Ford Risks everything (literally) to save company

[Donnyj]

Well, Dusty, and Donnie I sincerely hope that no product you use ever malfunctions in a dangerous fashion. When you have first hand knowledge of the malfunction, and you report it, then when you are deemed by the manufacturer to have been responsible somehow, and "a customer they can do without and soured on the company beyond any rational thought", then you'll know where I'm coming from.

What would be irrational would be to have a manufacturer steal from you, which is what Ford did, and then go buy one of their products in your lifetime.

I posted a story I believed relevant to the possible failure of Ford, and Donnie feels the need to provide the company line that such things just can't happen. Imagine yourself in a social setting, telling a story about something that happened to you, and having someone who has no knowledge of the incident basically state that its unlikely that it really happened as you told it, that you must have been at fault. Its not pleasant, let me tell you.

Any time someone has an honest story about a product failure, and then a poster that works for a dealer says "Yea customers say this and say that and its all BS", other readers tend to believe it. There is a certain amount of credibility attached to someone who "sees this all the time", thus your post is very damaging. My integrity on this board has been called into question, and I am pretty much powerless to change that.

You just can't help it, can you? Why do you feel the need to put words in my mouth?

HGM, I respect your input and you and I have discussed Ford issues in the past, but I have to agree with Dusty here, this Alan is one consumer Ford can do without. I acknowledged he had a problem, told him honestly I'm glad no one was hurt, and then offered some advice to "others" that a common problem with throttle sticking is a simple thing as a floormat. Maybe that info will help somebody else.

Alan, go back a reread my posts. If you were in anyway offended or you felt I was directy saying you and everybody who drives cars are stupid or don't know how to operate there vehicle......... than I apologize.

Now, go put words in someone else's mouth and leave mine alone.

 

[thcri]

I like the quality of the GM trucks I have owned. I still own a 2001 GMC Yukon with 110K miles and has never seen the shop. My 2003 GMC pickup was also very reliable when I traded it for a Honda Accord for economy reasons. I think the GM cars might be OK quality wise, just not something I would like to own. As for Fords, I don't know as I won't darken the door of a Ford dealer.

Alan,

I own over 40 pickups/vans. We will buy GM and Ford to keep various customers happy along with some Dodge. I will tell you though, GM has nothing to brag about over Ford. Our experience here is while there is not much difference Ford does have a tad bit advantage over GM.

I'm all for buying American, but I have to look after my own situation.

People buying for their own situation will be effected some day by people buying foreign. I don't care what business your in, your job will be effected by outsourcing.


murph

 

[Alan L.]

Dusty, I typically don't hold grudges. I can forgive Ford for the malfunction, what I can't forgive them for is that they would not even open the hood and inspect the engine, the fuel system, or whatever could have caused the problem. Would not even open the hood! Ford is a company, its not a person. I don't think there is anything un-Christianlike in holding a grudge against a car manufacturer based on prior experience.

I sat in the dealership and said I would leave as soon as someone opened the hood and looked in there. They refused and said they would call the police if I didn't leave.

They were programmed, from Ford, not to acknowledge any such problem, even dismissing it to the point of not even looking under the hood, because merely looking under the hood would have been some admission that there could be a problem. The fact that the car could have repeated the malfunction and killing someone was not a concern to them.

If I blew a couple transmissions 20 years ago I would certainly give Ford another shot, but they never apologized or acknowledged anything in 20 years, so why should I give them any more of my money when there is such a large selection available?

Like I say, the Mustang GT would be hard to pass up if I could justifiy it, but I doubt I will own any more Fords other than the one I have now.

 

[Alan L.]

Donnie, I apologize too. I thought you were making the assumption that because most such incidents occur because of floor mats, then that infers that this is what happened in my case. I felt my integrity was being attacked. I must have taken it wrong.

I never wanted this to turned into a p$$ing contest, my anger is strictly at Ford, and just remembering the event really sticks in my craw. The feeling of helplessness is overwhelming.

 

[Alan L.]

Alan,

I own over 40 pickups/vans. We will buy GM and Ford to keep various customers happy along with some Dodge. I will tell you though, GM has nothing to brag about over Ford. Our experience here is while there is not much difference Ford does have a tad bit advantage over GM.



People buying for their own situation will be effected some day by people buying foreign. I don't care what business your in, your job will be effected by outsourcing.


murph

Each to his own. My impression of the F150 was a hard seat and stiff ride. The new truck interior to me is like a space ship. The Ford probably handles better because of the stiff suspension. But I like a soft seat and soft ride. I drive slow on curves, so handling doesn't mean alot to me.

My father-in-law owns one of the infamous 6 liter Ford diesels. He never got to enjoy the truck for the first couple of years because it wouldn't run right. Seems now it is better, but still not great he says. I have a business associate that has a fleet and personally drives one of the new diesels. Last time I talked to him he said it had been in the shop 6 times in the first 6000 miles and would still be likely to leave him stranded as not. Something to do with the computer programming. His sales fleet used all Suburbans, and he switched to Expeditions and Navigators. Now he is switching back to Suburbans because they have better fuel economy and he says he had more trouble with the Fords.

My son-in-law has a basic, regular cab Ford pickup with a standard, and it has given no trouble in over 100K miles.

My 1994 Ford powerstroke diesel runs fine, but it sounds like its about to fly apart. A very loud engine.

 

[Dusty]

.....

My 1994 Ford powerstroke diesel runs fine, but it sounds like its about to fly apart. A very loud engine.

My father in law said the same thing about my Mercedes diesel... that was back in 1973..... he repeated it every time I got a new one, until I bought the last one. That one is gas, and it is also the worse Mercedes that I have ever owned going back to 1966! In 1966 they were more like taxi's than cars. Then they refined them to ride and sound better, but didn't sacrifice the reliability. Today, the reliability is non existent compared to the older ones.

 

[thcri]

Each to his own. My impression of the F150 was a hard seat and stiff ride. The new truck interior to me is like a space ship. The Ford probably handles better because of the stiff suspension. But I like a soft seat and soft ride. I drive slow on curves, so handling doesn't mean alot to me.

Question to my wife about a year ago, Dear why is it whenever you go into town you take my pickup. Well because your pickup rides nicer than my suburban. She would trade with me in a heartbeat.

My commercial sales manage, has had his Trail blazer in the shop now for over two months. Lights keep going out, vehicle dies and then kicks right back in as he goes down the road. They have put extra computers on it, they have had to drive it with this box in the back seat to monitor it, they find it is doing it but can't fix it. Last week he took it in and trade for a Nissan.

You can talk stories all day long, one is no better than the other. Ford is just a reliable and GM and GM doesn't back their product any better than Ford.

murph

 

[Bird]

Murph, I bought our Ford Windstar minivan only because my wife wanted it. And then a year or so later, I bought myself a Ford Ranger pickup. And now, anytime she goes anywhere, she prefers driving the Ranger.

 

[Dusty]

My wife prefers to drive the one that has the most fuel in it.

 

[Alan L.]

Murph, I bought our Ford Windstar minivan only because my wife wanted it. And then a year or so later, I bought myself a Ford Ranger pickup. And now, anytime she goes anywhere, she prefers driving the Ranger.

The Ranger is probably Ford's best vehicle.