efy

"New" is out of the question on either of our budgets; "Ford" may very well be, too, considering the reliability issues I've experienced with both my current and previous Ford.

It was a used product from a BMW/Mercedes dealership. Nissan didn't make a dime from us. I actually didn't buy it... as stated in the original post. My better half did. And about Ford... I'll likely never own another, after all the issues with my Focus. Two transmissions, electronic gimmicks, interior rattles galore... and not even 50k miles.

I'm a Ford guy... but when Ford offers a vehicle that actually competes with the Maxima, holler at me.

Well, this technically is automotive related, but I wasn't sure where else to put it. Two weeks ago, my better half bought a used 2012 Nissan Maxima from a local Mercedes-Benz/BMW dealership (Myrtle Beach Automotive) here in Myrtle Beach, SC. The car had several scratches, chips and paint dings, and the dealership signed an agreement to have those flaws fixed, free of charge. We took it to the first appointment for the repairs and picked it up later that day- it was raining, so we couldn't see the paint very well. However, the next day, we got a better look at the paint, and come to find out, they hadn't touched a single scratch, and had only gotten some touch-up paint and filled in a few chips here and there. It wasn't even a decent touch-up job; it looked like my 5-year-old niece got a hold of it with black nail polish- the major ones and the small rock chips on the front. Completely unacceptable. So, we contacted the salesman, who claimed there was nothing more they could do, but agreed to let us bring it back in. Well, some of the scratches were fixed this time, and fixed well. However, the major paint chips weren't touched from the first time. Upon realizing this, we contacted the general manager of the dealership about the issue, who simply replied that he is satisfied with the job done and that the dealership upheld their obligation. We're now considering going to small claims court to get this resolved. I have attached photos of exactly what the contract to fix the paint said, and also the major imperfection that is most prominent (the picture isn't great- sorry about the reflections- but it's circled in red). It's about an inch and a half long, and is on the rear passenger-side door. Even with the touch-up, it's visible from a mile away. What do you all think should be the next step? We've never dealt with anything like this before, so any pointers would be appreciated.

Nah, it sounds exactly like someone driving a stick shift and grinding the gears, although maybe not quite as loud, but the sound is exactly that. Maybe even similar to a rocks-rattling-in-a-metal-barrel sound. It's definitely worse when the car has been driven for a while, and the performance/smoothness/responsiveness gets worse and worse as time goes on. Right after the clutch replacement, it sounded fine and was smooth as silk the first few days. Then the sound started to reappear, and now I can tell the performance of the transmission is declining (sloppier/rougher shifts, less responsive, not being in the right gear, more jerkiness, etc.).

Yes, it's normal. The owner's manual says it's a "comfort" feature to limit wind noise.

Right. The issue I was experiencing before- it is slowly but surely coming back, though not yet as bad as before. But, now, every now and then, it'll make an awful grinding noise while shifting from 3-4 (I believe) while accelerating. It'll act like it's temporarily hung up mid-shift or something while making the noise. Grr. Long road trip this weekend, so maybe it'll hold up until next week when I make another appointment.

My clutch assembly was replaced and the issue went away, but the noise is now starting to re-appear. Grrr.

Agreed. Good in theory, horrible in execution. Should never have made it to production.

Mine was diagnosed as the clutch. Dropped it off Friday, 8/09 and they said it should be ready by Tuesday, 8/13. It's odd that though we had the same symptoms, your entire trans was replaced and they're only replacing my clutch. Hmm. We'll see how it does when I get it back, I suppose.

My '12 Focus does the same thing. It's mostly at lower speeds for me, while accelerating. I drive a ton, to work, and am starting school in 3 weeks; I can't afford to have my car sit at the dealership for a month; I HAVE to have a vehicle, and I'm not old enough to rent one, much less have the money to. Did they say why it will take so long?

Sister's 2001 F-150 5.4 hit 300k a few months back, I think she's around 325k now. HARD miles, too; it's a work truck. Transmission went out shortly after hitting 300k, and when she went to pick it up after having the transmission rebuilt, the timing belt broke when she tried to crank it. I'm not convinced the mechanic didn't screw something up that may have caused that. Engine had to be replaced. Other than that, it has been wonderfully reliable, even considering it gets "routine" maintenance maybe once every 20,000 miles.

"Defending gays?" You say that as if they're criminals for Christ's sake.

What I don't understand is this: did you folks not notice the transmission characteristics during the test drive before you bought the car?

My low fuel light comes on at 1/8 of a tank and it chimes.

Yes, it says it's normal in the owner's manual. It's a "comfort" setting that lowers the amount of wind noise.

Had an '05 Mazda RX-8 about a year ago. Only had it for about 6 months, then got a new job with a much longer commute, so I got a Fusion for better gas mileage. I've missed the RX-8 ever since, so I plan to buy another one in the future.

It would be "she," as she is now, technically, a female.

150,000 miles is excellent, and I would trust Ford. My '02 Audi A6 3.0 has a 105,000 mile timing belt change interval. That's about average, but the cost- $1,250-$1,595 (as quoted by local mechanics) is ridiculous. There is a $500 do-it-yourself kit you can buy, but the estimated time to do it is 12 hours. Also, these cars have high timing belt failures. So consider yourself lucky! :/

Haha, same here!! Except it was my mom's and it was a '99. I rode back there many times from Atlanta to Panama City Beach, and it was pretty miserable. I eventually learned to curl up on the floor and sleep. The truck was a great truck, though. You couldn't kill it. Well... I did. Flipped it 5 times into a tree. It had about 250,000 miles or so on it when that happened. Never had a minute's trouble out of it. It was so much fun to drive too. Even if it did ride so harshly that it would rattle your teeth out. I think the suspension may have just been worn out.

Monday before school, I stopped by the local Ford dealership. I was looking at a 2010 Explorer Sport Trac Adrenalin with black leather interior and black exterior. It was priced at a little over $41k. The saleswoman came out and was very helpful, and offered me the keys right off, so I jumped at the chance to drive it. It is a down-right sexy truck. It looks much better in person than in photos. First off, the interior was very comfortable. The leather seats were butter-soft and the interior materials were all of high quality. The seats offered excellent support without being overly firm. The seating position is high and commanding, and you have a good view out. Acceleration was very impressive, and so was braking performance. The ride wasn't the smoothest in the world, but it was far from harsh. That's perfectly fine, especially considering that this is a truck with a sport-tuned suspension and 22" wheels. Handling and grip was also very impressive. It took curvy back roads like they were nothing. The steering wasn't too light and not too heavy, it was weighted just right. The turning radius was very small, especially compared to the '04 Maxima I drive. The interior was very quiet. The engine was smooth and refined, yet it also had that good ole V8-rumble when you really got on the gas. Overall, I was extremely impressed. I fell in love. If I could afford it, I would definitely buy it without a second thought. If you have any questions or if I missed anything, feel free to ask.

Dad- 2001 F-250 Powerstroke XL- 210,000 Sister- 2001 F-150 XLT- 230,000 Mom- 1999 Escort SE- 240,000 (Odometer quit working for about 20K miles, 220K on the odometer) Me- 1999 Ranger XLT- 198,000 (totalled in November 2008) We've never had an unreliable Ford.

I don't like it... looks too much like a Mazda6.

Are you trying to imply something about Sarah Palin? Cause if you are, I'm ready to fight!

My dad has an '01 f-250 Super Duty 7.3L. It currently has around 195,000 miles on it, no problems whatsoever. A couple of years ago, he flipped it (on a curvy mountain road in north Georgia). It was almost declared totalled, but it wasn't. It's really a good, reliable truck.