All Entries Tagged With: "ford"
Ford Consumer Reports Reliability Rankings Fall, Toyota Still King
The latest findings by Consumer Reports indicate that Ford, and other domestic brands, has slipped in the reliability rankings while Toyota remains on top of the ratings.
Toyota remains king while Ford drops in the reliability ratings.
Ford’s drop was from 10th to 20th and is mostly blamed on the redesign of a few old models, as well as problems with their new electronic systems. This is bad news for Ford, as the automaker has taken years to build up a good reputation for reliability in last year’s Consumer Reports rankings. But, as pointed out by David Champion Sr., director of Consumer Reports‘ Automotive Test Center in East Haddam, Conn., it only takes a few problems to lose that reputation.
Wind Noise Problems At Ford?
Is Ford's $100 million investment intended to address a common Ford quality complaint?
Following last week’s news about Ford’s likely drop in the 2011 JD Power Initial Quality study (which is due out this Thursday), there’s more news about some of the quality problems Ford CEO Alan Mulally was concerned about. In the same press conference that Mulally warned about declining quality, he talked about some new robotic systems for makeing sure that doors were installed properly on all new vehicles. Was this bit of news shared to show that Ford is addressing a common concern with their products – specifically, wind noise?
Is Tundra Market Share Sliding, or Are Fleet Sales Obscuring The Truth?
In an article titled “What Happened To The Tundra,” website AutoSavant.com offered a reasoned analysis of the pickup truck market, and – based on sales figures and market share – singled out the Toyota Tundra as underperforming.
While there are definitely some arguments to be made about Toyota mis-steps with the Tundra (everything from bad tailgate design to bed bounce / ride quality complaints to failing air injection pumps), it’s impossible to say that the Tundra is failing for two reasons:
1. None of the market share numbers offered in the AutoSavant number discount fleet sales.
2. Fleet sales should never be considered equal to retail sales, because fleet sales are dominated by the lowest cost product. Quality, reliability, etc. have nothing to do with fleet sales.
NOTE: If you’d like to argue my second point, read about why fleet sales don’t compare to retail sales before you do so.
The question is, if we take out fleet sales, how does Tundra market share look?
Ford FINALLY Expands F150 Airbag Recall, But Where’s The Fine?
In February, Ford announced an F150 recall pertaining to spontaneously exploding airbags. This recall was significant because:
- NHTSA instructed Ford to recall approximately 1.5 million trucks for this problem
- Ford decided to ignore the government and recall just 150k trucks instead
- Now, two months later, Ford has finally followed NHTSA instructions and recalled 1.5 million F150s
Of course, I cried foul when Ford ignored the government recall recommendation. How could Ford blatantly disregard NHTSA safety instructions? What’s more, how could Ford ignore a government safety mandate without risking a media firestorm and a massive NHTSA fine?
Yet Ford Motor Company somehow managed to ignore a NHTSA two months ago – and then flip-flop – without any sort of outcry. Be it political influence or just plain ignorance, something stinks at NHTSA.
New Ford Eco-Boost V6 Needs Sales Boost?
Die-hard Ford fans and industry observers alike (myself included) have been quick to give Ford credit for creating the Eco-Boost V6. What’s not to love about a fuel-efficient twin-turbo V6 with torque and horsepower figures that are comparable to a V8?
Indeed, Ford’s Eco-Boost has been considered the “next evolution” of truck engines because it’s becoming harder and harder for V8 engines to satisfy new fuel economy and emissions rules. Ford was very smart to bring the Eco-Boost to market, as they are ahead of the curve in terms of efficiency.
Ford has begun discounting their most advanced truck engine - why?
HOWEVER, many people (including myself) wondered if the Eco-Boost would be accepted by consumers. Considering today’s news that Ford is offering an extra $500 cash back on certain F150s with the EcoBoost engine, it sounds like consumers aren’t quite ready to jump on the twin-turbo V6 band wagon. At least not in their trucks.
The question: Is this about the EcoBoost, or is this about truck buyers?
