when will ford learn

[6SPDMANUAL]

Ford has been losing market share to Asian manufacturers for a decade and has been badly stung by high gas prices because big trucks and sport utility vehicles account for a majority of the vehicles it sells. For the first time last month, it sold fewer vehicles than Toyota Motor Corp. in the U.S.

 

According to the report, the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker is naming former investment banker Kenneth Leet to lead the review of its ailing operations. Leet headed merger and acquisition teams for Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Bank of America Corp.

 

MANY OF you may have read this, but some may have not. I (and others) have said this was coming for quite some time. now it seems ford is going to hire a banker or ex banker to figure out whats wrong. well duh, poor quality, huge prices, and no resale value, along with lack of options to cut corners (in the truck line) to cut corners for the other cars that suck anyway. simply stupid, but they still don't seem to be learning. maybe they should put a truck person to find about the trucks and car people to find out about the cars, not a f&&&ing banker. just like the radios, tvs, and other electronics, ours cars will be all from japan and korea, and china before long.

[Michael Reynolds]

Ford has been losing market share to Asian manufacturers for a decade and has been badly stung by high gas prices because big trucks and sport utility vehicles account for a majority of the vehicles it sells. For the first time last month, it sold fewer vehicles than Toyota Motor Corp. in the U.S.

 

According to the report, the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker is naming former investment banker Kenneth Leet to lead the review of its ailing operations. Leet headed merger and acquisition teams for Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Bank of America Corp.

 

MANY OF you may have read this, but some may have not. I (and others) have said this was coming for quite some time. now it seems ford is going to hire a banker or ex banker to figure out whats wrong. well duh, poor quality, huge prices, and no resale value, along with lack of options to cut corners (in the truck line) to cut corners for the other cars that suck anyway. simply stupid, but they still don't seem to be learning. maybe they should put a truck person to find about the trucks and car people to find out about the cars, not a f&&&ing banker. just like the radios, tvs, and other electronics, ours cars will be all from japan and korea, and china before long.

 

First of all why couldn't this have gone in with the post about Ford looking to dump Jaguar?

 

I will say this much, I do agree, at times, that Ford Management has their head up their you know whats.

 

No resale? Poor quality? Have you noticed any of Ford's new product. The residuals may not be the best, but they are up there with quite a few of their Japanese counterparts. Ford has launched multiple nameplates since 04, with very few issues at start and almost minimial issues down the road.

[igor]

Leet's job is to evaluate the benefts and shortcomings of gameplans involving the brands Ford has right now, and alliances with other companies.

 

It is basicaly an audit of Ford's portfolio and aliance ptetial - Gm had this done a year ago and was told to sell Saab and shut 1-2 of their US brands - but GM decided not to listen.

 

Ford is trying to figure out whether it could not -after all - benefit from selling some of its brands, and/or partnering with someone else in an alliance..

 

Leet will not talk into products or design - he is there to make a financial audit of brands .... If Jag is kept, Leet will not dictate what products it should have - he will simply make the recommendation - sell or keep

 

Igor

[Bluecon]

Leet's job is to evaluate the benefts and shortcomings of gameplans involving the brands Ford has right now, and alliances with other companies.

 

It is basicaly an audit of Ford's portfolio and aliance ptetial - Gm had this done a year ago and was told to sell Saab and shut 1-2 of their US brands - but GM decided not to listen.

 

Ford is trying to figure out whether it could not -after all - benefit from selling some of its brands, and/or partnering with someone else in an alliance..

 

Leet will not talk into products or design - he is there to make a financial audit of brands .... If Jag is kept, Leet will not dictate what products it should have - he will simply make the recommendation - sell or keep

 

Igor

And it did jump the stock price. Now is the time to buy.

[cheri/ck]

First of all why couldn't this have gone in with the post about Ford looking to dump Jaguar?

 

I will say this much, I do agree, at times, that Ford Management has their head up their you know whats.

 

No resale? Poor quality? Have you noticed any of Ford's new product. The residuals may not be the best, but they are up there with quite a few of their Japanese counterparts. Ford has launched multiple nameplates since 04, with very few issues at start and almost minimial issues down the road.

 

 

We can complain about the cars forever, but the fact is Ford depends upon and has for many years depended upon their truck sales for huge chunks of revenues and profits. Granted truck sales are way down for everyone, but to imply that Ford has recently (since 2004) introduced new models with very few issues is sure not looking out at the Ford truck world.

 

The recent Powerstroke (2003/2004 into 2005 and maybe 2006) has permanently lost Ford so many loyal truck owners that is likely to take many years to realize that loss. And, the new generation F-150 is not far behind (2004 at least through 2005). These are truck products that were not properly researched and developed.

 

I for one think that Ford's lack of vision has been more in the trucks that the company needs so badly rather than the cars. Now there is nothing really on the drawing boards to help the current offerings compete against the new GM trucks and the new Tundra. I'm not sure Nissan won't have a new Titan before Ford comes up with a better F-150.

 

Of course, the Ranger is another matter. Anyway, Ford has lost so many customers with their recent truck launches and it has a lot less to do with gas mileage than lack of quality and reliabilty. And also - once again - Ford not standing behind their product to extend warranty for known problems.

[DCK]

First of all why couldn't this have gone in with the post about Ford looking to dump Jaguar?

 

I will say this much, I do agree, at times, that Ford Management has their head up their you know whats.

 

No resale? Poor quality? Have you noticed any of Ford's new product. The residuals may not be the best, but they are up there with quite a few of their Japanese counterparts. Ford has launched multiple nameplates since 04, with very few issues at start and almost minimial issues down the road.

The problem is they already distoyed their reputation before the 500 launch. And the 500 and freestyle had the worst problem possible with the vehicle, It made the camry look like asports car, talk about the dullest vehicles ever launched in the history of the auto industry.

 

Well anyways other than the dullness it looks like ford will be fixing the problem next year so i am beating a dead horse. The fusion is great but ford needs to do real advertisements for the vehicle and explain what the vehicle is in commercials and why you should want one, instead they put out shit commercials, that is what is hurting the fusion finally ford has a great product with great styling and they still tend to screw up the advertisement and leaving people with "WTH is it" after watching a commercial of the vehicle, "live in drive" gets its ass kicked considerably by "When a car becomes more" and "What if the best selling car in america became the best car for america"

 

They need a new advertisment team taking care of the edge because they cannot afford to fuck that up.

[swenson88]

We can complain about the cars forever, but the fact is Ford depends upon and has for many years depended upon their truck sales for huge chunks of revenues and profits. Granted truck sales are way down for everyone, but to imply that Ford has recently (since 2004) introduced new models with very few issues is sure not looking out at the Ford truck world.

 

The recent Powerstroke (2003/2004 into 2005 and maybe 2006) has permanently lost Ford so many loyal truck owners that is likely to take many years to realize that loss. And, the new generation F-150 is not far behind (2004 at least through 2005). These are truck products that were not properly researched and developed.

 

I for one think that Ford's lack of vision has been more in the trucks that the company needs so badly rather than the cars. Now there is nothing really on the drawing boards to help the current offerings compete against the new GM trucks and the new Tundra. I'm not sure Nissan won't have a new Titan before Ford comes up with a better F-150.

 

Of course, the Ranger is another matter. Anyway, Ford has lost so many customers with their recent truck launches and it has a lot less to do with gas mileage than lack of quality and reliabilty. And also - once again - Ford not standing behind their product to extend warranty for known problems.

 

The Powerstroke I can see, and the Ranger I agree with, but the new F-150? It has sold in record numbers since it debuted and I certainly haven't heard any grumbling about quality with it. What's the beef with the F-150?

[RichardJensen]

they still tend to screw up the advertisement and leaving people with "WTH is it" after watching a commercial of the vehicle, "live in drive" gets its ass kicked considerably by "When a car becomes more" and "What if the best selling car in america became the best car for america"

 

They need a new advertisment team taking care of the edge because they cannot afford to fuck that up.

Did you know that those Fusion commercials were approved by Mark Fields? And that this is Mark Fields specialty (remember "Zoom Zoom"?)

 

P.S. if you don't "get" Ford's bold moves commercials, then Ford is not your brand. Sorry to say it, buddy, but you are not their target customer. Ford's target customers, described as "Lust 4 Life" are, among other things, optimists. I'd like to think you're an optimist, but your posts don't show much optimism. Or even a reasonable amount of realism (attributing all future hopes for Ford Motor on Mark Fields, for instance, failing to credit Chris Theodore and Darrell Kuzak who helped develop Ford's GPDS; or Jim Padilla and Anne Stevens who did a 180 on Ford's launch quality and manufacturing defects)

Edited August 3, 2006 by RichardJensen

[Michael Reynolds]

The Powerstroke I can see, and the Ranger I agree with, but the new F-150? It has sold in record numbers since it debuted and I certainly haven't heard any grumbling about quality with it. What's the beef with the F-150?

 

She/He has a hardon for that truck I swear.