This is why ford sales are falling

[olds]

To put it simply Poor quality and lack of service .
The wife took the terri to the dealer today to have them test drive it for a rattle / thump that was reported at the 3000 last week . The mechanic went for a drive with her and listened to what I would describe to be a shocker knock in the rear , The mechanics diagnosis a LH rear shocker noise , leave it with us . Picked the car up 6 hrs later the report back is tightened rear suspension repositioned exhaust hangers , they told the wife the noise is still there but they all do it .So is the dealer telling me that all new territory's have rattles from new or does the dealer not give a toss or both . And that ladies and gents is why Ford sales are falling because my next 50 wont be spent on one.

[2011G6E]

No surprise...not that long ago they used to happily tell you about "the Falcon knock" in the front end, a noise, either occasional or pretty much continuous depending on the road surface, that would annoy the hell out of you.

I'm sure Commodores probably have some ongoing niggles.

[Nikked]

Cool story bro

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by olds

To put it simply Poor quality and lack of service .
The wife took the terri to the dealer today to have them test drive it for a rattle / thump that was reported at the 3000 last week . The mechanic went for a drive with her and listened to what I would describe to be a shocker knock in the rear , The mechanics diagnosis a LH rear shocker noise , leave it with us . Picked the car up 6 hrs later the report back is tightened rear suspension repositioned exhaust hangers , they told the wife the noise is still there but they all do it .So is the dealer telling me that all new territory's have rattles from new or does the dealer not give a toss or both . And that ladies and gents is why Ford sales are falling because my next 50 wont be spent on one.

Raise a stink, you are one of the very few people Ford is listening too so you need to be heard...

See the dealership manager, if not satisfied take it higher to Ford and tell them why you won't be
buying another car from them because the dealership staff think rattles are acceptable in all new Fords.

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

No surprise...not that long ago they used to happily tell you about "the Falcon knock" in the front end, a noise, either occasional or pretty much continuous depending on the road surface, that would annoy the hell out of you.

I'm sure Commodores probably have some ongoing niggles.

My EA, EL and AU all had this!..... didnt matter what i replaced, it sounds like a metal on metal thud like the upper coil spring rubber is missing or falling apart.

[TMC]

When the dealers don't do their job it has a two fold negative effect for Ford. Firstly, the customer who is told falsely "they all do it" will never buy a Ford again in all likelihood, and secondly, as the dealer reckons "they all do it" will not report back to FoA and tell them that product ABC has problem XYZ. This means FoA never really get a proper feedback from the customers who have parted with their money, and as nothing changes, the problems continue and the dealer seems vindicated in his/her assessment of this "faulty" product they continue to sell. I reckon that most problems with the Ford driving experience are eliminated when the dealer is dispensed with. They are hopeless. Maybe Ford should start selling new cars on ebay. That'll make the dealers scream.

[Gspec ZL]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

My EA, EL and AU all had this!..... didnt matter what i replaced, it sounds like a metal on metal thud like the upper coil spring rubber is missing or falling apart.

My AU has it as well drives me insane. Spent a bit of my time and my mechanics couldnt work it out. The XE i had never did it though.

[Johnnyboy]

Check to make sure that the rear seatbelt is sitting correctly and not hitting the door.

[Gspec ZL]

Nah i reckon its up the front.

[graham7773]

Suspension coil spring insulators? Lowers. Radius rod bushes? Worn control arm bushes? Top strut bearing plate worn. I dunno.

[buickman]

Mazda dealer service is no better nowdays but Mazda3 is NO1 seller they all talk crap and overcharge.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Fiesta_Man69

Why sales are falling? Take a look at my " WS Fiesta Review" in the Fiesta section. That pretty much explains everything, why Dale Ford went bankrupt and why Ford Aus posted a $290 million loss last year...

give it a rest pal. you think your bad experience outweighs all other good experiences??

there is a saying, you will get treated how you treat others, or treat others how you would like to be treated. either way, from the way you carry on on here, its no surprise your dealer isn't all warm and fuzzy with you.

build a bridge and buy that mazda already!!

[Mr H]

its not only ford, seems all car manufacturers are skimping on quality these days and what makes it worse is when dealers shrug their shoulders and reply ".....they all do it" i have copped the same treatment too with my wifes toyota aurion and even my friend who spent $130k on his merc pretty much got the same treatment. good luck and make sure everything is well documented if you intend to go further and make a case of it.

[Nikked]

Here is some shocking news:

The internetz, and this forum cant help your bad expirince with ford, but a simple complaint to the dealer can. How about you take the car to ultra tune and get a second opionion before clogging up forums with crybaby tales.

[Franco Cozzo]

Might as well as be able to customise and build the car off Ford's website, it gets built at the factory and kitted out with your options, then they have a tow truck bring it to your door from the factory and you do quality control check on it before you sign for it, would solve a lot of issues.

Then for servicing, take it to your local mechanic and put food on his table, if it needs warranty work they should be able to do it on behalf of Ford, or it gets towed back to the factory and a team of people there works on it.

Just some ideas.

Its not just Ford, we deal with Mercedes, particularily Sprinters, they have trims missing, damage, rattles from factory, tail light with no clips in it, one has blown 3 engines since its gone into service as well, this is a $75,000 van as well with the 3 pointed star on the front.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by buickman

Mazda dealer service is no better nowdays but Mazda3 is NO1 seller they all talk crap and overcharge.

I'm with the OP, no more new Fords for me for the same reasons.
Having said that, I've now had the same experience with my wife's SP 25.
Like the SP 23 before it, we never had the slightest problem with the cars or service until the bumpers on the SP 25 started to change colour dramatically. The bumpers on my F6's were slightly different and I could hande that but the Mazda ones are beyond a joke. Mazda service says "they all do that"

Check it out ....

[Mr H]

hhmm....i assume the rear bumper was painted on a tuesday or wednesday but the front bumper either a monday morning or possibly 4.45 on a friday?

[turbodewd]

Originally Posted by olds

To put it simply Poor quality and lack of service .
The wife took the terri to the dealer today to have them test drive it for a rattle / thump that was reported at the 3000 last week . The mechanic went for a drive with her and listened to what I would describe to be a shocker knock in the rear , The mechanics diagnosis a LH rear shocker noise , leave it with us . Picked the car up 6 hrs later the report back is tightened rear suspension repositioned exhaust hangers , they told the wife the noise is still there but they all do it .So is the dealer telling me that all new territory's have rattles from new or does the dealer not give a toss or both . And that ladies and gents is why Ford sales are falling because my next 50 wont be spent on one.

dont give up. post on these forums, others will have probably found the real issue and fixed it.

[Nikked]

There will allways be the chance of colour difference on plastic parts,

-they are done separate to the car
-Base is different, the bumpers arn't primed, therefor the colour is on black plastic.
-Different substrates reflect the colour differently


But the photo is on the extreme side, perhaps the dealer could come to an arrangement on rectification?

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Fiesta_Man69

And may explain Ford Aus 2011 record loss of $290 million. Ouch, truth hurts huh?

these sort of comments highlight your limited knowledge

also, my local ford dealer look after me extremely well and give exceptional service. my good experience cancels out your bad one.

[in_xcess]

Ford's achilles heel has always been its dealers. From the moment we ended up with combined Ford, Hyundai, Mitsu dealerships (coupled with cheap light commercial ***** boxes from India) I reckon customer support went through the floor. Like anything mechanical the product will always have its flaws but FFS could Ford Dealers give any less of a *****.

I dropped in to McGrath Ford in Canberra just to get some info and a brochure on the Focus (ended up getting a Lancer - mistake yes, but the wife drove it mostly and liked it). I waited, waited, waited... suddenly a rep appeared, he headed toward me, I made eye contact and just as I was about to present my enquiry he yells to Ms Overdonemakeup behind one of the glass walls (the type they think we can't see through) "I'm off for lunch, cya".

Their reliance on the web has a lot to answer for as well.

OK product. Crap dealer network.

Bet Fords would sell much better if dealers only committed to one product and didn't hedge their bets by being dealerships for four competing marques. How does that spell loyalty, commitment to brand (a long since gone concept) and emotional connection to product.

Ford could learn a lot from Steve Jobs (RiP) and Apple! Why do people line up for days to get an ipad when they don't need to as there's always plenty in stock.

Imagine if before a Falcon was launched a customer slept out front the dealership to test drive it! That's right - you can't!

[Elks]

I had the power window switch fail on a the GT one rainy morning. Window went down wouldn't go back up. Rang Strapp Ford, they said bring it straight around. And fixed, with out question or charge while I waited and drank their espresso coffee. The did only have last month months Motor magazine though.


However I could write a book on how badly I was treated by a Mercedes Benz dealer about how my wife's car blows smoke on start up. It did this from new. Fobbed off by head office to boot. Gave the car to MB at Melb airport. they fixed it.

It all comes back to individual dealers and staff.


Ford of Aus' problem it the number of people wanting a big sedan is diminishing. Its as simple as that. Some go down to Mazda3 some go up Territory of Land Cruiser, the choices of cars on the market is bewildering.

I for one, without hesitation would buy another Ford and preferably a Falcon.

my 2c

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Fiesta_Man69

And may explain Ford Aus 2011 record loss of $290 million. Ouch, truth hurts huh?

Explain this, past ten years...

2010 $24.9 million
2009 $13 million
2008 $274 million
2007 $87.1 million
2006 $40 million
2005 $148 million
2004 $185.6 Million
2003 $154.6 million
2002 $20.6 million
2001 $5.5 million

Thats a $140.1 Million profit, over ten years, add this result and its a $133.6 million loss.


The point?

Profits come and go, and you make a loss. Ford arn't going to pack up and leave just for one year in the red, [B]a year that included lots of spending in finalising the EB4 and diesel motors, MK2 roll out and spending on a new model for China.

So tell me again, why ford Australia are in trouble, and why does it have anything to do with you spilt ice cream?

[Nikked]

[PepeLePew]

Can we all stop the bitching please? Some people will have bad experiences, and they will share them on the net. Don't belittle their feelings, its their experience and they live in the aftermath. But equally they can't dismiss owners good experiences just because they didn't have one. Easy, take your money and walk away.

I have to concur with the above, there is too much 'FORD' and 'dealer'S (plural) in this thread. Even the best dealer can have a crap employee that'll disappear in the passage of time. We have the benefit of at least one bloody good dealer here in S.A., and I've never received anything but exceptional service from them.

Your dealer experience does not equate to a FORD experience, or a DEALERS experience. You've learned something thats impacted you personally, act on it and do what you need to to get on with life. BUT...do yourself a favour and follow a appropriate escalation process first...service manager, dealer principal, Ford customer service. If all fails to your personal dissatisfaction, walk with your money on your next purchase.

[Fiesta_Man69]

The fact that my posts continue to get deleted proves my point: I respond with truth and honesty and it gets deleted. Fair enough.

[Nikked]

How's this for bad...


Had a Subaru forester at work, with front end damage requiring the removal of the engine for repairs.

So that was done (at a Subaru dealer), the car repaired and engine put back in. Upon getting the car back, the power steering was making horrid sounds. We bled it, and it still made sounds.

So off to the Subaru dealer, where it sat for many weeks.

The Subaru dealer eventually confirmed the car needed a new steering rack, so we waited for a quote on this, it took 3-4 weeks to get to this point. Both insurance company and owner had been ringing wanting to know about car, as did we.

When we finally got the quote on a new rack, it was all clear to go ahead...

Untill they went to take the rack out...only to find it needed bleeding.


Then there was the 10 week wait on a hyundai i30 airbag wiring loom...

[buickman]

Originally Posted by PepeLePew

I have to concur with the above, there is too much 'FORD' and 'dealer'S (plural) in this thread. Even the best dealer can have a crap employee that'll disappear in the passage of time. We have the benefit of at least one bloody good dealer here in S.A., and I've never received anything but exceptional service from them.

Your dealer experience does not equate to a FORD experience, or a DEALERS experience. walk with your money on your next purchase.

Have to agree I have no issues with my 2010 FG at all and satisfied with the Ford Dealer I purchased the car of and the service dept.
But has for my Wife's Nov 2011 updated Mazda 3 I had to write a email complaining of the poor attitude of the service she received from the dealers service dept and the dirty oily marks around the car and the next purchase if it is another Mazda will not be from them but otherwise the cars been great.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Elks

I had the power window switch fail on a the GT one rainy morning. Window went down wouldn't go back up. Rang Strapp Ford, they said bring it straight around. And fixed, with out question or charge while I waited and drank their espresso coffee. The did only have last month months Motor magazine though.


However I could write a book on how badly I was treated by a Mercedes Benz dealer about how my wife's car blows smoke on start up. It did this from new. Fobbed off by head office to boot. Gave the car to MB at Melb airport. they fixed it.

It all comes back to individual dealers and staff.


Ford of Aus' problem it the number of people wanting a big sedan is diminishing. Its as simple as that. Some go down to Mazda3 some go up Territory of Land Cruiser, the choices of cars on the market is bewildering.

I for one, without hesitation would buy another Ford and preferably a Falcon.

my 2c

Does that Mercedes dealership at the Airport have a service department? We go to Somerton or Derrimut with our vans when they need to go to a dealership, would be so much easier just taking it to the one at the airport.

When I bought my TDCI Focus, I went cross shopping across all the brands at Essendon Fields, they have about 10 dealerships all right next to each other in the Essendon Airport. I got ignored at Hyundai, Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge, I didn't bother with Mazda as at the time the Mazda 3 MZR-CD was too expensive, wasn't interested in Toyota or Honda, so I went to Keilor road to check out Holden, I went up to a Cruise and some woman come out and locked the cars I went up to then walked inside.

Thinking back about the Cruise, she probably did me a favor

So I went back to Essendon Ford, got jumped on the moment I set foot on the property, so I bought the Focus, had no issues with warranty claims, only took it back for the battery which died, thats it.

The only problem I have is they keep sending me messages, emails and letters telling me my totalled Focus and my current one are due for services and I should book them in .

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by Nikked

There will allways be the chance of colour difference on plastic parts,

-they are done separate to the car
-Base is different, the bumpers arn't primed, therefor the colour is on black plastic.
-Different substrates reflect the colour differently

But the photo is on the extreme side, perhaps the dealer could come to an arrangement on rectification?

It was Mazda Australia that told me to go jump in the lake.