Ford quality discussion (not specifically Ranger)

bgmacaw

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GM and Chrysler have set a pretty low quality bar for me. I have been happy with other Ford products our family has bought in the past (Lincoln MKC and Mercury Villager) so I'm hoping for the best with the Ranger.

My previous vehicle was a Chevy Sonic that had a number of cosmetic issues from the start, then, at about 50k miles, it started having constant issues with computer modules. I was glad to get rid of it when I traded it for my Ranger. Before that, I drove a Chrysler Town and Country. I replaced the engine twice on it before giving up on it when the third engine needed replacement.
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puckdodger

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Ford's biggest problem with quality is the same as the other domestic manufacturers. It's their union obligations. If they could just get rid of the union they'd be alright.
I take it you have never worked an assembly line in an auto plant? Unions definitely have a place in a work environment that large with so many mid level managers and first line supervisors who decide on their own what they think is best for the company, the product, the customer, and lastly the actual workers.

They are usually the same people who were not breast fed by Mommy, or Daddy didn't love them enough, and they take it out on people trying to do their best in the time allotted with oftentimes ill-fitting parts or substandard tooling, for the actual people who are shelling out upwards of $40K for the shitboxes rolling down the line. Yeah, there are a few idiots on both sides of a picket line, but I don't paint the whole lot with the same brush.

One other thing to remember is this: in collective bargaining the top people from the company and the union come to an agreement, and the people below them are expected to follow the terms laid out. And both sides hold a gun to the other sides head, not just the union to the company.
 

D Fresh

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I take it you have never worked an assembly line in an auto plant? Unions definitely have a place in a work environment that large with so many mid level managers and first line supervisors who decide on their own what they think is best for the company, the product, the customer, and lastly the actual workers.

They are usually the same people who were not breast fed by Mommy, or Daddy didn't love them enough, and they take it out on people trying to do their best in the time allotted with oftentimes ill-fitting parts or substandard tooling, for the actual people who are shelling out upwards of $40K for the shitboxes rolling down the line. Yeah, there are a few idiots on both sides of a picket line, but I don't paint the whole lot with the same brush.

One other thing to remember is this: in collective bargaining the top people from the company and the union come to an agreement, and the people below them are expected to follow the terms laid out. And both sides hold a gun to the other sides head, not just the union to the company.
I've never worked in munfacturing of any sort.
However, I've been a member of two unions. And been involved with courting two others when a shop I worked at unionized.
Just like you, I'm entitled to my opinion. In my opinion Union leadership is ALWAYS in bed with the company. They sell themselves well, but they don't really do anything. This, in turn, makes for lazy entitled workers who do the bare minimum to get by. Not to mention, from my experience, the majority of your union dues that don't go to pay union brass for doing nothing go to support political candidates that's union members do not support.
Are there good and bad? Probably, just like anything they can't be all bad.
My father was a union machinist at Boeing in Wichita. They seemed alright, fought hard for their members, and helped out while they were on strike. All things a good union should do. Fast rorward 30 years and the Unions had basically driven the cities largest employer out. From the local newspaper when Boeing left Wichita.

Bass said it’s 70 percent more expensive to do work in Wichita than in San Antonio, when considering wages, infrastructure costs and the cost of doing business here.
 

F150stxguy

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I’ve said this before here, I think, and I am a Ford man, but the 2019 I bought brand new, is probably the least quality vehicle I’ve bought from Ford so far. I’ve bought a brand new Focus and Taurus and both were better in the fit and finish department believe it or not.

My STX is plagued with quality control issues and fit and finish issues. At 51,000 I’m making an educated trade because there’s no way stuff around the engine is making it for the long haul. About the only thing I trust on this truck is the 2.7 ecoboost. It’s stout and I’ve never had any issues, but there’s already been transmission issues, humming-drive line related problems that they can’t figure out, leaking oil pan, very hard shifting (there’s no way this transmission is making it to 100,000 without a rebuild lol) dash bulges, horrible wind noise from the passenger door, bottom of truck bed mounding AND plastic on top of rear bumper coming loose. This thing is going for a Ford Focus manual. At least I’ll get better gas mileage and cheaper maintenance schedule while I wait for the redesign of the Ranger.
 

D Fresh

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I’ve said this before here, I think, and I am a Ford man, but the 2019 I bought brand new, is probably the least quality vehicle I’ve bought from Ford so far. I’ve bought a brand new Focus and Taurus and both were better in the fit and finish department believe it or not.

My STX is plagued with quality control issues and fit and finish issues. At 51,000 I’m making an educated trade because there’s no way stuff around the engine is making it for the long haul. About the only thing I trust on this truck is the 2.7 ecoboost. It’s stout and I’ve never had any issues, but there’s already been transmission issues, humming-drive line related problems that they can’t figure out, leaking oil pan, very hard shifting (there’s no way this transmission is making it to 100,000 without a rebuild lol) dash bulges, horrible wind noise from the passenger door, bottom of truck bed mounding AND plastic on top of rear bumper coming loose. This thing is going for a Ford Focus manual. At least I’ll get better gas mileage and cheaper maintenance schedule while I wait for the redesign of the Ranger.
Your truck doesn't have a 2.7l EB, if you're talking about a Ranger.

And a hard shifting transmission will last longer than a slipping one.

Jus' sayin.
 


the5Gmartian

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If im being 100% honest with myself, I love my Ranger and the powertrain has been great, but there are A LOT of cutting corners and fit and finish issues that have come to light and has really turned me off on the idea of ever buying a Ford again. This is my first Ford vehicle ever and its pretty disappointing that I had to make a second appointment to get the parking brake boot replaced yet again because it ripped in the same spot twice now. The interior door handles have little strings of plastic hanging off of them (same with the area around the parking brake), the hood wasn’t aligned, fenders weren’t aligned, the paint seems cheap, waste gate rod squeaks, cheap plastic all over, doesn’t have tie downs in the middle, the FX4 shocks were horrific and the transmission had consistent sloppy shifts before it was tuned (the FPP tune essentially solved that, but still get a sloppy 3-4 every now and then). Currently looking for a car for the wife and im sad to say it will probably be a Toyota (and yes I know that they aren’t perfect either, but the fit and finish seems significantly better).
 
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AdamHarris

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That video is a little bit typical YouTube click bait. It only really talks about the MIC Bronco top problem.
 

AdamHarris

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I challenge everyone who has not already, use your Ranger to become a do it yourselfer. Go to Lowe’s Home Depot or Harbor freight and get you $200 worth of tools if you don’t have any. Don’t like that fender hood gap? Get you a ratchet with a 10 mm and go fix it. Don’t like plastic hairs hanging from your door handles? Get you a razor blade and shave them off. Don’t like little paint defects? Get you some sandpaper, sanding block, a buffer and buffing compound and go fix it. Worst you can do is go through the clearcoat and have to have it re-painted which is what you were going to do anyway. Make it fun.
 

the5Gmartian

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I challenge everyone who has not already, use your Ranger to become a do it yourselfer. Go to Lowe’s Home Depot or Harbor freight and get you $200 worth of tools if you don’t have any. Don’t like that fender hood gap? Get you a ratchet with a 10 mm and go fix it. Don’t like plastic hairs hanging from your door handles? Get you a razor blade and shave them off. Don’t like little paint defects? Get you some sandpaper, sanding block, a buffer and buffing compound and go fix it. Worst you can do is go through the clearcoat and have to have it re-painted which is what you were going to do anyway. Make it fun.
Yeah, I just don’t think I should have to do that on a $40,000+ truck
 

AdamHarris

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Yeah, I just don’t think I should have to do that on a $40,000+ truck
And you are really correct you should not have to do this much on any vehicle. Even though it’s hard to except these are “cheap“ trucks.
 
 



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