ford fusion owners event

[fuss]

Is anybody else going to the Fusion owners event on the 18th - 19th of this month in Irvine, CA? I got an invite and will be attending. From what a I can tell it is a 2 our survey type of event. It is to share your experiences and satisfaction to the engineering design team. I will also get a $150 check for my time.

 

I am not sure if this is a group thing or one on one, there are appointment times set up.

 

I do not have any major complaints about the car. The stuff that bugs me is minor-ish.

 

- No full power control of the passengers seat. I want to have same controls on both front seats.

- No real understanding of how to get the best mileage. Forums like this is filled with conflicting info and nothing seems to work great for me. I live in San Diego, lots of hills. But when I am on a flat road going 55 on cruise why does it boot me out of electric? And if I turn off cruise, then turn it right back on I go back to electric?

- Lights. If you have been seeing my posts here you know I am not a fan of the front or back lights on my SE. Then car lights look pedestrian at best. If the low end other brands of cars can have fancy newer higher end looking lights there is no reason this car could not have them, or at least an option ( the titanium was not an option when I got my car) on every model.

- Memory seats. I guess I do not have a smart key and I have to keep pressing 1 before I sit down so I have room.

- memory a/c settings. I have a/c on low, turn it off then turn it on again and it is on high.

- Sync. I do not need to say more about that lol.

[Bailey151]

I would think they might be helpful on the mpg, but there are many hybrid veterans - look to their guidance. Example is 55mph flat road - it's a small battery, can only run in EV mode a mile or two.

 

The others are easy - you want 'em? Pay for 'em Every single option is included/excluded with a market & consumer in mind. Power passenger would cost - how many customers give a chit? Same for the tails - bet 99.99999% don't give a chit or would ever even notice. They made a decision, packages are what they are. Same with the tail lights - you want fancier? Pay the $$$$$ & step up to the MKZ.

 

Not certain where the key type cuts off - did you do the programming? (just say'n) Did you get the beeps?

 

Still be interested in what the engineers have to say.

[MSPFusion]

Fuss - thanks for posting that you're going to the event. If you're amenable to ideas to mention to the people at Ford I have one big one. Have you ever seen the 5-door that they will sell in Europe? It's just like our 4-door sedans, but with a slightly different back window rake, a wiper on the back window and the instead of a small trunk opening the whole back opens, window and all - its a hatch. Best of both worlds. Please ask them to bring it here. (Picture below)

 

As to the things you mentioned - hey, those are your opinions and you're entitled to them. Manufacturers add features to cars as time goes by. I don't understand why Baily is blasting you for expressing your opinion.

 

The other main issue that I have is that I think the attention to detail needs to be better. Most of the cars I have seen have poor alignment between the dash and the door panels at the a-pillar. The carpet on the passenger side footwell bunches up - it's not just mine, my salesman had noticed it in his personal car. When I look at the back of the car, on either side of the license plate, I can see lines where metal is welded to the back, on the inside of the trunk. They can do better and I think they know they need to improve.

 

[Bailey151]

As to the things you mentioned - hey, those are your opinions and you're entitled to them. Manufacturers add features to cars as time goes by. I don't understand why Baily is blasting you for expressing your opinion.

Yeah, I guess those "opinions" only go one way, right? ........................opinions are great as long as they match yours. I'd didn't blast anyone, simple statement as to why they might have made some choices. Comprehension issues aside - where did I say they wouldn't make changes? Simply talking about the current model, you'll note they have made changes for 2014 - heated/cooled seats.................which as I said will cost more ($450 something).

 

I'd like the hatch back, that wiper is butt ugly - a hideous abomination to an otherwise nice car.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Bailey151

[timf]

I don't even get why they need to have the wiper. It doesn't look like the slope of the hatchback rear window is any different than the sedan rear window. I do wish they'd offer the hatchback as an option here though as it would create far more useful cargo space, especially in the Hybrid models.

[Bailey151]

I don't even get why they need to have the wiper. It doesn't look like the slope of the hatchback rear window is any different than the sedan rear window. I do wish they'd offer the hatchback as an option here though as it would create far more useful cargo space, especially in the Hybrid models.

I'd take the hatch even w/o more storage.......keep me from whacking my melon (especially those "bumper" things that hang down...........which I always seem to find).

[taylorjd]

I wish they would move the battery to cover the bottom like Tesla did, creating a low center of gravity, smooth arrow base and more trunk space.

[47Minutes]

I wish they would move the battery to cover the bottom like Tesla did, creating a low center of gravity, smooth arrow base and more trunk space.

 

If sales can continue to grow, maybe they'll make their first electric only platform so they could design it that way rather than having to account for multiple powertrains on a single platform.

 

But I agree, I wish they'd done more thinking inside the box (trunk). Since they're already excluding spare tires, that well for where it would have been should have been designed to accommodate part of the battery to at least lower the height and offer a more useful rear seat passthrough on the Energi.

Edited May 21, 2013 by 47Minutes

[fusionTX]

Is anybody else going to the Fusion owners event on the 18th - 19th of this month in Irvine, CA? I got an invite and will be attending. From what a I can tell it is a 2 our survey type of event. It is to share your experiences and satisfaction to the engineering design team. I will also get a $150 check for my time.

 

I am not sure if this is a group thing or one on one, there are appointment times set up.

 

I do not have any major complaints about the car. The stuff that bugs me is minor-ish.

 

- No full power control of the passengers seat. I want to have same controls on both front seats.

- No real understanding of how to get the best mileage. Forums like this is filled with conflicting info and nothing seems to work great for me. I live in San Diego, lots of hills. But when I am on a flat road going 55 on cruise why does it boot me out of electric? And if I turn off cruise, then turn it right back on I go back to electric?

- Lights. If you have been seeing my posts here you know I am not a fan of the front or back lights on my SE. Then car lights look pedestrian at best. If the low end other brands of cars can have fancy newer higher end looking lights there is no reason this car could not have them, or at least an option ( the titanium was not an option when I got my car) on every model.

- Memory seats. I guess I do not have a smart key and I have to keep pressing 1 before I sit down so I have room.

- memory a/c settings. I have a/c on low, turn it off then turn it on again and it is on high.

- Sync. I do not need to say more about that lol.

I like your list. I also agree that build quality issues need some attention. Why is it so hard for trunk and other parts of the car to align?

 

Also they can do a better job of providing mileage feedback.

 

Tank average should be computed automatically. There should be no need to set a trip computer for this.

Current trip MPG should be updated real time, not just displayed at the end of the trip.

There should be better graphics for those that have MFT. Why not take advantage of that 8" screen for those that paid for it and provide some nice mileage graphs?

 

My 7 year old Camry Hybrid did all of the above. There's no reason for the Fusion not to.

[Bailey151]

If sales can continue to grow, maybe they'll make their first electric only platform so they could design it that way rather than having to account for multiple powertrains on a single platform.

 

But I agree, I wish they'd done more thinking inside the box (trunk). Since they're already excluding spare tires, that well for where it would have been should have been designed to accommodate part of the battery to at least lower the height and offer a more useful rear seat passthrough on the Energi.

Depends, would be be used as a global platform? All (except a few for a couple markets) Ford platforms are global - no more "American", "European".....

 

Upside is that we finally get the Mondeo (& focus etc)............downside is if electric specific platforms for the US only ain't happening.

 

I like your list. I also agree that build quality issues need some attention. Why is it so hard for trunk and other parts of the car to align?.

.

My 7 year old Camry Hybrid did all of the above. There's no reason for the Fusion not to.

Production issue I'd wager, will improve (hoping)............of note mine is fine.

 

Nice to haves..........................but I'll take the car over a couch with wheels any day.

[rprobst]

Is anybody else going to the Fusion owners event on the 18th - 19th of this month in Irvine, CA? I got an invite and will be attending.

 

So when is the NorCal owners event going to be scheduled? Or if it has been scheduled, how do I get an invite?

[fusionTX]

A larger gas tank would also be welcome. 13.5 is way too small

Edited May 22, 2013 by fusionTX

[shaggy314]

A larger gas tank would also be welcome. 13.5 is way too small

 

I will gladly trade 2 gallons of my 14.5 tank for truck or battery space in my Energi.

[hybridbear]

- No real understanding of how to get the best mileage. Forums like this is filled with conflicting info and nothing seems to work great for me. I live in San Diego, lots of hills. But when I am on a flat road going 55 on cruise why does it boot me out of electric? And if I turn off cruise, then turn it right back on I go back to electric?

- Memory seats. I guess I do not have a smart key and I have to keep pressing 1 before I sit down so I have room.

On the Fusion Hybrid forum there is a lot of good information about maximizing gas mileage

 

The memory seats can be linked to your code for the door keypad and also to your key. All this is explained in the Owner's Manual

[47Minutes]

The memory seats can be linked to your code for the door keypad and also to your key. All this is explained in the Owner's Manual

 

There is also a setting that automatically slides the seat back when the door is opened to allow for easy entry, then adjusts to your programmed setting. I forget what it's called, but should be in the manual.

[fuss]

Ok - sorry for taking so long to get back here, but I had a great time at the event. The first thing that caught my eye when I pulled in that there were about 40 Fusions already there. It was just kinda cool to see so many of them, saw the gas and hybrid versions only. I was invited to the event because I filled out survey that was linked to from a letter I got in the mail. I guess I provided enough feedback in the areas they were looking for and got the invite. And as I said the engineers of the car were there, tons of them all straight from Michigan. They had teams for every aspect of the car - I was amazed at some of the specialties they had - for example there was a team in control of buttons lol.

They had me park my car and after I signed in I would stand by my car and the different teams would come along and ask me questions. They had a printout of the survey I took and would ask me for feedback why I answered what I had, and if I had any other questions, comments or they would ask me questions they were looking for direct feedback for. I went over my list above, and yes Bailey151, even my key that would not program even after a good amount of trying previous to this event. They asked me about every possible aspect of the car. Some of the more (at least I think) random questions I got were:

 

- If I liked the key fob. If the shape fit good in my hand, if I liked how it looked and if I could add a button to it what that button would be. I could not think of any buttons on it I currently do not have and I really love the fob the way it was. I also learned if you hold down either the lock or unlock button for 3 seconds after you lock/unlock all 4 windows will either go up/down at once depending on if you are locking/unlocking the car... this really blew my mind lol. I really think this is cool because it will help to get the car cooled off a few more seconds before I get in the car... in the hopes the blast of hot air will already be out of the car by the time I get to the door in the summer.

 

- The tray in the armrest has a space for coins, they asked me if I liked that and if I could change it from a coin holder to a tray if I would, and if I would like that slot to have one, two or three compartments. The guy even had a prototype of a two container holder. I told them I am ok with the coins, and rather have it the way it is and if I had smaller items to hold the other area of the tray could hold it.

 

They also asked me about the trunk, I know this is a big issue for some people here so I will talk about that. They asked me if I was happy with how high the trunk went when I pressed the button to open it. They asked me if I was happy with how far, and the angle of the trunk was when it was fully opened, and the overall space the trunk has. I told them I am ok with how much it opens when you press the button, but it would be nice if it went all the way up if you had your hands full. I also told them I am ok with the position it is in when fully opened and it could use more space for example by lowering the batteries deeper in the car. They did ask me about a hatchback option, and if I had eve had a hatchback before and would be happy with that option and the space it would provide.

 

And yes, I did go over the lights with the exterior team. And yes, I told them I am considering buying the LED lights that did not come with my SE and even how cool I thought the overseas version of the headlights were. My main argument is this - the car looks great and stands out during the day, as it is supposed to. But at night when all you can see is the lights there is nothing that makes my car stand out. When you see the Jordi Laforge Dodge tail lights, or Audi tail lights they stand out - and you notice them from far away and you either say 'oh look, there is that new Dodge' or 'Oh look at those lights, I wonder what type of car that is' and you go and try to figure it out. And that is something that sticks out to you - and despite if you like them, don't care about them, or love them you still know that is a Dodge and that sticks out in your mind and that brand recognition is something advertisers would love to have. And YES the tail lights on the Titanium version. But on the SE it looks like any other no-frills car and at least to me does not look like a new car in the dark. You need to make the car stand out in both the day time and in the night time. And If I had the option to buy these lights when I got my car I would have spent more money of it. And they were very receptive to my feedback and seemed to agree with me, and I am happy with that.

 

Also talked about wheels/tires - said I was very happy to have the good tires but was not happy with the very limited selection of wheels. And I desperately want to replace my wheels with something better but am worried about the downside it would give me with my MPG.

 

Speaking of MPG, we talked about that also. I got the feeling they just wanted to hear what I had to say about it. My current MPG is 40.7. And I think there is a big difference between 47 and 40.7. And for the average to be 47 that means there should be people well above 47 and people well below 47, and I was not aware of many people with well above 47 MPG. And I told them to be honest I was not too upset over 40.7 because for me and the cars I have had in the past 40 is pretty darn good, and the 47 was not THE deciding factor for me buying the car - and I try my best to get the best possible MPG on my car and would love to have more.

 

And the gas tank. They asked me if I felt if I filled up too often and if I was happy with the size of the tank. I told them it would be nice to have a bigger tank but I know that would add more weight to the car and that would effect the MPG. But I would love to be able to fit another 2 or 3 gallons in the tank and the benefit of a larger tank would outweigh the downsides of a bigger tank.

 

When I was talking to the team in charge of the engine they saw I had a complaint on the electric/gas part of the car and why it would pick one over the other in certain situations. I am *fully* aware of why the gas kicks in when the battery is less than half full, why it kicks in on a hill, why it kicks in when I speed up too fast (or at all lol), and that weight (passengers and cargo) play a role in how the car drives. I fully understand that - what I do not understand is why when I am on cruise, on a flat road with the battery more than half full the car kicks itself into gas mode. The answer I got is that the car's computer is always trying to figure out the best and most economical driving condition at all times, and when it kicks into gas the computer has decided that is the best way to go at that point in time - even if on a flat road, on cruise at 55 and with a battery more than half full with no other passengers in the car and nothing in the trunk. My response is I would think in a situation like that I would assume the most economical would be electric and I still do not feel I got a good answer from that aspect of the interview.

 

As far as the buttons go I told them I felt the window buttons were a tad too far forward, and it seemed like that was a common response because they were saying what I was going to say before I could say it. I just feel I have to reach a tad too far to roll down the front windows and often roll down the rear windows by mistake far more often than I would like. And both my wife, who is much shorter than I am and I have this issue. They had me sit in the car and show them the reach and were receptive for that feedback. I also told them I am not a fan of the location of the heated seat buttons, and I sometimes hit the button when changing the volume for the radio with the knob. I feel putting a button that would not be used all that often, even by people in cold climates, so close to a knob that would be used often was bad placement - seemed like they heard that one before also. And they were happy I knew of the button to open the trunk that is above the license plate... I guess many people do not know about it.

 

And I talked the Sync team, I take it this feedback was very important because the put a mic on me and filmed my entire interview. We sat in the car and the camera guy was in the backseat. We talked about the options, the screen layout, what was on every screen, what I could do and say, how I got it to do this and that. I told them I was not a fan of the turn by turn (I do not have maps in my car) and use my phone for navigation and not Sync. I told them I would like to have the options to customize the screen display. I have a problem with the text alert not popping up on my dash for all of the texts I get is an issue. I would also like to have my favorite radio stations all in one screen - am, fm, xm, etc all in one screen. All the issues I had they said they were already aware of, they told me how to update my software when it needed it and they have an update in the works. We spent a good amount of time talking - not sure how much time but I know it was pretty long.

 

I also talked to a person in customer service based on the some of the feedback I gave, mainly the clicking the car makes when coming to a full stop or starting from a full stop. I know this is a known issue here in the forums. And I was expecting a 'oh really, never heard that type of response but I actually got just the opposite. The person would not say what it was - other than they know what it is and what causes it and in no way is it a safety concern. I was about ready to be told I have to deal with it - but again, just the opposite. I was told they are working on getting a fix out to dealers and within 21 days a fix would be rolled out to dealers. I was told they will not be sending out letters about the problem/fix and it was up to me to take the car in the shop after 21 days and tell them something about 'oasis' not sure if they have to use a tool or run a test using oasis, or if this is the code word for the problem lol. Just mention oasis the dealer... after 21 days. This was news to me because I had not seen any mention of a fix about to be rolled out mentioned before this. There may be and I missed it... but I was happy to be hearing this directly from Ford. ***EDIT** I see Ford posted a fix a few days after I went to the event, this makes me happy.

 

I was told it would take 2 hours, but I was there for almost 4 and I was ok with that. I had a great time, learned things and got a check for $150 and a little model of my car

 

And I know some may agree with my feedback and some will not, and some will try to jump on me *cough*alreadybeendone*cough* but hey - thats why they have these things.

Edited May 24, 2013 by fuss

[hybridbear]

Fuss, fantastic information. So glad you were able to go to that event and share your experience. It's nice to know that Ford is doing these events and listening to customers. If you aren't already using the Fusion Hybrid Forum I invite you to sign up. There has been lots of information posted over there about the cracking noise and the TSB that has been issued. We've also talked a lot about MPG and your comments about when the car decides to go EV vs gas. Thank you very much for sharing this with us.

[hybridbear]

Also, I want a little model of the Fusion! Lol

[corncobs]

Hey fuss; great summary I hope you don't mind that I posted your write up on the Fusion Hybrid forum.

Thanks for sharing.

[Bailey151]

................................. and yes Bailey151, even my key that would not program even after a good amount of trying previous to this event. They asked me about every possible aspect of the car. Some of the more (at least I think) random questions I got were:

 

Speaking of MPG, we talked about that also. I got the feeling they just wanted to hear what I had to say about it. My current MPG is 40.7. And I think there is a big difference between 47 and 40.7. And for the average to be 47 that means there should be people well above 47 and people well below 47, and I was not aware of many people with well above 47 MPG. And I told them to be honest I was not too upset over 40.7 because for me and the cars I have had in the past 40 is pretty darn good, and the 47 was not THE deciding factor for me buying the car - and I try my best to get the best possible MPG on my car and would love to have more.

Well to be fair I did say "just say'n" the key issue We've all done the "did it........tried again......3rd time's a charm" - was joust hoping it might work.

 

I think the EPA needs to make it more clear. Those mpg ratings in no way are any median, they do not mean what the average customer will get. They mean what the customer can expect if they drive similar to the EPA's test loop. It's not at all clear that it does not represent "average".....heck the even call it the EPA "average". If they made this clear it might help with consumer expectations.

 

(note - I'd rate your response as excellent, just bagging the EPA)

 

Glad to hear the feedback - looks like Ford is taking the issues seriously........let's all say thanks to Mr Mulally who brought this culture to Ford.

 

I'd rate all the issues as interesting - the window switches, didn't notice until recently (window season) they are way forward. I'd bet they didn't do the hatch back because they don't sell in the US. They do sell well overseas (they're a bit quicker on the uptake), but they don't here. Maybe they'll make it eventually.

 

As I said, glad to hear they're listening.

[fuss]

Also, I want a little model of the Fusion! Lol

 

LOL - funny thing is I had just ordered one from Amazon in the same grey to match my car, the one they gave me was white and that is all they had. It was the same thing, just in a 'Ford' box. It is made by Greenlight, just do a search on Amazon. For example this is the one I got:

http://www.amazon.com/Greenlight-Sterling-Metallic-Die-Cast-Vehicle/dp/B008FXRG2Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369436289&sr=8-1&keywords=2013+ford+fusion+greenlight

I tink it is set in place inside of the box, I have not really messed with it but it appears to be snapped into place pretty good.

 

Fuss, fantastic information. So glad you were able to go to that event and share your experience. It's nice to know that Ford is doing these events and listening to customers. If you aren't already using the Fusion Hybrid Forum I invite you to sign up. There has been lots of information posted over there about the cracking noise and the TSB that has been issued. We've also talked a lot about MPG and your comments about when the car decides to go EV vs gas. Thank you very much for sharing this with us.

 

Hey fuss; great summary I hope you don't mind that I posted your write up on the Fusion Hybrid forum.

Thanks for sharing.

I would love to join - which forums are they? lol, I see more than a few links out there in the wild.

[Bailey151]

LOL - funny thing is I had just ordered one from Amazon in the same grey to match my car..............................................I tink it is set in place inside of the box, I have not really messed with it but it appears to be snapped into place pretty good.

I'll admit it, I have one, matches my car - yes, it's snapped in the bottom piece = it's won't go anywhere or be knocking around the case.

[rprobst]

LOL - funny thing is I had just ordered one from Amazon in the same grey to match my car, the one they gave me was white and that is all they had. It was the same thing, just in a 'Ford' box. It is made by Greenlight, just do a search on Amazon. For example this is the one I got:

http://www.amazon.com/Greenlight-Sterling-Metallic-Die-Cast-Vehicle/dp/B008FXRG2Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369436289&sr=8-1&keywords=2013+ford+fusion+greenlight

I tink it is set in place inside of the box, I have not really messed with it but it appears to be snapped into place pretty good.

It's just screwed onto the base; easy to remove. I took mine off the base right away. Mine is silver because Greenlight didn't have sterling grey then (boo-hoo). So it doesn't quite match my car.

[hybridbear]

LOL - funny thing is I had just ordered one from Amazon in the same grey to match my car, the one they gave me was white and that is all they had. It was the same thing, just in a 'Ford' box. It is made by Greenlight, just do a search on Amazon. For example this is the one I got:

http://www.amazon.com/Greenlight-Sterling-Metallic-Die-Cast-Vehicle/dp/B008FXRG2Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369436289&sr=8-1&keywords=2013+ford+fusion+greenlight

I tink it is set in place inside of the box, I have not really messed with it but it appears to be snapped into place pretty good.

The Tuxedo Black one is more expensive on Amazon :sad: oh well...I might just buy it anyway

[Razdan]

The Tuxedo Black one is more expensive on Amazon :sad: oh well...I might just buy it anyway

 

I just bought one from eBay for less since it was free shipping. Charging 9.99 to ship a 9.99 model on amazon is not worth it.