I do not intend on doing any Mods on any of my 2 Mustangs. If I do decide to make any mods, it will be on the 2001 GT. I really like to put on the MagnaPack catbacks on it. I like to have a LOUD exhaust. I don't think a loud MagnaPack catback exhaust will void my extended warranty on the 2001 GT. Will it?
GM guy here, thinking of a '05, I don't know though, knowing of ford quality....
- Thread starter GM Dude
- Start date
-
Sponsors (?)
ford has been trying very hard over the past few years to increase quality
this was the year of the truck with an all new line of of trucks launched with extremely high standards of quality
the same is happening with their cars in the next two years you will see a different side of ford
these new mustangs will be better than those in which it is replacing
as as for past experiences my fathers company uses nothing but ford trucks and then all have a rough and long life on the job sites and he has rarely experienced a problem
and my mustang is now 3 years old with 66 000 km on it or like 40 000 miles and i havent experienced anything so far and i love my car
im sure that if you go through with this that you will not regret it
this was the year of the truck with an all new line of of trucks launched with extremely high standards of quality
the same is happening with their cars in the next two years you will see a different side of ford
these new mustangs will be better than those in which it is replacing
as as for past experiences my fathers company uses nothing but ford trucks and then all have a rough and long life on the job sites and he has rarely experienced a problem
and my mustang is now 3 years old with 66 000 km on it or like 40 000 miles and i havent experienced anything so far and i love my car
im sure that if you go through with this that you will not regret it
check this out:
http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemonlist.html
I am not ford bashing in any way, although the number of ford vehicles in this list is a bit embarrasing. There are some interesting things to note:
For all the bad press the Ford Focus got over initial quality and recalls, etc, the Toyota Prius, Oldsmobile Aurora and Mitsubishi Eclipse all had worse COMPLAINT INDEX RATIO #'s (the new prius is motor trend's car of the year BTW).
How would you like to explain to your buddies that you Lemon law'd your Honda Civic?
The honda civic, along with Audi A6, Volkswagen Passat, Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Jetta all did worse than the Ford Windstar. These are supposed to be some very high quality, very well built vehicles. Ford has sold a LOT of Windstars.
Mercedes and BMW are not on the list at all. I think it is because they lean towards resolving these issues with customers before the lawyers get involved. I know that Mercedes recently bought back a LOT of vehicles because of bad (ie poorly designed) nav. systems. I can't remember where where I read that. I think it was in SAE International. BMW also had issues with the E46 M3 engine when it first came out and, eventually, they responded to it. IMHO, Mercedes and BMW, while the quality is there, don't come close to matching what their *percieved* quality is. Perception goes a long way. I do think it also shows a lot on how to treat the customer.
The Pontiac Aztek made the list mostly because the dog ran away and the owners couldn't stand the neighbors laughing at them anymore.
NO MUSTANG ON THE LIST.
(or Explorer, F150, Taurus, Ranger, Crown Vic or Zx2 for that matter)
http://www.lemonlaw.com/lemonlist.html
I am not ford bashing in any way, although the number of ford vehicles in this list is a bit embarrasing. There are some interesting things to note:
For all the bad press the Ford Focus got over initial quality and recalls, etc, the Toyota Prius, Oldsmobile Aurora and Mitsubishi Eclipse all had worse COMPLAINT INDEX RATIO #'s (the new prius is motor trend's car of the year BTW).
How would you like to explain to your buddies that you Lemon law'd your Honda Civic?
The
honda civic, along with Audi A6, Volkswagen Passat, Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Jetta all did worse than the Ford Windstar. These are supposed to be some very high quality, very well built vehicles. Ford has sold a LOT of Windstars.Mercedes and BMW are not on the list at all. I think it is because they lean towards resolving these issues with customers before the lawyers get involved. I know that Mercedes recently bought back a LOT of vehicles because of bad (ie poorly designed) nav. systems. I can't remember where where I read that. I think it was in SAE International. BMW also had issues with the E46 M3 engine when it first came out and, eventually, they responded to it. IMHO, Mercedes and BMW, while the quality is there, don't come close to matching what their *percieved* quality is. Perception goes a long way. I do think it also shows a lot on how to treat the customer.
The Pontiac Aztek made the list mostly because the dog ran away and the owners couldn't stand the neighbors laughing at them anymore.
NO MUSTANG ON THE LIST.
(or Explorer, F150, Taurus, Ranger, Crown Vic or Zx2 for that matter)
i4power
Founding Member
My 1993 2.3 stang has seen ALOT of abuse in it's day. I'm at 116,800 miles right now, I haven't changed the oil for a year (yes!!! I haven't. I am today though), I beat on it everywhere, yet it still runs great. Sure, it's slow (especially from the old oil 
), and some of the stuff has gone out on it (clutch is almost gone, turn signals don't work, plasticky interior is kinda worn). I've also had to change the harmonic balancer, but that is because of bad maintenance in the past. Still, it always starts in the morning, and gets a decent 22mpg.
I don't see why people say that stupid stuff about Ford, such as Found On Road Dead, etc. It's simply NOT true! I have a friend who used to have an 89 stang. My GOD, he beat that thing up. It still ran at 160,000 miles with no exhaust and every single component failing!
So, in closing, I don't see why Ford has such a bad rep with quality. Get the 2005 Stang; I know I will.
P.S. I haven't thought about my oil because I keep hoping that i'll swap in my new engine within the coming week.
), and some of the stuff has gone out on it (clutch is almost gone, turn signals don't work, plasticky interior is kinda worn). I've also had to change the harmonic balancer, but that is because of bad maintenance in the past. Still, it always starts in the morning, and gets a decent 22mpg.I don't see why people say that stupid stuff about Ford, such as Found On Road Dead, etc. It's simply NOT true! I have a friend who used to have an 89 stang. My GOD, he beat that thing up. It still ran at 160,000 miles with no exhaust and every single component failing!
So, in closing, I don't see why Ford has such a bad rep with quality. Get the 2005 Stang; I know I will.
P.S. I haven't thought about my oil because I keep hoping that i'll swap in my new engine within the coming week.
FalconGTHO said:The only Ford that breaks is the abused or neglected one.
QUOTE]
Just what I was thinking. Most vehicles you buy with lots of miles are usually near death or had problems. Some just didn't meet the owners expectations.
Its not that Ford does much different from other manufacturers, but if you pay more, you expect more.
My luck with Fords is great. From the very first one.
1978 Ford Fairmont Futura- I got this car in 1987 from my brother. It was tired, but not worn out. I later sold it(two yrs) to a friend and he drove it(very abusive)for two more years. Then he sold it and they blew it up.
1988 Ford Tempo GLS 2dr- Got it with 6500 miles on it. Great car. The a/c did go out, but at 80,000 miles. I drove this car everywhere(age 18-25)and it never left me stranded. In 1996, someone pulled out in front of me and killed it.
1969 Mustang Fastback 351w- Fun car, drove it for two years. Torn it down for restoring and later sold it to finance the building of my house.
1994 Mustang GT- got this Mustang after the Tempo got totalled. My first late model MUstang. Loved this car. Traded in later for 1999 GT.
1995 V-6 Mustang-this was my 1st wife's car. Drove great and traded it in on a
1996 Explorer XLT V-8- I wished I still had this one also, but traded it with the 1994 GT on the 1999 GT after my divorce.
1999 Mustang GT "Limited Edition"- I have had this car for over 4 yrs now, and with 51,000 miles it has been flawless. No problems, just a couple of 30 minute trips to the dealer.
My current wife's 1996 Sable...this is now my daily driver with 134,000 miles. My wife is no friend of an automobile, cars fear her. This car survived her, that says alot.
1989 Ranger XLT v-6- in-laws gav it to me for nothing. I love it.
2003 Mazda MPV- I know your thinking.."he bought an import". Yes and NO!.
Ford engines in MPV and Ford owns Mazda. So, I'm no traitor. Great van.
I plan on getting an 08 or 09 Cobra with no fear, due to the great service of past Fords.
-Jason
From my experiance,
92 Ranger- good daily driver, the transmission messed up but thats a Mitsubishi not Ford. My moms Dodge van has a Mitsubishi engine in it, it still runs but gets like 13mpg and has the power of small kitten, but it won't die.
My sister has a 94 Buick LaSabre- good engine and transmission, no problem there. However, they skimped on the primer and didn't use the etching kind (factory) so its peeling.
Quality varys some from year to year and model to model.
92 Ranger- good daily driver, the transmission messed up but thats a Mitsubishi not Ford. My moms Dodge van has a Mitsubishi engine in it, it still runs but gets like 13mpg and has the power of small kitten, but it won't die.
My sister has a 94 Buick LaSabre- good engine and transmission, no problem there. However, they skimped on the primer and didn't use the etching kind (factory) so its peeling.
Quality varys some from year to year and model to model.
You know, short of the Restore (never will use it again) our 88 ranger was an awesome truck, we're unsure if it really was the restore, but the engine did blow after using it. The 1991 Ranger was bought from a repo yard (yea) Brakes, brake lines, clutch, shocks, etc. had to be replaced the next day, the 5th gear was stripped (previous owner towing), but other than those problems it always started and drove great. The topaz was a lemon for sure, the compressor blew, the steering rack started leaking ungodly amounts of fluid, had to replace other things. My 86 was given for free, and abused obviously, it was reliable to the point of it being free, didn't own it for too long though. I use to own a 1990 Geo prizm, 165,000 miles, the transmission blew, my parents owned a 1991 before that, 183,000 miles the transmission blew. My dads newer prizm has had no problems other than an occasional check engine light,cand the only thing replaced was a sensor for something. My mom's metro needed a new fuel cap. My grand prix was a great car when I first got it, but its starting to show some problems, like mentioned before. Door handle broke (outside handle, one of the upper side mounted handles) Had to replace all of the brakes, and upgrade the rears, the doors keep freezing shut (why the door handle broke) a few of the interior pieces near the door handle are cracked. The tranny coolant lines leak a little bit, but other than those things, thats it for that car.
I mean, I've always heard the bad stuff about Fords. I know for sure the AOXD transmission is a POS for sure, can't convince me otherwise. All of the transmissions from that line going out at 36,000 miles, etc. The focus having all of its recalls. Maybe we've just had bad luck with all of our Ford's. I'll go see what kind of insurance rates there are for current mustangs for me, to give me an idea. Seriously do you think I can find a job to pay for the car, insurance, gas, screw around money, and college? I'll be going to a public college for my first 2 years at around $2600 a year, and my dad is price matching me for college (I pay 1300, he pays 1300) I just would like to know if Ford would finance me at 18 with no prior credit history, or if there's a way to get easy credit, without taking loans or something.
- GM Dude
I mean, I've always heard the bad stuff about Fords. I know for sure the AOXD transmission is a POS for sure, can't convince me otherwise. All of the transmissions from that line going out at 36,000 miles, etc. The focus having all of its recalls. Maybe we've just had bad luck with all of our Ford's. I'll go see what kind of insurance rates there are for current mustangs for me, to give me an idea. Seriously do you think I can find a job to pay for the car, insurance, gas, screw around money, and college? I'll be going to a public college for my first 2 years at around $2600 a year, and my dad is price matching me for college (I pay 1300, he pays 1300) I just would like to know if Ford would finance me at 18 with no prior credit history, or if there's a way to get easy credit, without taking loans or something.
- GM Dude
GM Dude...... From the sounds of it all of the Ford's your Pops plunked his money down on were USED cars with questionable pasts. That's called "gambling", and I don't care WHAT kind of car it is, when it's used, you better do some serious due-diligence mechanical inspection PRIOR to purchase! Don't blame the Ford oval on the grille, blame the abusive previous owner, and your dad to some extent, for not sniffing a lemon before the title was signed over to him. It sounds as if both Rangers were "used up" by their previous owners, and your dad unknowingly bought the leftover carnage while it could still stumble out of the driveway. As for the Tempo/Topaz line of cars. YES, those cars are notorious hunks of crap, so I can understand one of those puppies giving you cold-feet for Ford products. But those are old history, long gone, trying to compare the new '05 GT to a 15 year old clapped out Topaz that's been through the Michigan-road torture circuit is a huge apples to prunes comparison. The quality of the new F150, and what you'll see of the new '05 Mustang, is ground-breaking for Ford, and I'm certain that they'll be tough & durable cars. Realize that one of the undoings of the GM F-body (Camaro/Firebird) was that the quality and reliability was so incredibly poor compared to the Mustang. They rattled, they broke trannies, they chewed diffs, they rattled, they rattled some more, they were perceived as poorly built compared to the Mustang and people were turned off by that and Mustang toasted GM in sales. You'll always hear die-hard GM fans say "Fords suck". You hear the opposite all the time as well. Most people who say that stuff have absolutely no clue what they're talking about, they're just ranting about something they heard, or a used car they bought that they should not have bought in the first place because it was poorly serviced and maintained and cared for. You've got time on your side, 'cause it sounds as if you need some time to square away some spare change for a down payment! Wait for the new car to arrive in showrooms, check it out for yourself. You'll be impressed how well this car is put together. It won't remind you of the Family Topaz!
I've had 26 Fords and the only one I'd rate as a total piece of junk was a 1983 LTD-II. At 70,000 miles it was falling apart, almost everything was breaking on it so I got rid of it. But my in-laws had a 1984 LTD-II that they kept to 140,000 miles without any significant problems, so go figure. I've never blown a Ford trannie either, but then again to have gone through 26 Fords (plus a few GM's), obviously I get rid of my cars before they have really high mileage.
On the other hand my father's 1977 Impalla had its trannie blow at 50K, that GM-200 was a complete piece of junk. He also had 2 different 1980's Monte-Carlos (one was a SS) and both of them had trannie problems too. The torque converter completely sized up on one and had a blown clutch on the other, and he is one of those people that does way above the recommended maintanance including changing the trannie fluit at 30 - 35K. He bought all 3 of those Chevies new and he is a very easy on them.
On the other hand my father's 1977 Impalla had its trannie blow at 50K, that GM-200 was a complete piece of junk. He also had 2 different 1980's Monte-Carlos (one was a SS) and both of them had trannie problems too. The torque converter completely sized up on one and had a blown clutch on the other, and he is one of those people that does way above the recommended maintanance including changing the trannie fluit at 30 - 35K. He bought all 3 of those Chevies new and he is a very easy on them.
RICKS said:
Listen to what Ricks said.
Years ago I worked in a repair shop an you would not belive how people abuse their cars. One time I had a guy come in with an old fullsize LTD with a 460 in it. The thing was rapping and making all kinds of noise. He tells me "Put a quart of oil in it" I pulled the dip stick, there was not a drop of oil on it. I threw a quart of oil in it and there still was not a drop of oil on the dipstick. So I go and tell the owner that the think is out of oil and he probably needs 2 or 3 quarts more oil in it. This idiot then starts cursing at me and yelling " You crooks aren't going to cheat me, I know it only needs a quart." So I asked him how he knew it only needed a quart and he says "Because the oil light was on".
I started to try to tell him what the oil light really ment, but he wasn't listening and drove off. How many of you want to bet that this idiot is cursing Ford to this day about the junk it builds. 
Dr_EluSivE
Founding Member
my 2.3l Mustang has 140k with orginal belts, hoses, timing belt, alt, waterpump and clutch. The ONLY things i have had to replace is a starter and the power steering rack. Our 88 taurus had 200k on it andit still drove great when traded for the 92 taurus which was traded in 2000 @ 160k and it had no problems either. The chevy we had went through 2 (two) engines before it hit 20k (1st one was bad, 2nd one dealer screwed up and left plastic packing material in oil pan) I also have had 2 hondas, the 92 civic i sold with 260K on it and it still ran great. The 89 prelude that i will have has 140K on it and burns no oil. The only real problem vehicle we had was that chevy. and it was fixed under warrenty and lasted till 110k till we sold it.
Dr.
Dr.
kirkyg
Founding Member
GM Dude said:Checked rates with a current '04, esurance wants $1600 for 6 months, and with their comparison I saw that State Farm was near $1100.
ALLSTATE WANTS $18,000 for 6 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dude...im only 23 and i use farmers through my parents. I pay 66 a month. There is no reason there should be better deals out there for you. Do you have parents get discounts for having their other cars, and house insurance with the same company?
kirkyg
Heres my take on Real quality VS abuse.
Every auto maker has "Cheap" cars- For Ford the Tempo/Topaz, Escort, etc.. are cheap cars - built cheap to keep them cheap. That deos not make them bad cars, but it does not meen they need less maintainence, usualy it meens they need more, and most people who buy cheap cars just wont do this maintainence as they don't want to spend the money. This goes for all Cheap cars as I have seen no matter what make they are. If maintained most anything will last.
When I was young I rode dirt bikes, and all were in top condition all the time. Many of my friends owned the same bikes and they were POS, and usualy due to neglect more over than abuse. In fact i was once told "Don't by a bike that been raced, they're abused" - Well from my experience these were the best used bikes I ever bought - because they were always well maintained, unlike the "weekend riders" bike that never got any work done until it broke.
I have found that this holds true with cars too, and you also have to look at what kind of car/truck your buying. If your buying a 4x4 you have to look for those that have been abuse and not taken care of more than you would a normal truck. If your looking for a used economy car, you need to be careful of neglect, these cars just don't hold up well to neglect. When buying a used performance car- look for the one the owner did the work and kept in top shape, not the one that was driven "easy" but neglected of regular upkeep.
When I measure quality of manufacture I look to new cars and how they stack up, and GM has had more than it's share of problems lately and Ford has had some also. Could be worse though, Mitsubishi's are top of the heap POS cars. Mitsubishi "hid" repair records for nearly 15 years just to keep the public from finding out what most owners already knew. Just about two years ago Mitsubishi's auto divisions CEO resigned over the scandle and it still never made the "nightly news".
Every auto maker has "Cheap" cars- For Ford the Tempo/Topaz, Escort, etc.. are cheap cars - built cheap to keep them cheap. That deos not make them bad cars, but it does not meen they need less maintainence, usualy it meens they need more, and most people who buy cheap cars just wont do this maintainence as they don't want to spend the money. This goes for all Cheap cars as I have seen no matter what make they are. If maintained most anything will last.
When I was young I rode dirt bikes, and all were in top condition all the time. Many of my friends owned the same bikes and they were POS, and usualy due to neglect more over than abuse. In fact i was once told "Don't by a bike that been raced, they're abused" - Well from my experience these were the best used bikes I ever bought - because they were always well maintained, unlike the "weekend riders" bike that never got any work done until it broke.
I have found that this holds true with cars too, and you also have to look at what kind of car/truck your buying. If your buying a 4x4 you have to look for those that have been abuse and not taken care of more than you would a normal truck. If your looking for a used economy car, you need to be careful of neglect, these cars just don't hold up well to neglect. When buying a used performance car- look for the one the owner did the work and kept in top shape, not the one that was driven "easy" but neglected of regular upkeep.
When I measure quality of manufacture I look to new cars and how they stack up, and GM has had more than it's share of problems lately and Ford has had some also. Could be worse though, Mitsubishi's are top of the heap POS cars. Mitsubishi "hid" repair records for nearly 15 years just to keep the public from finding out what most owners already knew. Just about two years ago Mitsubishi's auto divisions CEO resigned over the scandle and it still never made the "nightly news".
StratGT
Founding Member
My parents, my brother and I owned alot of Ford, Chyrsler, and GM vehicles and in my opinion, the quality of a domestic depends on the vehicle you buy. Meaning engine, tranny, and of course maintenence. Who would of thought our 1985 LeBaron GTS Turbo would run over 300K miles with the original exhaust and no rust. And thats threw 15 Canadian Winters were we pour salt on our roads. My brothers Camaro died at 13K with broken shift forks in the tranny, 2 leaking rear main seals and a host of electrical problems. His Vette was even worse: Window problems, headlights, electrical gremlins, and overall poor build quality. Then my second Mustang GT ran for 10 years and 200K being racing regularly on weekends and never had any problems. The GM Service Manager at the largest dealer in the city told us "everytime you buy a Chevy, they should come with a quart of oil and a bible in the glovebox." I'm not kidding, he told us that right to our face. Sometimes when you buy a car, you simply roll the dice cause you never know what your getting. By the way, the Import cars my family have owned have been some of the worst cars on the road.
However, you buy what you can afford, and at $10/hr it won't be much.
However, you buy what you can afford, and at $10/hr it won't be much.
Hey Dude Dont Wory About Ford Quality! It's On Par With GM Or Better As Far As I Know. Well GM Interiors Are Pretty Crappy! But Most New Cars Are 100% Better Than Anything Built 10Yrs Ago. Most of the Cars You Mentioned Were Not Bright Spots In Fords Past, or Anyone Elses Either!
I Only Have One Recomendation as Far as Fords Go, DO NOT BUY ANY SPECIAL EDITION MODELS! I Have Had An 87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, an 89 Thunderbird SC, and A 92 Lincoln MarkVII LSC. I Loved All OF These Cars, and The Turbo Coupe Being a 5 Speed, Was The Most Fun Car I Have Ever Owned. However the Parts For these Cars Were Rediculously Expensive and Alot of Parts Were Just Unreliable. If You Can Manage It Get Mustang Without ABS or Traction Control. I Have Had ALOT of Problems With Ford ABS on All Three of These Cars. This Is The Reason I Got A 97 Thunderbird with a 4.6V8 and NO ABS, No Ride Control, No Turbos, Nothing Low Volume!
So Take It For What It's Worth. Make Up Your Own Mind, But No Matter What You Choose, BUY THE EXTENDED WARANTY!
I Only Have One Recomendation as Far as Fords Go, DO NOT BUY ANY SPECIAL EDITION MODELS! I Have Had An 87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, an 89 Thunderbird SC, and A 92 Lincoln MarkVII LSC. I Loved All OF These Cars, and The Turbo Coupe Being a 5 Speed, Was The Most Fun Car I Have Ever Owned. However the Parts For these Cars Were Rediculously Expensive and Alot of Parts Were Just Unreliable. If You Can Manage It Get Mustang Without ABS or Traction Control. I Have Had ALOT of Problems With Ford ABS on All Three of These Cars. This Is The Reason I Got A 97 Thunderbird with a 4.6V8 and NO ABS, No Ride Control, No Turbos, Nothing Low Volume!
So Take It For What It's Worth. Make Up Your Own Mind, But No Matter What You Choose, BUY THE EXTENDED WARANTY!
kirkyg said:
So then is it possible for me to finance a car then (under my name), but still go through my parents for insurance? Or would I have to live at the same address? I'm unsure about that, but other than that, state farm is sorta cheap for us, my 93 grand prix is $50 a month full coverage.
795.0pacecar
lover of pudgy polygamists
My 79 mustang has 174,000 miles on it and the 88 mustang 5.0 thats in it has 198,000 miles on it and the engine has never been rebuilt and it doesnt smoke or make any funny noises, it makes 237 hp and pulls strong.
BTW about your fiero being the only american made mid engine car comment, wasn't the GT40 a mid engine car and if you count the DeTomaso Pantera that was a mid engine car also and they both came before the fiero and they both made a hell of alot more power.
BTW about your fiero being the only american made mid engine car comment, wasn't the GT40 a mid engine car and if you count the DeTomaso Pantera that was a mid engine car also and they both came before the fiero and they both made a hell of alot more power.
Similar threads
