalls may be an indicater a greater level of responsibilty, and a greater willingness to improve.

A company that recieves greater scrutiny from the press, and the tourt lawyers ($$$), and with past such experiance($$$), will be more inclined to issue more CYA recalls.

 

Kinda lost me on that one...........Most of Ford's recalls are FORCED by the NHTSA after YEARS of Ford trying to fight and not pay for the burned down houses and such.

What's interesting, and I honestly don't know the answer, is if there's a recall on an '06 vehicle I almost wonder if that's the voluntary recall you speak of.

Just got the recall notice for my '01 Superduty concerning the cruise control.....so much for CYA!!!



[it's tort, not tourt]

 

I read a while back that one of Ford's most critical concerns is fixing their corporate culture that is built around lying and denial .... Ford has been nortorius for coverups and not supporting the product. Too many examples .. the decade long paint problems affecting ALL Ford models. ignition switches causing fires, the Exploder tire debacle, the Bronco rollovers, the cruise control switch fires, the Crown Victoria gas tanks ... I could go on and on. See a pattern though ?

 

The first one I remember was the Pinto fiasco. The problem was a bolt puncturing the gas tank when hit in the rear. The solution was to install a plate between the bolt location and the fuel tank. However, Ford did a cost benefit analysis and decided it was cheaper to pay for the people who died in fires than it was to do a recall. It might have worked if the plan hadn't been uncovered and juries adjusted the awards to punish Ford.

 

Other then polarbears comments about Toyota. Nobody has even mentioned Toyotas recalls which pose some huge safety issues. They must be immune from critisism.
An Toyota has gained market share an weent ahead off Ford in sales.
Looks like to me people ae being brainwashed an have no clue about the recalls.