Hugh Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I guess five years ago when the company was getting back on track, it had to let go a lot of people and shutter plants. It's not like those folks can be replaced or if they want to come back even though some got some pretty sweet severance packages. If the company was in such dire straits, why would I want these folks back? Factor in new product and trying to be first in new tech and new practices will cause major issues short-term. I think Ford has mixed reactions. If quality is going down, why is product in short supply? Ford I don't think should change it's overall goal. The looking at launches is worthy and now is the time simply because now they have the time. They don't have to worry too much about getting the product out first, they are popular again. Logistics is going to win this battle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordtech1 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 What I find interesting is working at a dealer, I see what typically goes wrong. However, out of all the vehicles I see, only a small amount are "problem children". The job 1 focus were problematic and so was the new escape. Most of the bugs are being worked out. Also, most of our customers are happy. Dealer experience can make all the difference. I can assure you that 2013 vehicles are incomparable in quality to the 2003 vehicles. A 03 navigator would come in with 6 concerns easy. Now we see probably 2 concerns on average per repair order. The focus transmission issues have dwindled in our area. Most customers, once are instructed that it is an manual transmission that shifts for you, they seem to get it. Some will never be happy with it. Understanding how it works does make you understand if it's working properly or not. Like cvt, I don't think it will last long. I saw that the focus will be getting a new transmission in 2015 iirc. I do have one customer who told me his 09 flex with 180k miles is the best car he has ever owned. If you move on to another brand that's your prerogative. Move on please. I hear horror stories from all different makes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svtenthusiast Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I'm sorry to hear about your problems. A question though, are you dealing with any dealership issues with getting the problems fixed?? A poor dealership can destroy the ownership experience. Hopefully your issues get fixed. Thanks for the note. I don't have any major issues with what the dealer has been doing, mostly it falls on Ford giving them the proper instructions, support, and engineering resolution, which Ford has failed to do. Ford has also failed to communicate properly with me, I couldn't even get them to answer my voicemails. I think they are afraid to get on the phone because they know they have zero answers. I think some of it has to do with the vehicle being so new. The engineers don't have any fixes or information to give until enough complaints come in and they engineer the "fix". That's what I have been caught up in owning both a Focus and Escape that are both Job 1 vehicles and are also "world engineered", I feel like a "beta" tester and that's not appropriate when you are spending over 30K on a vehicle you rely on to get back and forth to make your living everyday. Too many varaibles and mis steps forming these "world vehicles" for the NA market, and not the Ford and the vehicles I used to know. Add in old fashioned, poor customer service practices at the corporate level and the MFT debacle and it's a recipie for disaster for customer satification and retention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 The thing is, when Ford ironed out quality, their products were pretty dull. From design to features, they were about as Toyota as they could get. But now that we have a fisty new Ford with real Chutzpah, it's clear they completely ditched their focus on quality to make this new "One Ford" happen. I'm a little on the receiving end of this, primarily with my 2013 Ford Escape. However, the new Escape is a much better vehicle than the one it replaced, even if it creaks and rattles from every corner of the vehicle. Quality is a bigger problem when the issue is an unsolvable design fault. Ford seems to have more of this going on with the Focus transmission for example, or the creaks and rattles in the Escape (for me at least). The Escape I own has no mechanical faults, it's just an obnoxious and hateful rattle-trap that makes my skin craw when I drive it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 The wheels fell off quality when Ford NA switched from mature platforms to embracing Ford Europe designs that had been modified for US and Global applications. not fatally flawed, just the nuisance stuff that drives customers nuts.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Quality is a bigger problem when the issue is an unsolvable design fault. Ford seems to have more of this going on with the Focus transmission for example, or the creaks and rattles in the Escape (for me at least). The Escape I own has no mechanical faults, it's just an obnoxious and hateful rattle-trap that makes my skin craw when I drive it. The resolution to this perceived fault it a different fluid for the dry-clutch or a wet-clutch pack or a torque-converter added to the dry-clutch. Just my nickel and my experience with my DCT. I drive it like a manual with light throttle launch and if you 'two-foot' with the break and throttle, don't rest the foot on the brake like you would a clutch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logatron Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 The thing is, when Ford ironed out quality, their products were pretty dull. From design to features, they were about as Toyota as they could get. But now that we have a fisty new Ford with real Chutzpah, it's clear they completely ditched their focus on quality to make this new "One Ford" happen. I'm a little on the receiving end of this, primarily with my 2013 Ford Escape. However, the new Escape is a much better vehicle than the one it replaced, even if it creaks and rattles from every corner of the vehicle. Quality is a bigger problem when the issue is an unsolvable design fault. Ford seems to have more of this going on with the Focus transmission for example, or the creaks and rattles in the Escape (for me at least). The Escape I own has no mechanical faults, it's just an obnoxious and hateful rattle-trap that makes my skin craw when I drive it. Agreed. Even though they may have lost some of their quality with these new European designs adapted for Americans, the quality will come back around in good time. Just some things need to be ironed out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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