Looks like Carlos Tavares has some major changes planned for the old Chrysler Group. Massive job cuts and perhaps even selling their Auburn Hills Headquarters. Not good news for SE Michigan.
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2024/06/20/stellantis-may-cut-many-jobs-in-metro-detroit-what-we-know/
The Detroit News ran the article too. Behind a paywall, so here are a few quotes:
"Earlier this year, Farley pioneered this “build-and-hold” approach with the newly redesigned F-150 pickup - Ford’s best-selling vehicle. More than 60,0000 fully built F-150s sat in parking lots around Metro Detroit for weeks so engineers could check them for quality problems. But the extra quality checks also allowed the automaker to avoid 12 recalls, Farley said, including software glitches and assembly problems. That troubleshooting of the F-150, for example, uncovered one defect involving a wiring harness — a sheath full of important electrical wires — that was being improperly installed behind the dashboard instrument panel. That caused the harness to rub against a metal bracket that would have led to a rupture in the wiring and could have caused the instrument gauge screen to go blank. Engineers fixed it before it went to dealer lots, avoiding a lengthy repair process.
Now, Farley is holding another marquee model, a redesigned version of the Explorer sport-utility vehicle, for extra tests. He plans a similar approach later this year with updated editions of the Bronco Sport compact SUV and hot-selling Maverick small pickup."
This is reassuring to hear. So many brands talk a big game when it comes to improving quality, but don't walk the walk. Ford's actually putting effort in to get a different result. Good on them.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-20/ford-recalls-delay-launch-of-new-bronco-and-explorer-models?embedded-checkout=true
Behind a paywall, but apparently the Bronco and Explorer launches are delayed because of it.
The Chinese Territory helped boost Ford's sales in the Philippines. It probably makes up a third or more of its total sales. For Q1 2024 Philippine car sales, Ford is at fourth place, that's 6.8% of the market. Nissan is at third spot, that's 7.2% of the market Mitsubishi is at second place, that's 19% of the market. Toyota at number 1 owns around 45.3% of the market because they have the most complete lineup.
Brands that outsell Ford in Southeast Asia usually have a more complete lineup that usually include subcompacts and small MPVs.
Mine was also squeaking. I have the panoramic roof and on the inside of the car there is a metal piece which separates the two panes of glass. I doesn't do anything but serve as a decorative piece. It is just glued in place and after 3 years in the hot Florida sun, the glue deteriorates causing the squeak. The dealer replaced the part and that stopped that squeak. However, I took it back to the dealer with another squeak that I thought was related to the first one. This time, the service manager noticed the molding around the inside of the rear glass was out of place. After repositioning the molding, the car is now squeak free. Hope that helps.
Look at Hyundai's sales in Indonesia even though it has created several Indonesian-targeted vehicles...
The Ranger/Everest duo and Chinese export model has worked quite well and has allowed Ford to retake the #2 in Australia and NZ, #3 in the Philippines, #4 in Vietnam and South Africa, #6 in Saudi Arabia, etc.
Even in smaller markets for Ford like the UAE, sales were up 63% last year.
One area that Ford does need to concentrate more resources in is African nations outside South Africa. Ford used to do well in Morocco and Algeria until market protectionism started from their governments.
Stellantis keeps on giving new vehicles to low-profit or loss maker brands like Citroen, DS, and Lancia while leaving Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge products rotting on the vine even though the American brands can much more easily make a profit.
Hyundai and Geely will be in worse shape when there is a economic downturn. They've both added way too much overhead over the past decade.
My 2011 MKX and 2017 MKC had "global open", my 2021 Corsair had "global open and close" but my 2023 Explorer Timberline has neither...I miss not having it.
10-4. But still a 4dr V8 "Mustang" (Aus. Ford Falcon GT) would've been a good niche car to expand Mustang into its own brand and segue into the Mach-e. Ford could've put the tooling for this car on the boat with Ranger's and set it up at FRAP. The last Falcon GT was priced around $80,000 AUS; probably could have sold here for that much or more in USD, as an answer to the Cadillac CT-5 Blackwing.
2016 ford Falcon GT