Very Disappointed, Diguisted, etc....

Topless,

I can agree with that 100%. Customer Service is a large portion of client retention. Unfortunately, quality Customer Servuce just does not occur as often as it should. Ford has tried to readdress this through their Blue Oval Certified Dealership program. I am not real sure it is successful right now. It is difficult to prompt change, and much easier to just start right (like Lexus did).

Quality has to be a philosophy that is actively shought out. Many consider their daily job, just that a job. There is little recognition for a job well done, and many in fact don't care.

It is not like when I was raised, you cared about your job and the quality work you did, whether it was recognized or not. It is something that was found internally. Pride in a Job well done..

I was also raised on a small family farm and hard work was not uncommon. I expect very little, and give 110%. That is part of my core values. Many just don't care....

Sad...

Have a good one...

Jennifer
 
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I know my dealership went someways to making me feel better by offering to reimburse me the month my car has been in their shop by paying me a car payment. It was something anyways.

Earl

topless beach said:
Jenn-I see from your link that the Mazda 6 & Toyota Corolla are UAW cars-that's interesting in light of this discussion.

This debate on defects/TSB's is potentially endless, but I can tell all the manufacturers how to solve it to the satisfaction of 90% of the owners of their cars.

All they need to do is to create a favorable dealer experience when the owners have problems. Look at how Toyota developed their Lexus dealerships. They made sure the owner left happy regardless of the problem they were experiencing. They washed cars; they filled gas tanks; they gave free loaner cars. I realize the Lexus is more expensive, but there are many things a dealer can do to give owners a more positive feel.

All you stang owners w/ recurring problems--tell me you wouldn't be a lot more warm & fuzzy towards that dealer if all he did was a) fix the problem and b) fill your gas tank. I would be-I just want someone to treat me like I treat my customers.
 
My questions are: what process was used to resolve the issue? who did you call? what number did you use for customer service?

This is the correct process:
Vehicle Concern - Service
1. In the event of a vehicle concern/repair, the customer must first bring it to the attention of the dealership service writer. If the problem is not resolved, the customer should proceed to Step 2.
2. The customer should request to speak with the Service Manager. If still unsatisfied, proceed to Step 3.
3. The customer should contact the dealer principal, or in a large dealership, the General Manager.
4. If the concern is still not resolved, the customer should contact the Customer Relationship Center for the appropriate vehicle brand.

I've also included a sheet with contact numbers in this thread: http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=548870. :flag:
 
EarlB said:
I know my dealership went someways to making me feel better by offering to reimburse me the month my car has been in their shop by paying me a car payment. It was something anyways.

Earl
EarlB-that's a pretty good gesture to me. You still want your car back, but at least they are trying to make you happy. That would make me a lot more likely to go back to a dealer like that.
 
Aside from Toyota/Lexus, which is just the industry Quality Control pacesetter, American cars have come a long way as far as build quality is concerned. According to JD Power, they're better then European and Korean cars.

2005 Initial Quality Report (problems within 90 days, per 100 vehicles):

http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news...rtid=41041&pg=2

2004 Long-Term Dependability Report (problems within 3 years, per 100 vehicles):

http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosin...utos-198392.htm

The top 5 for long-term quality: Lexus 162 problems, Buick 187, Infiniti 189, Lincoln 194, Cadillac 196. 3 of the 5 are American brands.

Perhaps even more interesting than the very top is the bottom of the barrel.

Mercedes-Benz 327
Mitsubishi 327
Volvo 346
Suzuki 365
Hyundai 375
Volkswagen 386
Isuzu 393
Daewoo 411
Kia 432
Land Rover 472

jfischer, why do you list Saab and Mazda as non-American brands? You do know who owns and runs them, right?
 
jasonlee0704 said:
jfischer, why do you list Saab and Mazda as non-American brands? You do know who owns and runs them, right?

I know who owns them, but they're not domestics as far as I'm concerned. They're generally not built in the US and not by the UAW like a "true" domestic. They probably also don't have the UAW culture to contend with...

Regardless of corporate ownership, SAAB is still a swedish car and Mazda is still a Japanese car as far as I'm concerned :)
 
jfischer said:
I know who owns them, but they're not domestics as far as I'm concerned. They're generally not built in the US and not by the UAW like a "true" domestic. They probably also don't have the UAW culture to contend with...

Regardless of corporate ownership, SAAB is still a swedish car and Mazda is still a Japanese car as far as I'm concerned :)

Thing is, there is no such thing anymore as a "true" domestic. And the sooner we realize this the sooner we will come to terms with the world on it's global scale. The Mazda 6 is built at the same plant as the new Mustang, and parts of the Mazda 3 as well are made there. All UAW.

Personally I dont like unions in what they bring to the table. I dont agree with their existence. Anyone willing to do a job should be paid to do it. But that is a different discussion.

I agree with what is basically being said above. Every car has problems. Sometimes you get a good one, sometimes you get a bad one. I am of the belief that 90% of the problems experienced by owners will come about due to improper maintenance and care. Parts break unfortunately. Even the best designed ones do. Hopefully you still have enough fun driving the machine to make it all worth it...
 
The Mustang is a new model, new factory

The 1st year of production will always have problems until they work them out

My mach I (2004) has an uneven trunk and some of the seams are not even... Plus the window motor has already died!!!

Stuff happens

Remember at ford - quality is job !

:)
 
machfelon said:
My mach I (2004) has an uneven trunk and some of the seams are not even... Plus the window motor has already died!!!

I had a 2001 Cobra, and the driver side power window went out within 2 weeks of owning the car.

In fact, here's a list of the problems I had with that car in the first 12 months...
  • Driver’s electric window broken
  • Body squeak due to faulty welds, Dealer had to use epoxy to stick it back together
  • CV joint ripped due to faulty installation, sprayed grease all over the underside of car
  • Brake lines rubbing on front struts and wearing through
  • Dashboard squeaks
  • Wind whistling noise (endemic to the body style I suppose)
  • Windows creak and groan when not all the way up or down
  • Throwout bearing, clutch and pilot bearing had to be replaced
  • Front brakes squeal
  • Transmission grinds when cold
  • Engine clatters at startup

So every time I think about getting a 2005 Mustang, I look at this list and am reminded why I got rid of my last Mustang - but I still want one so bad!

I also had a 2002 Ranger, and that thing was just as bad - finally got rid of it too. My last 2 Fords have not exactly been ringing endorsements of "Quality is Job 1".