All Entries Tagged With: "ford"
Ford’s EcoBoost Losing Steam With Ford Loyalists
Update: Brian J in the comments below asked me to support my post with some data – here’s the data that supports the original conclusion.
When Ford’s EcoBoost engines came out, a lot of people (myself included) saw the engine as a game-changer. A bold new step forward for trucks, one that promised better fuel economy without sacrificing much power.
A growing number of Ford truck owners are questioning the reliability and fuel economy benefits of the EcoBoost V6. That’s bad news for Ford, as they’ve put all their eggs in the EcoBoost basket.
Years later, we’ve seen copious amounts of evidence to suggest that the EcoBoost isn’t the game-changer it promised to be. From anecdotes about mediocre fuel economy to problems with stalling and hesitation to hefty turbo replacement costs, there is ample evidence for skeptics like me to grab on to.
But what about Ford loyalists? Are they too seeing that EcoBoost isn’t what it’s cracked up to be? The answer seems to be yes – at least partially.
Ford-Toyota Joint Hybrid Truck Collaboration Is Over
Ford and Toyota have announced that they will no longer be collaborating on a joint venture to produce a hybrid powertrain for the Tundra and F-150. While Ford has told the Chicago Tribune that they intend to continue to develop a hybrid powertrain for the F-150 (and other RWD vehicles) on their own, Toyota’s official statement on the matter has made no such promises.
Basically, the Tundra hybrid is dead, but the F-150 hybrid lives (for now).
Ford F-150 EcoBoost Problems: Shuddering, Power Loss & Limp Mode
UPDATE: We’ve been told that Ford has a fix for this problem coming ASAP. See https://tundraheadquarters.com/2012/10/26/breaking-news-ford-f150-ecoboost-shudder-fix-confirmed/ for the details.
In recent months, a growing number of Ford F-150 EcoBoost owners are reporting that their trucks can shudder and stall during normal use. In severe cases, some EcoBoost F150 owners have said that their trucks have suddenly gone into “limp mode,” where the engine loses almost all power.
Reports of EcoBoost shudder and power loss are coming primarily from humid states, such as Texas and Florida.
After reading numerous Ford truck forums, talking to various auto experts, and even talking to a couple of Ford technicians, this is what we’ve learned:
- Ford has a growing problem here, as the number of EcoBoost owners reporting issues isn’t getting any smaller
- Ford’s response to this problem has only served to anger afflicted EcoBoost F150 owners
Rural Dealerships A Big Sales Advantage for Ford, GM, and Chrysler-Fiat
According to this Automotive News story, GM classifies 1200 of their dealers as “rural.” While the definition of rural is likely a little loose, here’s what we know about GM’s dealership operations:
- GM has 4,400 dealerships across the USA
- 27% of these dealers are rural
- Toyota has about 1200 dealerships across the USA, and a very small portion of them are rural (our sources say less than 10%)
Assuming that each of these 1200 rural GM dealership can sell either Chevy or GMC trucks, and assuming that each of these dealership can sell a measly 5 trucks per month, GM can generate about 70,000 truck sales in rural areas that Toyota can’t hope to match.
In other words, GM has a big sales volume advantage because of their extensive dealership network in rural areas. Ford – and to a lesser degree Chrysler-Fiat – enjoy this sales volume advantage as well. Here’s what it means to Tundra sales figures.
Ford’s Escape Problems
Ford is currently dealing with several problems related to its new Escape as well as past versions. This is not good news for the automaker and its trademark SUV that it needs to compete with other automakers.
The 2013 Ford Escape has been on the market for a month and already has been recalled twice.
