Problems with Ford and new car designs

[Boganz45]

So Ford is notorious for new car designs flaws?

A lot of people keep stating they are waiting a while until the new Stang is well into production so all the kinks are worked out of it before they purchase it.

Are Ford's brand new platform's so error filled? I find this hard to believe. Not all new designs have problems. And even if the car has problems, would not the warranty fix the problems?

Throw me opinions people, and preferably specific personal examples (with Ford).

I do not like to think a new car I am going to purchase is going to have a ton of problems, ao I ask, where is your faith in "BUILT FORD TOUGH"?!?

Ford's quality control and quality in general has gotten substantially better, and although nothing is perfect, I feel this 2005 Mustang will be damn close...

 

[SVTdriver]

I say if you like it. Buy it. If it has enough problems you lemon it. And then get a new car. This stang has been in the design stages for about 2.5 years. It's been tested for quite a while.

 

[one2gamble]

some past launches have gone sour because things werent cought in time and made into and through the assembly line. It could also somewhat be attributed to workers who didnt know the new car inside and out and therefor there was more human error. Ford has pretty much rectified this problem with the f-150 and I see no reason it shouldnt continue with all other makes/models

 

[VOORHEES]

I bought the redesigned 99 GT in late 1999, and it has been a solid rattle free and worry-free car. I would not think you could do wrong buying a '05 Mustang right after its release. I wouldn't worry.
-Jason

 

[falchulk]

Fords taken a new approach and they are making the managers LEARN every job. This helps to identify exactly where a problem comes from quickly. They are creating a new culture. Using japanese methods to enhance quality, team work and speed. Hopefully Ford will out japanese the japanese and start convinceing Americans to buy their cars again.

 

[Reimann]

I remember the Ford Contours were plagued with problems. My dad got one their first year. The ignition kept breaking and he had to replace the clutch every 10,000 miles. He traded it in after only having it for 2 years and got a Saturn which he never had a problem with... until he wrecked it. He's in a Dodge Dakota now. I'm going to hold on off the new Mustang in hopes they give its exterior some better styling. I'd also like to get a special edition, if I am able to afford one when/if they come out.

 

[shatner saves]

I am waiting until the second model year. It's not because of any bias towards Ford. I would be doing the same thing if it were any other car company. As a rule, I don't think it's wise to buy a car from the first year of production.

 

[blazinsteed]

remeber guys thats what they have warranties for. I am waiting for a specialty model to go with my mach 1

 

[66stangowner]

I agree, Ford is getting better cuz there taking examples form the ***'s. that is cuz they build almost perfect cars. My parents bought a 2003 Navigator. It looks nice inside and out. But the differential had to be rebuilt at 9k miles. That is unacceptable. The 2003 got a new LSD and IRS form the bacis solid in 2002. That was the only new major part on the car. Its my theory that since it was new for Ford it was done poorley. Oh yeah the new 6 disk in dash CD player fouls up do by not ejecting CD's. i gotta dig em out with pliers. We also had one in 2000. The ignition would always fail. It wouldnt fall into park sometimes unless you slamed it in there. And the starter whent bad. But i do belive the 05 stang will be well built car. My biggest fear is problems with all the new sensors. But the warenty will cover it. But i want to keep my mustnag as long as i can the warenty will expire and then your lost. Besides i dont want to keep taken my car in. (I dont think that will happen) I come from a famliy of mechanics and there is no way my dad would stand for buying a Ford on the first year of production. We just like sure thigns. But if you are buying one, then I wish you the best of luck.

 

[66stangowner]

Sorry abuot that three letter word. hope i didnt offend anyone i just didnt know how to spell Japanese so i shortend it but i ment no offence Sorry.

 

[scottie1113]

The really ironic part is that we taught the Japanese how to build quality cars. Ever heard of Charles Deming?

The Big 3 were so large and so compacent they didn't feel they had to improve to increase sales. Boy, did that idea come back to bite them!.

Times have changed. I think the new Mustang will be fine and I'd buy one if thet offered the color I want. Maybe in 2006 or on a special edition.

I can always hope.

 

[65conv50]

I don't thing first year will be a great one, quality-wise. Even BMW (who really DOES "build almost perfect cars" as opposed to those Js who have that reputation) had problems with the first year Z3s (my son had one... he now has a 2000). My 65 Mustang (I ordered on April 18, 1964) had a problem with the lights that they never got right. My current 65 (built Feb 65) had very few problems. (This was before the quality slide that let the Asian cars get near them in quality.)

But there's nothing like owning the first ones, and it will probably be worth the irritation of a few problems.

 

[65conv50]

The really ironic part is that we taught the Japanese how to build quality cars. Ever heard of Charles Deming?

The Big 3 were so large and so compacent they didn't feel they had to improve to increase sales. Boy, did that idea come back to bite them!.

True!! (I had a brief stint as a quality engineer.) But the funny thing is that American business still haven't discovered the fact that HIGHER QUALITY COSTS LESS. Same with American consumers. They still think they have to pay more for higher quality, which is simply not the case. Higher quality is worth more, but it costs less to manufacture.

 

[scottie1113]

Not to mention maintain in the long run.

Good to see another older guy here, especially one who likes to sail.

Fair winds and following seas, my friend.

 

[numenor27]

True!! (I had a brief stint as a quality engineer.) But the funny thing is that American business still haven't discovered the fact that HIGHER QUALITY COSTS LESS. Same with American consumers. They still think they have to pay more for higher quality, which is simply not the case. Higher quality is worth more, but it costs less to manufacture.

how so? higher quality costs less?

 

[scottie1113]

I'll let him explain to you in more detail, but yes. In the long run, in customer satisfaction, in repeat buyers, in referrals, yes.

It doesn't cost much more to set a quality production plant and I hope Ford did that with the plant for the new Mustangs. I'm betting they did.

Have you ever driven a Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Toyota, or even a Honda? The German cars are more expensive because they sell in smaller volumes, but Toyota and Honda? Those are obvious examples as a response to your question.

 

[Dan05GTOwner]

I say you don't have to wait a year, but I wouldn't buy the first couple hundred either. Let 'em put a couple together before mine.

 

[shatner saves]

how so? higher quality costs less?

It's like they say "you never have the time to do it right in the first place, but you can always find the time to do it over".

Keeping in mind the obvious need for continous improvement, doing it right (or doing it better) in the first place means the "hidden factory" is kept to a minimum. This is the aspect of a company that seems to be putting out fires all the time, fixing mistakes, doing work that adds no value and does not help the bottom line (eg recalls). I guarantee you that for every recall, there are probably a few thousand (very expensive) man hours behind it.

There is also the long term impact of the beating a company's reputation takes. A really good example is Buell Motorcycles. Their totally new aluminum frame motorcycles are really nice, well built, fun to ride machines. I know a few people that own/ride them and they have never had any problems. These bikes had two minor recalls in the first year (that I can remember) because of a bad batch of wheel bearings and a jiffy stand issue. Nothing to get too excited about. However, there are quite a few people that owned older tube frame bikes that absolutely loved them but will never look at a Buell again because the bikes had *so* many problems. It can take decades to shake that kind of thing off.

As I said before, no one is immune to this. The "new beetle", considering it was built on an existing platform, had quite a few service bulletins and recalls in it's first year, Mercedes just bought back a bunch of cars because of bad nav systems and BMW has been having issues with M3 engines and MINI trim pieces. I also read recently, something about Honda recalling quite a few vehicles because of some driveline or electrical issue. This has nothing to do with nationality. It is more a side effect of the rapid development cycles involved in cars these days.

Even if there are no recalls, there will probably be some minor issues or improvements that will be resolved after the first model year. Short of something actually breaking, this is the type of thing like parts that don't fit/feel right to the owner, squeaks and rattles that are really annoying, or a general "my car doesn't feel tight" feeling. This is one area where, historically, the europeans and japanese have dominated.

This is interesting
http://members.roadfly.org/jason/m3engines.htm

 

[yellow5.0cobra]

If done right the first time... they will save so much more money NOT fixing broken parts and fried electronics.

It pays big time in the long run to invest a couple dollars more into a production car than to keep taking losses a year later on the same car.


But anyhow... I truely believe FORD did things RIGHT with the Mustang... simply because there is about a hundred+ or so Stangs running around all over America going thru extreme testing. I am sure whatever major flaws were found, were fixed.

I wonder how many miles they logged in those test mules? Hmmm.

 

[lodom]

As bad as I want a 2005 when they come out, I may wait a few months or until the '06 comes out. There will likely be problems with production that didn't show up in testing. Once there are thousands of Mustangs on the road the statistical sample will be large enough to reveal problems that didn't show up in design, or in the small number of test vehicles that have been built. The GTO's are a prime example, but they are just a remake of the Holden Monaro and still have early production issues. As you know, the Mustang will be almost 100% new, except for the basic engine design, which is more likely to present issues.

I realize there is a warranty on the car, but that doesn't cover the inconvenience and embarrassment of having to repeatedly take the car in for repairs that might not be fixed. I hate to say it, but my Honda has only been in for warranty repairs 1 time, compared to the countless times I had to bring in my '99 GT, which still had issues when I traded it in. I have had a lot of cars and the Japenese designed ones have been of higher quality than the American ones I've had. I just hope Ford hits a grand slam with the new Mustang and its overall quality.