Ford CEO Jim Farley’s frustration builds as he vows to transform the automaker

[Cmar]

Yea but for me Ford is a American company and I want to see them do well. I mean it is a iconic American company and symbolizes America.

I completely agree with Phil's post.

I do not always trust what I see on YouTube but I have seen a few like this now on the new Ranger.
Sure hope Ford fixes the issue before launching in the USA.

I remember seeing this actual episode on TV not long ago, cars that just randomly stop, and Ford can't fix despite keeping them for months are just excellent examples of bad advertising others have had issues of driveline vibrations and misalignment.

Ford should just take these cars back give the customers new vehicles in good faith, (they did eventually - but with bad grace and only after this aired) and fix them properly, and then perhaps resell them as demonstrators / low mileage company vehicles.

I would like a new Ranger but no way would I buy one of the first batch. Ford promised Australian customers that their quality issues that bugged the previous Ranger 5G would be fixed in the new model. (oil pump and EGR cooler on the 3.2 and 2.2 diesel, injectors on the 2.0 diesel, 10R80 auto high failure rate, the HVAC actuators etc) Well they fixed the first two by dropping the Puma engines from the line up -a shame because the i5 3.2 was a really nice diesel.

We will see how the 3.0 V6 diesel goes, we had it here previously in 2.7 guise in the locally built Ford Territory and it was a fairly reliable engine, the primary problem being a tendency to spin main bearings and break cranks, it also used to spin bearings and break cranks in 3.0 guise in Landrovers and Range Rovers. Ford say they have fixed this by switching from a cast to forged crank, I guess we will see, the new trucks have even more electronics that the last ones - auto AWD and other new things. They need to get the electronics right, and to train their dealerships in correctly trouble shooting then when they're not. It's not impossible, we've had a number of Korean & Japenese cars which have never had electronic issues.

Too many more episodes like the above will hurt them here, when the Chinese are selling two full size utes here now one of which at least at first glance offers everything a Ranger Sport does, at $30,000 LESS and with a better build quality.
We're talking 8 speed ZF auto, Borg Warner AWD transfer case, Dana diffs with Eaton e-locker, etc.

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[FusedLogic]

Sad really what has become of companies, service and satisfaction.

It's all about money now.

The dealership service experience has taken a very serious downturn too. The people hired as service writers must really be hitting the bottom of the barrel at my local home-town Ford store. I went in for an oil change in my wife's Corsair. I had the audacity to ask for someone to look into a fitment issue of the center speaker on top of the dash. I was made to feel as if I was an idiot for asking. I felt like punching the guy actually. Guess I'll have to make the 45 minute drive to a Lincoln dealer for future Corsair work.

 

[AzureRanger]

And the hits just keep on coming......

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/04/business/automakers-problems-catching-up-with-tesla/index.html

 

[MrBirdman330]

The dealership service experience has taken a very serious downturn too. The people hired as service writers must really be hitting the bottom of the barrel at my local home-town Ford store. I went in for an oil change in my wife's Corsair. I had the audacity to ask for someone to look into a fitment issue of the center speaker on top of the dash. I was made to feel as if I was an idiot for asking. I felt like punching the guy actually. Guess I'll have to make the 45 minute drive to a Lincoln dealer for future Corsair work.

Same BS happened Monday when I went in for service, now I have worked alignment machines which a machine in truth does not align your vehicle it's done by a Human with tools. Asked to have my alignment checked was told you can't check a vehicles alignment by the advisor. I said what ever and told him I will go elsewhere and quit talking to him. You can check alignment did it all the time in the past working at Tires Plus. I'm not really one to leave a bad survey but I was asked to do one by Ford. I'm really considering it.

 

[dtech]

Same BS happened Monday when I went in for service, now I have worked alignment machines which a machine in truth does not align your vehicle it's done by a Human with tools. Asked to have my alignment checked was told you can't check a vehicles alignment by the advisor. I said what ever and told him I will go elsewhere and quit talking to him. You can check alignment did it all the time in the past working at Tires Plus. I'm not really one to leave a bad survey but I was asked to do one by Ford. I'm really considering it.

Aren't those "free" checks mostly just a gimmick that leads to more business ? How often were the vehicles checked that didn't need an alignment. Color me mistrustful but not a whole of anything is truly free, people even pay money to buy dampers without a "free" tailgate operation check.

 

[RedDakooter05]

The dealership service experience has taken a very serious downturn too. The people hired as service writers must really be hitting the bottom of the barrel at my local home-town Ford store. I went in for an oil change in my wife's Corsair. I had the audacity to ask for someone to look into a fitment issue of the center speaker on top of the dash. I was made to feel as if I was an idiot for asking. I felt like punching the guy actually. Guess I'll have to make the 45 minute drive to a Lincoln dealer for future Corsair work.

Ford dealer Service writers here in this part of Illinois are greased-up hair slicked back dicks.
Any ford dealer really, has left a foul taste in my mouth.


Any other non ford dealers actually give a shit.

 

[MrBirdman330]

Aren't those "free" checks mostly just a gimmick that leads to more business ? How often were the vehicles checked that didn't need an alignment. Color me mistrustful but not a whole of anything is truly free, people even pay money to buy dampers without a "free" tailgate operation check.

Technically you're not wrong, there are "reasons" I quit Tires Plus. I have no issues telling a Customer trying to scam out of paying for repairs or wanting something for nothing to get lost. I have issues with ripping a customer off. Tires Plus, or Firestone Complete Auto Care both are the same company owned by Bridgestone offer free alignment checks when you purchase a set of tires. In truth many a time you do need an alignment when you buy new tires because you might be somebody who doesn't do it often. Auto and Tire Manufacturers say do it twice a year if you live in the Northern States where you have a real winter, you do it before and after winter.

Now it used to be that when you did the check, after putting on the tires, the car is on that border for the front not in the green but not in the red, the rear alignment is fine if it's a car that has four wheel alignment. You went ahead, and tweaked the front back in, we called it ''Toe and go''. That all changed when Corporate decided to do a philosophy of ''Lets fix it even if it isn't broke." Now you buy a set of four tires, well your car is fine the alignment is green there's no real pull to the left or the right, that means the car comes off the alignment rack and you send the customer on their way. But the new philosophy was that hey, you're alignment is fine, but for ''such and such price'' of an Alignment we can tweak it up and make it ''better'' for you to protect the investment of those new tires. I refused to do that because it is ripping the customer off. By company policy you are to be provided with a before and after print out showing that you were not being ripped off. Most of us who understood alignment could properly explain to the customer here's what we did and how we fixed it. Now it's gimmicks for the gullible customer.

 

[OFC Ranger]

Yea but for me Ford is a American company and I want to see them do well. I mean it is a iconic American company and symbolizes America.

I mean really? I think mine was assembled in Mexico if I recall looking at the stickers in the door.

Just saying.

 

[AzScorpion]

I mean really? I think mine was assembled in Mexico if I recall looking at the stickers in the door.

Just saying.

Just saying...??

 

[dtech]

And the hits just keep on coming......

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/04/business/automakers-problems-catching-up-with-tesla/index.html

I read and liked the perspective of that article - it points out that if Ford has it's act together it could be making very healthy profits, the demand and the product set exists. Of course the key word is if and Farley if nothing else acknowledges the problems and takes ownership so we'll see what results he can bring, Ford had announced eliminating a lot of jobs, remains to be seen whether the right people were let go. Personally I think Farley has invested a bit too much in trying to be like Tesla and that possibly has distracted from Ford's core business. He probably has a couple of yrs at most to show progress in fixing the core biz problems, if unsuccessful Ford may have yet another CEO. GM seems to be managing their traditional business better than Ford these days and has a better read on the market with their small block V8 investment strategy - it's a cheaper engine to produce than Ford's turbo V6s, more reliable and arguably is still very relevant technology for the bigger trucks and SUVs , despite all the attention the TFL guys give in their turbo I 70 towing tests.

 

[OFC Ranger]

Just saying...??

/shrug

Ill have to go double check mine, but pretty sure it says Mexico

 

[MrBirdman330]

/shrug

Ill have to go double check mine, but pretty sure it says Mexico

Pretty sure there is no Ranger assembled in Mexico. Ranger assembly plants are located in the United States, South Africa, Cambodia, Thailand, Nigeria, Argentina, and Vietnam.

 

[OFC Ranger]

Pretty sure there is no Ranger assembled in Mexico. Ranger assembly plants are located in the United States, South Africa, Cambodia, Thailand, Nigeria, Argentina, and Vietnam.

You are right I checked.

Maybe it was my explorer patrol suv, not sure where those are assembled.

If not that, there was something somewhere in one of these Ford vehicles with a big fat assembled or made in mexico sticker on it, thats about all I can remember.

 

[MrBirdman330]

You are right I checked.

Maybe it was my explorer patrol suv, not sure where those are assembled.

If not that, there was something somewhere in one of these Ford vehicles with a big fat assembled or made in mexico sticker on it, thats about all I can remember.

Hermosillo assembled the Fiesta and Fusion aka Mondeo and a few other Ford/Lincoln Models in the past. Now it assembles the Bronco Sport and Maverick. Ford closed the Cuautitlán which assembled the "Wolf F-150" for Mexico. Now the "Wolf" comes out of Kansas City for the Mexican Market.

 

[Cmar]

You know what seems to kill companies in the long term - trying to be the biggest automaker in the world. Remember when Ford did it and QC and service went out the window, they may have been making more cars than anyone else, but many of them were shit cars.
Then Toyota, that rightly labeled bastion of quality and reliability definitely seemed to lose something after their time on top, Nissan tried, and it killed them, once they were considered equal or nearly equal in quality to Toyota, now stuck in bed with Renault and Mitsubishi. And Volkswagen - well the less said there the better.

Maybe Henry Ford was right when he (allegedly) said to one of his favourite staff - *I don't want all of the market Charlie, 1/3 will be enough.

Edit:

Sorry as a scientist, I should be shot for an unreferenced quote, masquerading as fact.
* From 40 years with Ford, by Charles E Sorrenson ( a former production engineer / manager , executive vice president, and personal friend of Henry Ford.) I can't remember the chapter and page now - I read it 40 years ago.

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