1.6L EB recall

[mettech]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/25/us-ford-slogan-idUSTRE80O02O20120125

"Go Further" will be used in marketing campaigns, replacing "Drive One" in North America and "Feel the Difference" in Europe. Those slogans were coined to help overcome wariness on the part of consumers about the quality and performance of Ford cars as the car maker bounced back.

 

Maybe Ford should go back using "Quality is Job One".

 

http://corporate.ford.com/our-company/our-company-news-detail/one-ford

 

It appears that the word "Quality" is missing in the Ford's Mission Statement.

[Harley Lover]

There are now 7 reports of 1.6 Ecoboost fires in Europe. It's not a problem only in the U.S.: http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2012/12/engine-fire-problem-could-snag-ford-in-europe/

[papilgee4evaeva]

So much for the "only happening to US engines" invective. For both the FoE defenders and detractors.

[GammaRae]

I've done a bit of research this evening and here is what I've found:

 

4 ea. build dates of 11/28 with Outstanding Field Service Actions for the overheat issue

3 ea. build dates of 11/30 with NO OFSA

 

Did not locate any build dates of 11/29 in my random search of dealers listed VINs.

 

Hoping this means 11/30 vehicles have the improved engine and will be cleared for shipping immediately. The update from Cyberdman in the morning will be interesting...

 

Cyberdman's update:

 

Good luck with that, I don't care what Etis says. You probably won't be getting that anytime soon...

 

Awaiting Shipment - Origin Received - 43beis1e (Allied Systems Ltd ) Ramp 54, Hermosillo Asy, SO Dec-03-2012, 21:01 MT.

 

I know this isn't the ETA update thread, but I do find it pertinent to the 1.6 Recall subject.

[RichardJensen]

Can't turn a profit, can't build a quality product.

 

Yep. Ford NA could learn a lot from FoE.

[Hugh]

Cyberdman's update:

 

Good luck with that, I don't care what Etis says. You probably won't be getting that anytime soon...

 

Awaiting Shipment - Origin Received - 43beis1e (Allied Systems Ltd ) Ramp 54, Hermosillo Asy, SO Dec-03-2012, 21:01 MT.

 

I know this isn't the ETA update thread, but I do find it pertinent to the 1.6 Recall subject.

So from I gleen from there, is it Allied Systems that is delivering the parts?

[jpd80]

Can't turn a profit, can't build a quality product.

 

Yep. Ford NA could learn a lot from FoE.

This is going to get a lot bigger, has FoE been sitting on a quality problem (s) and not telling anyone?

Or are they that stupid / complacent /arrogant that problems like this don't phase them like FNA?

 

Ford NA will find the problem and the cure but I guarantee, big internal changes will come from this.

In the rest of the world, the problems some buyers strike with Ford vehicles is astonishing, as is the response...

Edited December 5, 2012 by jpd80

[GammaRae]

Allied is the vehicle transport company being used by Ford.

[Edstock]

Ford NA will find the problem and the cure but I guarantee, big internal changes will come from this.

 

This is how we get One Ford.

[jpd80]

This is how we get One Ford.

Exactly, sometimes companies need to feel significant pain before they make effective changes..

[Hugh]

This is going to get a lot bigger, has FoE been sitting on a quality problem (s) and not telling anyone?

Or are they that stupid / complacent /arrogant that problems like this don't phase them like FNA?

 

Ford NA will find the problem and the cure but I guarantee, big internal changes will come from this.

In the rest of the world, the problems some buyers strike with Ford vehicles is astonishing, as is the response...

I agree and only speaking from my POV is it's easy to get tunnel-vision and realize for example there's more then one coast (Atlantic/Pacific/Arctic) and more then one element (Army, Navy, Air Force) at work. Just MHO.

[GammaRae]

"...Deep says that the plant is continuing to build Escapes with the 1.6-liter EcoBoost (it has two other engine options) even though the cause of the fires has yet to be pinpointed and a fix devised."

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2012/12/04/ford-investigating-europe-engines/1747029/

[2005Explorer]

"...Deep says that the plant is continuing to build Escapes with the 1.6-liter EcoBoost (it has two other engine options) even though the cause of the fires has yet to be pinpointed and a fix devised."

 

http://www.usatoday....ngines/1747029/

 

So the cause of the fires is still not pinpointed and there is still no fix and they are still building vehicles with the 1.6 engine? I sure hope that is a typo and they have fixed the ones rolling down the assembly line right now or this whole thing could turn into quite a cluster.

[GammaRae]

So the cause of the fires is still not pinpointed and there is still no fix and they are still building vehicles with the 1.6 engine? I sure hope that is a typo and they have fixed the ones rolling down the assembly line right now or this whole thing could turn into quite a cluster.

 

Seems counterproductive, right? I'm certainly not going to say what they're doing one way or another since I'm nowhere near the inside of Ford, but how they could continue pushing them through without a known cause and fix doesn't compute with me. Perhaps they are pushing them through with corrective action (thus why 11/30 and later build vehicle do not have OFSAs) and that nothing short of replacing one or more major component (including the engine) is the answer for the recalled vehicles. If that is the case, the logistics of providing 90,000+ additional engines than you expected, in a relatively short period no less, would be mind boggling and announcing that without having an actual plan and ability to do so would cause panic amongst owners. That's all speculation, of course, and not very good speculation at that.

[2005Explorer]

Seems counterproductive, right? I'm certainly not going to say what they're doing one way or another since I'm nowhere near the inside of Ford, but how they could continue pushing them through without a known cause and fix doesn't compute with me. Perhaps they are pushing them through with corrective action (thus why 11/30 and later build vehicle do not have OFSAs) and that nothing short of replacing one or more major component (including the engine) is the answer for the recalled vehicles. If that is the case, the logistics of providing 90,000+ additional engines than you expected, in a relatively short period no less, would be mind boggling and announcing that without having an actual plan and ability to do so would cause panic amongst owners. That's all speculation, of course, and not very good speculation at that.

 

Yes there is a lot of speculation right now and it is very possible that this article is misleading. I'm not sure what is going on, but one thing I can promise is that some engineers aren't getting a lot of sleep in Dearborn right now.

[RichardJensen]

What you don't understand is that these factories are set up to fairly specific build sequences; they will build 1.6s until they can resequence, and the 1.6s will be held in storage until they can be fixed because doing so is cheaper than resequencing production that has already been scheduled.

 

See, you can't pull a 1.6L SE out of the sequence and build a 2.0L Titanium instead, because many of the parts for that 1.6L SE are going to be delivered packed and ready to go onto that vehicle right off the pallet (or whatever), with the corresponding part (say, the stereo, or seats) for the 2.0L Titanium right behind.

 

And Ford can't just swap out the 1.6 for the 2.0 because that would change the price mix, which could lead to an excess of 2.0s down the line, driving down transaction prices, not to mention causing havoc with engine supplies from Valencia.

 

Ford knows what they're doing here. The 1.6s are still being built, but I am certain that they are not being shipped.

Edited December 6, 2012 by RichardJensen

[GammaRae]

Yes, that all occurred to me as a possibility. The only thing that left doubt was the lack of an Outstanding Field Service Action listed for specific VINs built on 11/30 and beyond.

 

We'll see if I can get a high priority 2.0 built, but I'm guessing based on the above description of production it would take an act of God to get one thrown into the sequence out of order.

Edited December 6, 2012 by GammaRae

[jpd80]

Yes, that all occurred to me as a possibility. The only thing that left doubt was the lack of an Outstanding Field Service Action listed for specific VINs built on 11/30 and beyond.

 

We'll see if I can get a high priority 2.0 built, but I'm guessing based on the above description of production it would take an act of God to get one thrown into the sequence out of order.

I Think you misunderstood Richard,

Ford is still building 2.0 EBs, 2.5s and 1.6 EBs in varying models but the build ratios and quantities are pretty much set in stone

as part of sales projections and until feedback comes to change the mix.

Edited December 6, 2012 by jpd80

[Morcelu]

What you don't understand is that these factories are set up to fairly specific build sequences; they will build 1.6s until they can resequence, and the 1.6s will be held in storage until they can be fixed because doing so is cheaper than resequencing production that has already been scheduled.

 

See, you can't pull a 1.6L SE out of the sequence and build a 2.0L Titanium instead, because many of the parts for that 1.6L SE are going to be delivered packed and ready to go onto that vehicle right off the pallet (or whatever), with the corresponding part (say, the stereo, or seats) for the 2.0L Titanium right behind.

 

And Ford can't just swap out the 1.6 for the 2.0 because that would change the price mix, which could lead to an excess of 2.0s down the line, driving down transaction prices, not to mention causing havoc with engine supplies from Valencia.

 

Ford knows what they're doing here. The 1.6s are still being built, but I am certain that they are not being shipped.

I drive by the parking lot in Louisville Ford is using to store 1.6L Escapes every day on my way to work. There are hundreds of cars there now with more being added every day.

[GammaRae]

I Think you misunderstood Richard,

Ford is still building 2.0 EBs, 2.5s and 1.6 EBs in varying models but the build ratios and quantities are pretty much set in stone

as part of sales projections and until feedback comes to change the mix.

 

I could have. If I'm understanding you correctly, they can allocate one of the 2.0s already in the sequence to an emergency order instead of it fulfilling for dealer stock as it was originally scheduled? How would that effect VINs?

[akirby]

What he said was that they basically have to keep building a certain number of 1.6Ls because they're already scheduled and the parts are already there to build them. They have to wait for those orders to work their way out of the system before they can switch to building more vehicles with different engines. By that time the parts suppliers will have changed the parts mix to match the new orders and everything is in sync.

[GammaRae]

What he said was that they basically have to keep building a certain number of 1.6Ls because they're already scheduled and the parts are already there to build them. They have to wait for those orders to work their way out of the system before they can switch to building more vehicles with different engines. By that time the parts suppliers will have changed the parts mix to match the new orders and everything is in sync.

 

Yeah, I understood that part completely. I'm just putting it in context of my specific situation where I have asked my dealer and Ford to basically reorder my 1.6 (which is built) as a 2.0 with a higher priority than 10 to get something done soon. That's all.

[Pioneer]

 

We'll see if I can get a high priority 2.0 built, but I'm guessing based on the above description of production it would take an act of God to get one thrown into the sequence out of order.

 

You need to talk with your dealerships zone manager. They are the only one that can schedule a priority below a 10.

[xgman]

So is there anything we can do other than sit and wait, driving lesser loaners, while me make payments on a car that is sitting in a dealer lot waiting for Ford to say something? My car is only a week old.I really don't want it anymore after all this.

[hermans]

I had a 1993 Ford (348 miles) motor blow. When I got it back it was in the shop a few more times repairing cooling leaks. I went to the dealer and told them I no longer wanted the car as I would never trust it. The next day I was sitting down with the Zone Manager and we struck a deal. They would take the car back and refund me all of my money, including the sales tax and I would buy another car.

 

It can be done, but on this massive scale I doubt it.

 

Moral to this story - ALWAYS check your engine oil level BEFORE you leave the dealership. They didn't and there was not enough oil in it when it left the factory.