KCM1

You may have a point. Did you notice the subliminal "old" message when Max is thrown a can of motor oil. It has been how many eons since oil came in cans like that? Also note how Max chugs down the can of oil. Does that imply that Duramax engines burn a lot of oil, maybe due to their "old" proven technology? The first commercial with the baby has potential. The 3+ minute commercial was downright lame and disturbing at the same time. Powerstroke, as you noted, has been a well-known name for several years.

I know it is a Mustang, but I would also be all-for an adult size useable back seat, just for two adults would be fine. Also, it would be nice if Ford added those rear hinged half doors for easier access, which would also keep the signature 2-door Mustang look. A decent sized trunk would also be a bonus. I'm sure they can keep the Mustang look without sacrificing modern expected convienences.

Came across this site while surfing the news sites: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/electric-road-trip As I read how "it feels like driving an ordinary automobile" and "he wasn't always certain whether the Volt's gas-powered engine was on or off. During the course of a low-speed drive, the engine tends to stop or start, based on how much load is put on the batteries", and how it has upwards of a 400 range before fill-ups, I kept wondering, "How is this different from current hybrids such as the Prius and Fusion?" I thought the Volt was supposed to be this revolutionary all-electric car that would set a new standard, and it is even being compared to the all-electric Tesla. Looks to me like it is not an all-electric car and has turned into just another hybrid. I guess the only advantage is the fuel mileage is supposed to be much higher, 80 mpg after you figure in the electricity cost as estimated in the article, depending on your driving habits. As stated in the article, "The real benefit of the Volt comes into play if you usually drive 40 miles or less in the course of a day, but take on the occasional long-distance ride ... like our two-day, 800-mile sojourn from Seattle to San Francisco, for example." Basically, it's efficient when used as short distance commuter car, no more than 20 miles one-way. I guess I still don't get the purpose of the car and how it is so much better than anything else out there.

This will probably be one of those "DOH" moments for you. The headrest go into the seat backs, correct? If so, you should be able to release the back and tilt them down. Then you can get the headrests pulled all the way out.

We picked up a 2011 SEL last week. I was giving it the full inspection and when I looked in the trunk, I noticed there is no trunk liner that covers the speakers on the underside of the rear deck. Was wondering if there is a liner missing, or if Ford just decided not to use one. This car also has the Sony sound system, so was thinking maybe they left the liner off so the trunk could be used as a speaker enclosure of sorts. Anybody out there have a trunk liner covering their speakers?

This may be a dumb question, but what does RCL stand for when talking about incentives (Returning Customer Loyalty, Red Carpet Lease, other)? Who would qualify for this rebate/incentive? Have noticed RCL mentioned on many sites and sometimes on the summary when a vehicle is built on the Ford site. Did a search on the web and this site for the definition to no avail. Thanks.

FINAL UPDATE: Looks like the factory is releasing the cars for shipment. SLAPhappy received one last week, and ours came in today. :happy feet: Not sure if the hold was lifted for all 3500 or if it is on a car by car basis. But they're moving now. Ours was 6-1/2 weeks from the original delivery date. For those still waiting, all I can say is: "Patience is a Virtue," and just keep reminding yourself it will be worth the wait.

The Ecoboost has been in the Flex for at least a year, maybe two. Have not heard of any problems with the engine. Anyone heard anything??? Watched the video on the Ford site about the endurance test they are doing on the Ecoboost (http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/f150/2011/experiencef150/). If it can withstand just the dyno testing they are doing, I'm pretty confident it will be bulletproof for most people. The 5.0 is an unknown though. Ford has a lot riding on these engines, sales and reputation, so I'm fairly confident they have been proven out before being offered to the public. Transmissions are the areas I always have concerns about. Seems like all car companies struggle with them at one time or another. The much praised 2010 Fusion even had issues in that area.

Ford might have to offer large rebates and incentives to get rid of the 2010's. After reading about how superior the 2011 engines are over 2010 (and the competitors), why would anybody buy a 2010 when the 2011 will be out shortly?

There are soooo many of them on the road, I'm surprised a pedestrian hasn't been impaled already. Those Bentley drivers love to chase down pedestrians. :rolleyes:

taskren, To find out the current status of the car from production date until shipment from the factory using the VIN, call Ford Marketing and Sales at 1-800-334-4375, 9-6 EST Monday through Friday. They are very friendly and helpful, but their knowledge is limited to the current status. Just don't call them on a daily basis.

UPDATE: Got a call from our salesman yesterday and he says there is still no change in the hold status, at least on our car. Looks like the waiting game continues.

That is odd. Ford completely left out the center of the US. I'm sure more than a couple pickups are sold in the central US. I know there are a lot of people here who will need convincing an Ecoboost V6 will out-tow a V8.

Will post an update if I hear anything else. The date on the window sticker of this car is July 30. Test drove a 2011 the third week of August that had a date of July 21. It is possible that the problem was corrected on the production line on later cars so those shipped. It might just affect first run 2011's or a certain VIN range of first run's, cars that got built before they found the problem.

For those waiting for delivery of a 2011 Fusion, here is some important information. Found out from the dealer this week that there have been two holds put on shipments from the factory. The first had something to do with the rear view mirror. Not sure if it is the interior or exterior, but the car ordered has the rear view camera and BLIS. The problem is supposed to be fixed. The second has to do with wheel studs ???. This is the current hold, affecting 3500 cars. Currently there is no date when the cars will be released for shipment. Don't know if it affects all trims and drivetrains, or just certain combinations, but the car ordered is a SEL V6. This is an inconvenience, but at least Ford is being proactive by taking care of the issue before it leaves the factory.

Update. It has been four weeks and still no car, but now more facts have come to light to explain most of the problem. After four weeks the sales manager finally made the inquiries necessary. Turns out the reason the car never arrived when expected is that it has been put on shipment hold twice by Ford. The first time had something to do with a rear view mirror (the car as the rear view camera and BLIS), which has been corrected. The second ongoing hold is due to wheel studs, which affects 3500 cars. They did not have any info on when this problem would be corrected and the car allowed to ship. So it sounds like the only crime here was that the dealer (sales manager and saleman) did not follow up or check on the car in a timely manner, and that we were lied to at one point by a manager saying that the car could not be tracked. This is something we made clear we were not happy about. As far as the rebates and financing, they admitted that a mistake had been made and that financing is not required for cash purchase rebates. A different finance guy showed us a new to them form called a VIN??? which, when your zip code and VIN number are entered, prints out all the available incentives and financing the buyer may be eligible for. On the sheet he showed how the mistake was made, as the rebate and financing rate where shown right together, making it look like you needed financing to get the rebate, which is not the case. Since he said the finance papers cannot be filed until the car is delivered, he say the papers will be trashed and all other paperwork will be redone when the car is delivered. So it looks like most issues have been resolved, but we are still playing the waiting game. The salesman has vowed to keep us up-to-date on a regular basis on the status. Isn't there a saying about information being power, but it can also bring peace of mind.

From the order guide, looks like Ford decided to stick with the gate shift on the Sport but use the thumb switch on all others for 2011. Guess they think the gate is sportier.

I doubt that is the case here. This dealer, whom I will not name at this time but will say is in the midwest, is huge. I have heard they are near the top in total yearly Ford sales in the US. They are near the top, if not the top, seller of Ford trucks in the US. Their claim to fame is they have sold vehicles to people in every state in the US. Maybe they are trying to become the top seller in the country, so don't want to risk loosing any sale. They also own many other franchises in this area of different brands. I will keep that in mind, but we will see how it plays out first. I'm sure the car will eventually arrive. We will definitely let them know what we think of this whole deal. I know many people who have been very satisfied with the dealer. This is the first time we have bought anything from them (and is looking like the last). Maybe they don't rate customer satisfaction and service high on their list.

Thanks again ice-capades for the info. It does definitely help. The delivery time is really not an issue as no other dealer in the area had one exactly as they wanted it equipped and they would have ordered one anyway. The situation was that it was on order for dealer stock, we saw it on their website, and made a deal before it came in. What is fishy about the whole deal is the manager personally told us that particular car was in-transit and would arrive at the dealership in three days. Partly due to this, we made the deal that day and paid for the car that day (a mistake looking back at it). They had to finance part of the purchase to get the rebate. Three days later, no car. Now it has been three weeks and no car. The dealership then said they cannot track it and don't know where it is at. Now I find out on my own that it has yet to leave the factory. The payment will be due (at which time they will pay off the whole amount) before the car arrives, so the car will be completely paid for with no car to drive. The whole deal just sounds wrong, which we will be talking to the manager about. On the plus side, looks like there is an additional $500 rebate, so they should get that since they have yet to take delivery. I'm sure it will eventually come in as the dealer is fairly reputable, and that it will be worth the wait.

Thanks ice-capades. Your summary definitely does help. Now I know more about the process than I did before, and the tools the dealer has at their disposal. Do you have any idea on average how long a vehicle travels on a railcar from the factory to where it is offloaded? I know it depends on location, but since we're talking Fusions, let's say from the Mexico plant to the east coast. In our case, I believe the dealer has been misleading us. Found out this morning through a customer service source at Ford that the car is sitting at the factory waiting to be loaded onto a railcar. The day of the purchase, the dealer's manager said the car was already in transit and would be at the dealer by the end of the week (3 days later). That has been 2-1/2 weeks ago. If it was that easy for me to find out, I find it very hard to believe they could not find that out even easier. Here is one other question you might be able to answer. At the time of purchase, which was to be a cash purchase, the manager said that to get the current $1000 customer cash offer, the purchase had to be at least partially financed through Ford. They did say the balance could all be paid off with the first payment with no penalty. Now is this legit? Did they need to finance to get the $1000? If you go to the Ford website it says for "Cash Purchase Offers" and nothing about having to finance the car to get the cash back. Of course it also says see your dealer for details. Just wondering. Thanks again for the response.

My parents recently purchased a 2011 Fusion SEL that was supposed to be at the dealership over two weeks ago. Asked the dealer when it will be in and the response we got was that it cannot be tracked as it is a sold order. I find it hard to believe that it cannot be tracked. Is there a place to find out if it has been built, and if so, what rail car number it is on? Found a tracking thread on the Ford Employee forum, but that looks to be only for current or former Ford employees. We are having doubts whether the dealer is on the up and up.

This article supports my thinking that the Raptor should have beat the Dodge Ram for Motor Trend's pick for 2010 Truck of the Year. Motor Trend's criteria are: 1. DESIGN ADVANCEMENT: Quality execution of exterior and interior styling; innovation in vehicle packaging; good selection and use of materials. (Same as any other F-series but with a tougher off-road image. Remember what the 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year was?) 2. ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE: Integrity of total vehicle concept and execution, clever solutions to packaging, manufacturing, and dynamics issues; use of cost-effective technologies that benefit the consumer. (Proven 100 fold by this article.) 3. INTENDED FUNCTION: How well the vehicle does the job its designers and product planners intended. (Proven 100 fold by this article.) 4. EFFICIENCY: Low fuel consumption and carbon footprint, relative to the vehicle's competitive set. (Can't be much worse than the top engine Ram if driven in a normal fashion.) 5. SAFETY: Primary safety -- the vehicle's ability to help the driver avoid a crash -- as well as secondary safety measures that protect occupants from harm during a crash. (Same as any other F-series, Motor Trend's 2009 Truck of the Year.) 6. VALUE : Price and equipment levels measured against those of vehicles in the same market segment. (There is no other vehicle like this in the truck market segment. Who else offers a stock factory off-road truck that can take a beating and can still be driven on the highway.)

I know I'll get flack for this, but why was the Topaz such a bad car? The 2nd and 3rd generation were good, dependable, well built cars at an affordable price. Ford redesigned the roofline to seperate it from it's sister Tempo. Sure they were not speed demons, but no mainstream car maker has 100% performance cars unless they are a specialty car company. Afterall, Ford, and Mercury, needs to sell cars to everybody, including soccer moms and the older generation if they want to stay in business.

Essentially, yes. The Mercury dealer network unfortunately has outlived its usefulness and will be disbanded, though it is painful to say and hear. As has been stated in other posts, Mercury is just a rebadged Ford product today with minor trim changes. These changes could fairly easily be incorporated into a Mercury appearance and luxury package that can be purchased on models such as the Fusion, Taurus, and SUV's. Ford in recent years has been big into these luxury and appearance packages, so would fit right in with their current philosophy. I know there are some people that say the Mercury/Lincoln service departments are superior to Ford's, and if true, that is just something Ford needs to improve upon and raise the bar over time. I suspect that if Ford offers dealers the option of taking on Ford in place of Mercury, most would take them up on the offer, so their service would still be superior whether they sell Mercury or Ford.

I actually had that thought today as well, and think it would be a great idea. Ford could offer an upscale Mercury appearance and luxury package on some of it's models which would include a waterfall grill, Mercury logo badging (even a grill badge), different taillights, wheels, and other exterior and interior changes. Ford already does something similar with the VOGA package on the Milan, and the 2011 Fusion has similar appearance and luxury packages. This would keep the Mercury name and spirit alive, and adding a package like this is essentially what Ford has been doing with Mercury for the last few years anyway. Some of us like to have something that looks unique, or simply want another choice that may be more appealing to us, so a Mercury package would be perfect. Ford already makes changes like these on the Mustang to give the car a different look and make it different than others on the road. Is this just crazy talk? Or is the real question how can this idea get passed on to Ford?