Leaving Ford.

[henry_ford]

I am resigning from my job today! leaving my comfy home in the world of Ford.
(well a dealership in sydney) having a holiday, and then of to sell Subaru's!
not much point chatting on FF after this but i will miss watching the banter and having a chat occasionally.

I love Fords. i am let down time and time again by the product and marketing in Australia. no i dont think Subaru are better cars. for me it was the fact that there clients are nearly all Retail ie. normal people buying a car rather than every second bloke actually being fleet and using me for a test drive.

and memo to Ford Australia. PLEASE BUILD CARS MORE CAREFULLY. they so often arrive with damage or terrible shutlines or poor fit of interior. i know its a industry wide problem. it's just i feel we are regressing not improving. i went thru a p/d dept at a subie yard proir to taking the job. the cars there just look tighter. smaller gaps. neater trim. (just a opionion)
I still love my XR6! and the blue oval. if they get better i will return. but for now, alas i must leave. 3 days left till holiday!!

[Conrad]

Booooo

[prydey]

i think it wouldn't be a bad idea for gormon and co to come online from time to time and read some of the threads on the various forums that are out there. poor customer service, build quality, reliability etc are recurring themes at the moment.

[Dave_au]

Originally Posted by prydey

i think it wouldn't be a bad idea for gormon and co to come online from time to time and read some of the threads on the various forums that are out there. poor customer service, build quality, reliability etc are recurring themes at the moment.

He's a member of Ford Australia Forums.

[henry_ford]

I hope he is reading then.

[Xitdxr]

He better be!

[MikGan]

Im buying an XT forester, get me a deal! PS. hope you enjoy the new job!

[GXL078]

I am not a big fan of Subarus. I almost bought an Impreza in '05 just before the NOSE update and the droping of the torquey 2.5L (I was after an RS model wagon / hatch)
I came to realise that they were actually a car that was 10 years out of date: Only two airbags, cheap stereo, old school auto etc. About the only thing up to current specs was the space saver spare in the boot. There was plenty of steel under the hood, like an 80s car, not acres of plastic like anything designed recently. They do have a 'quality' feel about them but a lot of that is hype, but a mile ahead of any Aussie built car. The road tests rated the fuel consumption at 13L /100Km around town which is Falcon thirsty. Would be better if you could switch the AWD off. The worst feature of the car was the frameless doors, a throwback to the ugly days when they were built as cheaply as possible. Very clever marketing is how they (and VW and Audi) became a presitge brand. At least VW retired their boxer engines (oh, but wait, Porsche and ferarri still have them) They are poplular with everyone with baseball caps to cardigans, even the dealer had a snob ambience. In other words, they are a very basic car which changes little over time, sold at a premium on the premise of quality and reliability. Do they self destruct if you don't get them serviced every 7500Km? (just plain inconvenient)
God luck selling the new WRX, I hope it looks better than it does in Wheels magazine.

[AussieJason]

Originally Posted by henry_ford

not much point chatting on FF after this but i will miss watching the banter and having a chat occasionally.

No need to leave AFF, there are several people on here that don't even own a Ford.

Have a nice holiday and good luck at Subaru.

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by xcgxl

I am not a big fan of Subarus. I almost bought an Impreza in '05 just before the NOSE update and the droping of the torquey 2.5L (I was after an RS model wagon / hatch)
I came to realise that they were actually a car that was 10 years out of date: Only two airbags, cheap stereo, old school auto etc. About the only thing up to current specs was the space saver spare in the boot. There was plenty of steel under the hood, like an 80s car, not acres of plastic like anything designed recently. They do have a 'quality' feel about them but a lot of that is hype, but a mile ahead of any Aussie built car. The road tests rated the fuel consumption at 13L /100Km around town which is Falcon thirsty. Would be better if you could switch the AWD off. The worst feature of the car was the frameless doors, a throwback to the ugly days when they were built as cheaply as possible. Very clever marketing is how they (and VW and Audi) became a presitge brand. At least VW retired their boxer engines (oh, but wait, Porsche and ferarri still have them) They are poplular with everyone with baseball caps to cardigans, even the dealer had a snob ambience. In other words, they are a very basic car which changes little over time, sold at a premium on the premise of quality and reliability. Do they self destruct if you don't get them serviced every 7500Km? (just plain inconvenient)
God luck selling the new WRX, I hope it looks better than it does in Wheels magazine.

There is more to Subaru than just Impreza :

The Quality/Reliability is not hype, Subaru consistently score well in surveys worldwide... Fact, not hype !

As for the servicing, the two Subaru's I've had are both 10k service intervals. Funny how the Falcons are 15k but a lot of people here service at 7500 :

[henry_ford]

Actually what sold me on the product, and i could have gone to holden or honda. was the Liberty. It looks amazing. That and the dealer ship itself is one of the best run places in sydney (rumour has it).
But mmmm a new Liberty company car..... hope it has pink bits..

[AC/DC]

I have a Subaru Liberty, as well as the BA XT...

Altough the Falcon is a great car, , the Subaru is better.

But for me, its a bit small....

AC/DC

[DK30RB]

I wouldn't be to confident in Subaru. I just sold my Subaru 3.0R-B, it was booked in for it's third engine replacement in 60,000km.

There is a design flaw in the boxer which causes it to consume oil at a rate of up to 3 litres every 4,000km's!!!!! We still have my wifes 2006 Outback, i'll be keeping a close eye on that one.

Get on the MRT and other Subaru forums and you will be shocked to see how many people have had or are having engine oil problems!!!!

Service is great though. Apart from the engine problems, they are built a lot better that the Fords. My Liberty didn't have a single problem (other than the engine), while my previous BA XR6 fell apart around me.

[xr6ist]

I dont wanna compare old cars to knew cars but ive been hearing alot of these new fords are falling apart around people my old ef suffers from occasional head troubles but apart from that its reliable as **** and the trim is still a1 after 10 years have ford gone backwards or whats the go?

[chich]

Originally Posted by henry_ford

Actually what sold me on the product, and i could have gone to holden or honda. was the Liberty. It looks amazing. That and the dealer ship itself is one of the best run places in sydney (rumour has it).
But mmmm a new Liberty company car..... hope it has pink bits..

x2 absolutely beautiful cars and choc-full of features for the money. Excellent resale to boot!

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by henry_ford

I hope he is reading then.

He's not referring to our forums here. This forum is called "Australia Ford Forums" There is another ford forums called "Ford Australia Forums". Not this one. He's saying he visits the other site.

[FLYXR6]

Why would you leave just cause you don't own a ford? I still go swimming and i don't have webbed feet...... Point is yes ford brought us together but its the company (no pun intended) that made us stay.

[MITCHAY]

My WRX is still going great guns at 62700kms. Only rattle it has is the screw rolling around in the dash that I dropped in there.

It's overdue for a service now but my last one was overdue by 4000kms and no ill effects there Far from falling apart!

I don't own my Ford anymore and a certain few circumstances have to happen for one to be my next car but still hang around.

[XR8-260]

I'm looking at getting a subie (MY06 WRX) for my next car . I had a few bad experiences with my BA reliability wise, but that's just me. I still love ford though and may still end up getting an XR6T depending on the price.

[Muscle_Inc]

I have to agree on what XR6IST was saying, i now own my second late model e-series car and havent come across build quality issues or anything along the lines of this.

Though i havent owned a brand new car nor can i compare new vs old but it is a worry cause hopefully down the track one day i would like to own a ba/bf!
!

[Cracka20]

I'll never buy another Subaru again!!. My 1999 RX had it's AR** rusted out like it was made of paper thin sheet metal. Where ever there was a weld..yes you guessed it rusted out. The hatchback leaked when it rained like there was no tomorrow. 48 hours after rain - plant your mushrooms and wait for them to grow. Don't like the mushrooms? get in the car and suck in the mould spores, the smell was great. When you get into your dry Ford shed a thought for the Subaru driver. Engine wise...knocking sensor failing in the first 50,000km WTF??? A BASIC PRODUCTION LINE CAR MADE TO LOOK GOOD by classy TV adds about ALL WHEEL DRIVE.

[Tiges]

I understand where you're coming from. I work in a P/D dept at a dealershp in Canberra and see everyday the 'quality' that is Ford. It is terrible. Ford really need to have a good long think about their quality control.

[flukey77]

Originally Posted by KNG-40L

I have to agree on what XR6IST was saying, i now own my second late model e-series car and havent come across build quality issues or anything along the lines of this.

Though i havent owned a brand new car nor can i compare new vs old but it is a worry cause hopefully down the track one day i would like to own a ba/bf!
!

I agree, I cant fault the reliability of the EA that my dad bought 17 years ago, the interior is immaculate, the engine has overheated a few times (broken fan belts mostly), we replaced the autobox at 300,000 kms, but apart from that it has been unbelieveably reliable. I cant fault our 5 yr old AU either.

[GXL078]

Originally Posted by Cracka20

I'll never buy another Subaru again!!. My 1999 RX had it's AR** rusted out like it was made of paper thin sheet metal. Where ever there was a weld..yes you guessed it rusted out. The hatchback leaked when it rained like there was no tomorrow. 48 hours after rain - plant your mushrooms and wait for them to grow. Don't like the mushrooms? get in the car and suck in the mould spores, the smell was great. When you get into your dry Ford shed a thought for the Subaru driver. Engine wise...knocking sensor failing in the first 50,000km WTF??? A BASIC PRODUCTION LINE CAR MADE TO LOOK GOOD by classy TV adds about ALL WHEEL DRIVE.

AMEN, at last some negative comment about Subaru from somebody who has actually owned one.
Hey Flukey77, your EA must be a 3 speed? I never heard anyone getting even HALF of 300,000 out of a BTR 4 speed auto.

[SpoolMan]

This isn't a Subaru bashing thread, lets read the 1st post and post our comments and thoughts on that.
If you have a separate issue, start your own thread in the appropriate Forum.

[flukey77]

Originally Posted by xcgxl

AMEN, at last some negative comment about Subaru from somebody who has actually owned one.
Hey Flukey77, your EA must be a 3 speed? I never heard anyone getting even HALF of 300,000 out of a BTR 4 speed auto.

lol, believe me or not, it is the good old 4 speed!

[xr6ist]

yeh my btr4speed is up to 200,000 without any dramas ive heard of ones lasting alot long so i dont know where you got your info from xcgxl lol

[irsa76]

Yes it is hard to be positive when you work with either crap or fools. Just go in with you're eyes open. I've worked for a Mercedes dealer in the past and was amazed that the reputation didn't live up to the truth. Good luck.

[MikGan]

I haven't had my car fall apart around me so to speak but when something has gone wrong I found the customer service of Ford to be WAY under my expectations. I've never owned anything other than a Ford before but after the last 2 years of stuffing around with customer service thought I'd try a different brand.

[ltd]

Well, I'd say it all depends on where you go for your car, as well as servicing. I have had a few different vehicles in my time; Ford, Holden, Mazda, Mercedes, Alfa, Toyota, VW etc, and I can tell you that there aint much discernable difference between them. I'll categorise each one.

Holden 02 WH caprice: 3 different engines, noisy diff, sticking transmission, loose plastic on the dashboard, horrendous rear tyre wear - Useless service department and disgusting attitudes all round. Price for parts ridiculous considering now most are made in Korea; $220 for a serpentine belt fitted.

Mazda 6 2002: Expensive and unreliable service. Car would sit there all day after bringing it in the morning, only to be told that it won't be ready. Overall, good car but a little small and overpriced for what it is.

Mercedes 04 S500 and 03 MB140: OMFG. Services are conducted by little pencil neck like twits who fail to discuss with you the fact that your service cost over $3000.00. When you quiz them of why they went ahead without your permission they assure you that they called and spoke to you or someone else. Servicing is generally an oil change and a pollen filter change, can be done at home for around $200.00 for genuine parts. Car is beautiful but once broke down in Chatswood out the front of Morrisons Mercedes. With the bonnet up everyone assumed that I was test driving until I had the NRMA turn up. Turned out to be a faulty crank positioning sensor and was done under warranty in 20 minutes. MB140 broke down with a faulty temperature guage reading off the top of the scale. Turned out to be a bad contact on the cluster but vehicle had to be towed. Also, ignition leads are a problem.

Toyota 92 Corolla: Good car that was reliable but the plastic interior self destructed one summer day, and never quite went back together again. Also, servicing was very expensive ie. $450.00 for an oil change in 1992. Furthermore, car was dented on the bonnet after being serviced, they denied it and wouldn't accept responsibility. Shocks worn after 70,000klm, transmission worn after 90,000klm and interior besides self destructing very bland. First and last Toyota.

Alfa 164 and 33ti: The 164 gave me norwegian wood when it was new, and it really was a great car except for the little niggly fact that it broke down all the time. Once lamented with GF at the time that atleast we were comfortable whilst waiting for the NRMA to come with a tow truck as they couldn't fix it. Needless to say, warranties weren't any greater than 2 years and this Navy blue beauty cost twice what I paid for it to stay on the road. The 33 gave little trouble except for gearboxes. At least at servicing the advisors where sympathetic, and knew you by name. (Probably because they were used to seeing you). I had the 33 first and thinking that lightening couldn;t stike twice I bought the 164 (which coincidentally is probably the number of times it broke down, or the number of thousands I actually spent). Expensive servicing although great technicians - plenty of practice. Actually, when I owned the 164; 1993 - 1997, I was coincidentally at my physical peak - might have something to do with pushing a 1600kg car by the side of the road in order to get out of traffic twice a week.

VW 04 golf - a little expensive to service and a little hard on the tyres. Parts can be expensive. Fit and finish is good although we had some loose threads on both front seats.

Ford: 12 LTD's, 4 Fairlanes. Varying problems but nothing major; interior fit and finish reasonable but cars overall solid. Servicing has been relatively painless and I have found the product to be superior to several other brands. Generally am satisfied although Jubilee ford closing has affected my servicing as Dale ford does not seem to be as good, although costs are cheaper than other brands. Overall, excellent value for money and a cheap means of lots of power.

That's my experience anyway. I have not witnessed a Ford fall apart around me although I have experienced it in other brands, and some servicing places seemingly charge up to $500.00 per hour but I won't say who - rhymes with mercedes.
If you have had problems then I'd suggest taking your car to where they want your business, and they want you to be happy. If everyone boycotted the bad dealers then they wouldn't have work and would be forced to restructure or close. Finally, I think the experience of ownership comes down to the dealer, especially in my case where I had Jubilee Ford service all of my cars regardless of brand.