Ford "most reliable": Consumer Reports.............(Both ObamaMotors get bad reviews)

The Money Times ^ | October 28, 2009 | Ishita Sood

[IrishMike]

The Ford Fusion was rated higher in reliability this year than its counterparts- Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The only car in the family sedan category with better ratings compared to Fusion was the Toyota Prius, the magazine said yesterday.

“It’s rare for Consumer Reports to see family sedans from domestic carmakers continue to beat the reliability scores of such highly regarded Japanese models,” David Champion, senior director of the Yonkers, New York based magazine’s Automotive Test Center, said in a statement.

World class production Ford’s reliability will translate into future gains as it will help the company capture a greater part of the market share. Ford’s cars earned average or above ratings on 90 percent of its models "Ford does produce more world-class vehicles" said Jake Fisher, senior automotive engineer for Consumer Reports.

"These results from such a highly respected and credible source of information for consumers confirms that Ford not only has raised initial quality to industry-leading levels, but also is delivering the excellent long-term reliability that is critical to winning new customers and retaining existing ones," said Bennie Fowler, Ford group vice president of global quality.

................... GM and Chrysler Chrysler which was bailed out very recently by the Federal Government did not do well and was still “continuing to struggle”, according to the magazine survey. It was the biggest loser of the year since its brands Lexus GS, Nissan Versa and Subaru WRX were labelled unreliable. Only the new Ram 1500 4wd was recommended by the magazine.

GM, too, which was saved by the Feds, saw a bad review. Its new products, Chevrolet Malibu with a V6 engine and Chevrolet Traverse, were the only ones to do well in the survey. Overall, 28 of the 48 GM models included in the survey had below average rankings.

[fredhead]

Darn...no more Found On Road Dead or Fix Or Repair Daily jokes.

[Redleg Duke]

I would have purchased a Ford Focus except for the UAW. I am very pleased with my new Toyota Prius.

The one with the custom bumper sticker that reads, "Conservative Prius Owner - Deal With It!"

[pieceofthepuzzle]

I wrote off GM and Chrysler after the bailout, but it is a very sad statement when a once great icon of American industry can't compete anymore. In my opinion the decline of the auto industry in America occurred because of a combination of union demands and near-quarter short-sited business plans that didn't include a vision for leading the market in innovation.

[Diogenesis]

One hypothesis is that the kenyan/indonensian looters and usurpers WANTED Ford to succeed.

Obama's keeping Opel out of the US also fits in.
Who has stock in, ...say... , Ford?
Tax-Cheat-in-Chief Geithner has a family connection to ..... Ford

"Why Obama was so insistent on tax-cheat Geithner?
"...Geithner ... most of his childhood living outside the United States, including present-day Zimbabwe, Zambia, India and Thailand
where he completed high school at International School Bangkok. He attended Camp Becket-in-the-Berkshires-for-boys,
a summer camp located in western Massachusetts. He then attended Dartmouth College,
graduating with a B.A. in government and Asian studies in 1983.
He earned an M.A. in international economics and East Asian studies
from Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies in 1985. He has studied Chinese and Japanese.

...grandfather, Paul Herman Geithner (1902–1972), emigrated with his parents from Zeulenroda,
Germany to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1908. His father, Peter F. Geithner,
is the director of the Asia program at the Ford Foundation in New York. During the early 1980s,
Peter Geithner oversaw the Ford Foundation's microfinance programs in Indonesia being developed
by S. Ann Dunham-Soetoro, President Barack Obama's mother, and they met in person at least once.
Timothy Geithner's mother, Deborah Moore Geithner, is a pianist and piano teacher ...
Geithner's maternal grandfather, Charles F. Moore, was an adviser to President Dwight D. Eisenhower
and served as Vice President of Public Relations from 1952-1964 for Ford Motor Company."

"After completing his studies, Geithner worked for KISSINGER and Associates in Washington, D.C.,
for three years and then joined the International Affairs division of the U.S. Treasury Department in 1988.
He went on to serve as an attaché at the US Embassy in Tokyo.
He was deputy assistant secretary for international monetary and financial policy (1995–1996),
senior deputy assistant secretary for international affairs (1996-1997), assistant secretary for international affairs (1997–1998)."
He was Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs (1998–2001) under Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin
and Lawrence Summers. Summers was his mentor, but other sources call him a Rubin protégé..."

[Vaquero]

I am a former Chrysler fan/brand Loyalist....who is now looking at new Fords...or USED Chryslers( pre-dating their Govt Motors/ Fix It Again Tony paradigm..)....

[Caipirabob]

The last Ford I had went through 2 A/Cs, 2 trannies and the driver side door fell off...*Clunk*

Never again...

[IrishMike]

Most interesting

[IrishMike]

Vehicle type and year ?

[pburgh01]

GM and Chrysler Chrysler which was bailed out very recently by the Federal Government did not do well and was still “continuing to struggle”, according to the magazine survey. It was the biggest loser of the year since its brands Lexus GS, Nissan Versa and Subaru WRX were labelled unreliable.

Huh?? Chrysler makes Lexus now? I think this guy needs a new editor and someone needs to proofread before pressing.."Publish"

[stayathomemom]

Can you leave CAFE standards out of the equation? I think the governments constant tinkering with requirements would have driven the engineers crazy.
Glad to hear this news. I live in a very white collar Ford community. Seems like half of the men at my church work there in some capacity.

[Fresh Wind]

You can’t go by Consumer Reports’ overall ratings, you have to look at each of the individual categories. I have seen them give a car an overall rating of “below average” that bad marks in one or two minor categories (e.g. audio system) and excellent marks in all the others.

[Blueflag]

I am in process on leasing a new 2010 Fusion SEL (4 Cyl) as my company car. Very much looking forward to getting it in mid November.

I have driven several as rental cars and was delighted with the experience.

[imahawk]

FORD MOTOR COMPANY.Built by Americans,not bailed out by Americans.Now if they can get rid of the commie union.

[LibLieSlayer]

Hey GM... miss me after 40 years of loyalty??? I will not come back as long as a marxist owns your asses.

LLS

[stayathomemom]

You can’t go by Consumer Reports’ overall ratings

Thirty years ago, my husband and I researched Consumer Reports long and hard before we made our first car purchase, a Plymouth Horizon. It turned out to be a lemon, before the lemon laws. Consequently, we junked it after six years.

[MileHi]

Strange. I’ve been driving Fords for years and I never had that.

[SonOfDarkSkies]

Does the Ford Foundation still own any Ford stock? I’m not sure there is still a connection.

[niteowl77]

I was a Mopar guy - born into it - but circumstances eventually led me to Ford pickups which worked well for me but left me feeling like a heel. I ended up buying a very sharp Dodge Dakota to atone for straying. Within a year, I swore off Chryslers for good.

Needing a small, cheap bit of transportation, we got a Ford Focus back in 2000, and my only beef with it was that it lacked AWD, so it got traded for a Toyota Matrix which filled the bill; the build quality on the Toyota wasn't noticeably better than the Focus, which surprised me. I recently traded the old Matrix for a new one, and it has proven to be a big disappointment in the QC department. If Ford would come out with an AWD version of the Focus, I'd gladly give it a look.

Back in 1974, I'd have gargled with bleach after saying I'd consider a Ford. Nowadays, they are all just transportation to me.

[TNCMAXQ]

Don’t think I will buy a Chevy again. Got a ‘06 Malibu that is nice to drive but with less than 20,000 miles on it I have had too many problems. Brake rotors have had to be serviced twice already, and the most recent time this wasn’t covered by warranty. I have been to the dealership service center just too many times. And I still have 2 years left to pay for this vehicle.

Next time I just might try Ford for the first time.

[Graybeard58]

bumper sticker that reads, "Conservative Prius Owner - Deal With It!

Might as well put a sticker on it that says, "Hey, liberal moonbat, key my car".

[Vaquero]

I bought my 99 Durango in 2000 with 20,000 miles. It has provided me with comfortable, nice power and on road and off road use for 150,000 miles with the only drawback being the 17 hwy.....10 around town mileage...which is what I expected....

when they changed the design in the early 2000 to ‘cute’, I swore I would not buy a new one...but the last few years..Durangos and Chryslers Aspens have a lot of their aggresive edge back...too bad the Gummint decided to slash a sales leader....I am now looking at new Expeditions and letting my kids drive the Durango...that still runs like a top.

[ThunderSleeps]

I'm with you. I've had 4 Fords through the years. I'm done with them. The first pickup and the Escort wagon were great. The minivan and second pickup (a few years later) turned into maintenance nightmares.

Only about half my issues with them regarding maintenance were quality (or the lack thereof) related - the rest were basic engineering mistakes that tell me they don't even know the phrase "designed to be maintained" let alone practice it.

We just bought our son a (used) 8 year old Honda. It runs like a top. I'd take it any day over a brand new Ford. Due to GM and Chrysler being government-owned now, I won't even look at their vehicles.

[reagan_fanatic]

I’ve got a Ford Fusion - one of the best cars I’ve ever owned.

I would highly recommend it to anyone.

[CSM]

Great news. Thanks for posting.

[Vaquero]

bumper sticker that reads, “Conservative Prius Owner - Deal With It!
Might as well put a sticker on it that says, “Hey, liberal moonbat, key my car”.

I buy lots of ‘green’ crap....like those ‘squiggly’ light bulbs...etc. I do it to save money....not the greenie crap.

[Graybeard58]

I buy lots of ‘green’ crap....like those ‘squiggly’ light bulbs...etc. I do it to save money....not the greenie crap.

It was the word "conservative" on the bumper sticker that would invite vandalism.

[reagan_fanatic]

We just bought our son a (used) 8 year old Honda. It runs like a top

Yes, and I have a 1998 Ford Explorer that I've had since 2001 that runs like a top. 113,000 miles and the only things I've had to replace was a starter, a battery, partial exhaust system and set of tires.

Ford's quality has dramatically increased in the last 10-15 years, and as someone who's driven my fair share of them, I have found their cars and trucks to be just as reliable as any of the so-called 'superior' imports.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Yes, and I have a 1998 Ford Explorer...

I'm glad it's been good for you, but I had an unhappy experience with the same car, which I bought new. I had the 4.0 L V6 with 5 speed. The engine needed valve cover gaskets twice (warrantied as a defect) to get the engine light off. One of the catalytic converters failed. The ball joints went at 60K and again at 90K. The transmission was always a bit dicey (slow to go into reverse in cold weather), and finally went at around 98K to 100K. It would only go in the first couple of gears--which was good enough for me to let the kids drive it a couple of miles up the road to school. Then the idler pulley assembly fell completely off the engine. That was it!

[Vaquero]

It was the word “conservative” on the bumper sticker that would invite vandalism.

depends on where you live....

[Puppage]

"Conservative Prius Owner - Deal With It!"

That's fantastic. I bet you get some pretty interesting looks, hmm?

[PugetSoundSoldier]

I’ve got a 1999 Ford Ranger XLT, 4 cylinder, manual tranny, 2WD, 165K miles on it. Changed the brake pads (once all around), air filter (3 times), fuel filter (twice), oil and oil filter (every 5000 miles), wiper blades (every winter), and the tires (third set on now). That’s it. Not even the spark plugs or battery or belts - they all are holding up plenty well and strong (I inspect and test the belts every time I change the oil). Still runs like a champ, even when it sits for 3 weeks at a time when I’m overseas.

Overall, my Ranger has been insanely reliable for me. Almost as reliable as my 1963 Mercury Comet with the 260 V8. 170K original miles and it fires up and purrs and drives like a dream!

[antisocial]

“Darn...no more Found On Road Dead or Fix Or Repair Daily jokes.”

Don’t be too sure about that. I have a ford sporttrac that is a complete piece of sheite. The cruise control broke immediately and cost $300 to fix. the armrest (plastic) broke and cost $130 to replace. (I did it myself)I swore after my ‘89 ford pickup that I would never drive another ford. I will definitely never own another one after this.

[Graybeard58]

depends on where you live....

I sometimes have to park in public p;aces.

Several years ago, I had a car that got keyed badly enough that I got a new paint job. No enemies that I was aware of, I'm always careful to park properly and I don't do bumper stickers.

Some are just intent on mayhem, I suspect that they are generally liberals.

[Vaquero]

I have my NRA life member window sticker...thats about it..

[Graybeard58]

In my work life I knew a lot of liberals, many liked to hunt and owned hand guns too, they still voted for the gun grabbers.....Go figure.

[nikos1121]

I think the problems are usually management controlled. Why then has a company like Caterpillar thrived? Good manangement and guts to go after the unions when they got greedy.

Ford picked up their quality in the early 1980s and it’s paying off.

I wouldn’t buy a GM or Chrysler car if were sold to me below cost. Maybe the Cadillac De Ville, but I’d buy a Lincoln first.

I’ve driven a Lexus vehicle now since 1992 with no regrets.

Sometimes letting a company go bankrupt is not a bad thing.

Will be interesting to see the tax breaks they get when things turn even worse than they are now.

ALSO, YOU HEARD IT FIRST FROM ME....

I PREDICT THAT UNION WORKERS WILL STRIKE GM AND CHRYSLER AT SOME POINT...THINK ABOUT THAT....IN ESSENCE THEY WILL BE STRIKING AGAINST THEMSELVES, SINCE THEY ARE THE MAJOR STOCK HOLDERS....RIGHT? THAT ALONE UNNERVES ME!!!!!

[Mr. Lucky]

The Ford Foundation hasn’t owned stock in Ford Motor Company for 35 years, but what are facts compared to a good conspiracy theory?

[gunnyg]

I, too, went back to Ford a few years ago—still p!ssed about that ‘71 Maverick, though.

Ford, the only non-hussein motors left now.

Besides, I like old Henry’s background and the books he used to give away w/each car.

Semper Fidelis
Dick Gaines
**********

[waxer1]

Ha! yeah you got that right. I will no longer even consider a GM or Crystler car. And I just love those Chevy’s.

Heartbreaking.

[LibLieSlayer]

I agree... that or a Mississippi built, NON union Toyota.

LLS

[Josh Painter]

I have an ‘06 Fusion that I’m very satisfied with. No problems, no squeaks, no rattles. It has the V6 with the 6-speed automatic, which is a nice combination. However, as a guy who has owned mostly vehicles with manual transmissions all my life, I wish I had opted for the four-cylinder engine and 5-speed manual gearbox.

- JP

[pieceofthepuzzle]

It’s interesting to think about the loop that has been created by the government bailout. A democrat-controlled Congress and a democrat President give bailout money to GM and Chrysler and essentially bailout and empower the unions in this action. The unions collect money from their employee members, money that includes what they have received from US taxpayers via the bailout, and they turn around and use that money to support democrat political candidates. The democrats, in turn, push to get rid of secret ballots for employee voting on unions. There’s something wrong with this..

[fredhead]

I have owned only one Ford......a 76 Granada, 6 cylinder, three on the tree, no A/C, AM radio. Bought it used, I was desparate for a car. Took it home, thought my Dad (Buick man) was going to disown me.

That car didn’t last long. After I totalled it, I bought a $500 VW bug. Best car for the money I ever had.

[bmwcyle]

DITTO!!!!

[Skenderbej]

My dad had a new Chevy Tahoe with all the trimmings. It was pretty nice, until about 36,500 miles. At that point the ECU went out for the second time, and he went to shut his door and the whole interior door panel came off into his lap!

[Redleg Duke]

You can give up, if you wish, Sir.

[nikos1121]

Those companies will slowly lose their better engineers, and no one with any talent will work there.

I give them five years and they’ll be in the same place again.

The quality of their cars will suffer too.

[big'ol_freeper]

Consumer Reports issued predicted reliability rankings for 2010 vehicles on Tuesday. This shows how each of 33 brands ranked.

1. Scion
2. Honda
3. Toyota
4. Infiniti
5. Acura
6. Mitsubishi
7. Lexus
8. Hyundai
9. Porsche
10. Mercury
11. Saab
12. Subaru
13. Suzuki
14. Kia
15. Mazda
16. Ford
17. Nissan
18. Volvo
19. Buick
20. Lincoln
21. Volkswagen
22. Pontiac
23. Mercedes-Benz
24. Audi
25. Chevrolet
26. BMW
27. Mini
28. GMC
29. Saturn
30. Jeep
31. Dodge
32. Cadillac
33. Chrysler

No wonder US carmakers can’t sell any cars.

[ThunderSleeps]

That wasn't my experience. I wouldn't take my 97 F-150 back if you paid me the full purchase price. Where to start?

How about the oil filter? Conveniently placed just inside and in front of the left front tire. Makes oil changes a snap. Yet in a minor collision - where only the 5mph bumper deflected, the factory installed Ford driving lights mounted in the bumper deflect back with the bumper and punch a nice neat hole in the oil filter. Drains the engine of oil in a remarkably short period of time. Fortunately my BIL was smart enough to shut the engine off immediately so no engine damage. Yet vehicle had to be towed, necessitating a police report etc. etc.

How about front brake rotors that are apparently made out of limp noodles? Why else would they wear out faster than the factory brake pads and need to be replaced at 54K miles? Note, the truck was not driven hard. In fact, the original tires were on it past 63K miles.

Speaking of metallurgy, how about the front torsion bar spring that breaks - while the truck is standing still, in fact parked in the garage. Good thing it didn't happen out on the highway. No, the truck was not abused, basically a commuter vehicle not a hauler.

How about the fuel pump. Conveniently located inside the gas tank. Accessible only by dropping the entire tank out of the truck and removing it via the top of the tank. That at around 70k miles and at a cost of just under $800 in parts and labor.

How about a seatbelt that stopped auto-retracting somewhere in the 40k mile range?

Or a dash mounted cup holder that broke off - with no cups in it!

How about the radiator that corroded into uselessness at about 80k miles - in spite of having been properly flushed at all the regular intervals. (in fact all maintenance done according to the owners manual, at a Ford dealer)

Speaking of maintenance, how about plugs at 50k miles or so... How about a $650 plug job? What, the dealer's crazy, I'll do it myself, $80 for a set of premium plugs at the auto parts... Come to find out there's a reason it is so expensive. Changing the rear-most plugs on the V-8 is nearly impossible for mortal man. The motor is so far back under the firewall/dash and the plugs actually go down through the manifold that you are lucky to get one ratchet/click at a time on the socket, but you have to change extensions as it backs out 'cause there's no room. I seriously think the dealer procedure might be to loosen the motor mounts and bring the whole thing down a couple of inches...

I could go on with a dozen more minor gripes, and don't even get me started on the Winstar - which was actually worse in many ways. No more "Ford Engineering" for me thanks.