Giving up on Ford - too many problems, need suggestions

[Tahoe4Life]

Grew up with V8 Fords and Chevrolets. Mostly Impalas,Caprices,Cadillacs and Ford Panthers. The bulk of them were 1 to 2 years old when we bought them. All were excellent vehicles. All were extremely low maintenance. We keep up with maintenance on all vehicles. Now we buy V8 [5.3] Tahoe,Suburban and Yukon. Was very reluctant to go with the Direct Injection engines but so far [between 70-100K miles] just has been regular maintenance. All get decent mileage on plain old 87 regular fuel. Gets the same mileage [around 24-25 MPG] if it is all highway. The same mileage as the 4.6 Panthers we used to own.

 

[mpack88]

I've noticed in my 2018 Taurus the door was not aligned and spot in the trunk not painted and interior panel on the rear window that's not fully pressed down. They really do need to get their fit and finish and overall quality better. I had to have an engine leaks repaired at 3000 miles under warranty. So far no other issues should I only have 9843 miles. I guess the union is working real good at Chicago plant

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted by JOD

Originally Posted by tig1

I have not had that experience with my Ford Fusions. The 2018 has 85K and the only repair needed was the timing chain re-sealed at 59K. Nothing else so far.

you sound like most VW owners: "I've only replaced 4 window regulators so far and a few coil packs in the last 40K--it's been great!" That's a pretty significant defect on a 2 year old car, and while the mileage is high I'd have to assume a lot of hwy miles. Just sayin'. It's a bummer to hear about the OP's experience, because my 2006 Freestyle is still the most reliable car I've ever owned. I'm still hoping it will die but it will just not stop.

3 year old Ford Fusion not two . In my 35 year s owning Fords I have never had a bad one. Now Chevy's and Chrysler's in the early, that's another story. Also my one adventure with a new 1970 VW Square Back sedan( I kept it 3 months) was nothing but trouble.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by mpack88

I've noticed in my 2018 Taurus the door was not aligned and spot in the trunk not painted and interior panel on the rear window that's not fully pressed down. They really do need to get their fit and finish and overall quality better. I had to have an engine leaks repaired at 3000 miles under warranty. So far no other issues should I only have 9843 miles. I guess the union is working real good at Chicago plant

Friend's 2018 Mustang was the same way. HORRIBLE paint, terrible dealer resolution, never Ford again for them. Hated the car from the get-go, but his girl HAD to have a rustang. *sigh* *I personally liked how it drove. It was a big floppy boat and reminded me of my 1988 mustang GT with less cam lope. Totally captured the "mustang" feel that transcends the decades.

 

[WylieCoyote]

The differences in members' experiences are very interesting. I've had far more trouble out of my GMs that I have my Fords. 2011 Camaro was plagued with issues and recalls, and the soft top was NEVER fixed correctly. 2015 Canyon has set a new record for me in trips to the shop, and is my first vehicle to consume oil, aside of my '78 Monza, which I won't even count. Aside of having to live outside, no truck lives an easier life than it does, and look how it repays me. Meanwhile, the Focus STs (2) and Mustangs (2) have been virtually trouble-free, minus a TCM re-flash on the coupe and some strange, but apparently normal, transmission operation out of the A10. The vast difference in my experiences between GM and Ford in my driveway will direct what my checkbook does in the future. I'll be lucky if the timing chain on the Canyon doesn't start acting up this April right after the warranty runs out, regardless of the 5,000 mile OCI w/ synthetic it's enjoyed. Not sure what will replace it, but there's little chance it will be a GM.

 

[4WD]

Just wonder - if it's certain that clean oil is a big plus for those chains - Seems an Amsoil bypass filter system might be economic overall and once installed - less PM and oil

 

[WylieCoyote]

Originally Posted by 4WD

Just wonder - if it's certain that clean oil is a big plus for those chains - Seems an Amsoil bypass filter system might be economic overall and once installed - less PM and oil

I haven't seen anything definitive, but the cases I have read were about cars that received GM recommended oil change intervals, and nothing extraordinary. This includes my former boss with his Traverse, which I won't even get him started on, because it's nothing but cuss words whenever you say the word "Traverse" to him. My sister-in-law experienced something similar with her 2.4 Equinox which got oil changes according to the maintenance minder. The dealership re-flashed it to more frequent OCIs after GM was threatened with legal action if they didn't approve her new timing set. She was still within her warranty period and they were trying to assert "lack of maintenance", even though the dealership did the maintenance. These, combined with my Camaro & Canyon experiences, have caused my "No More GM" stance. I'm not blind to the cautionary tales here regarding Ford, believe me. They make my toes curl. I'm just grateful that so far, I haven't had those experiences with my Fords.

 

[4WD]

Yeah - I really don't know that engine - I have always (have two now) run 5.3L's … no issues with those. Love the new gen. We do have a Cruze with 128k and the little 1.4T purrs on - you just have to know some plastic has to come off around 90-100k but cheap and easy shade tree work.

 

[RazorsEdge]

Originally Posted by WylieCoyote

The differences in members' experiences are very interesting. I've had far more trouble out of my GMs that I have my Fords. 2011 Camaro was plagued with issues and recalls, and the soft top was NEVER fixed correctly. 2015 Canyon has set a new record for me in trips to the shop, and is my first vehicle to consume oil, aside of my '78 Monza, which I won't even count. Aside of having to live outside, no truck lives an easier life than it does, and look how it repays me. Meanwhile, the Focus STs (2) and Mustangs (2) have been virtually trouble-free, minus a TCM re-flash on the coupe and some strange, but apparently normal, transmission operation out of the A10. The vast difference in my experiences between GM and Ford in my driveway will direct what my checkbook does in the future. I'll be lucky if the timing chain on the Canyon doesn't start acting up this April right after the warranty runs out, regardless of the 5,000 mile OCI w/ synthetic it's enjoyed. Not sure what will replace it, but there's little chance it will be a GM.

Same here, I've never had any luck with GM, always had better luck with Ford There is no perfect automobile produced, just not happening.

 

[wdn]

I call it the Ford tax. It's when you buy a new Ford and two years later discover it's already lost 1/3 its value. There are some good reason's why Ford stock has dropped from $16 a share to $8 during the past five years.

 

[tenderloin]

Hyundai /Kia Fined

 

[CKN]

I've seen some rusted hoods on newer Explorers. Quite shocked actually. I'll tell you what, I wouldn't trust any of them right now...Ford, GM, Chrysler. I'm seeing issues with all of them. Just this week I've seen three new/newer Silverados starters fail (before 35,000 miles). I've seen dodge rams with exhaust manifold leaks, camshaft failures. I've seen Jeep Grand Cherokee's with rotted transmission pans, less than three years old. Kia and Hyundai's with massive oil consumption. GM too. The automotive industry actually seems to be taking a step back with some of the "new technology" they've implemented. Direct injection has changed the game. Cost cutting has always been there, but now they're also trying to squeeze fuel economy into federal regulation. And it's hurting them.

In the case of the Silverados. -this tells me it's a supplier issue. That's not indicative of the rest of the vehicle.


This thread just reinforces the basic culture on here (BITOG) of buying 100,000 or 200,000 mile (cheap) beaters ( "a score") and then all joining hands around the vehicle and singing "Kumbaya" when it reaches 300,000 miles.

Enjoy the Crown Vics......

 

[atikovi]

Do people here restart months old threads for any particular reason or is it because of the "Similar threads" section at the bottom of the page now, that confuses some folks?

 

[wemay]

Highlander, Telluride/Palisade or CX-9

 

[Ws6]

I am leasing a 2017 Fusion Sport and a 2018 Explorer XLT AWD. Both cars have had a lot of issues as well as design flaws that can be rather catastrophic. Ford chooses to ignore its customer base and keep pushing out garbage. I wanted to get a 2021 Explorer ST, but seeing how much of a flop the 2020 Explorer/Aviator has been (leaving the factory without operational instrument panels, missing parking brake buttons, leaking transmissions, transmissions that fail left and right, engine oil pans that leak, owners that had a trans fail and then the loaner Explorer trans failed followed by their replaced trans failed), I am giving up on Ford. I've bought nothing but Fords over 30 years and really really really wish I had just kept my 2007 Mustang GT because it was problem-free. The newer Fords all seem to have a problem. My 2018 Explorer hood is already rusting (aluminum corrosion) at under 10k miles. The right rear door is misaligned due to stamping flaws, and the 3.5L N/A V6 has an internal water pump that can give up the ghost at 27k miles or 100k miles, and when it does there's a good chance it takes out the engine. Either $2000 repair or $8000 repair. A lot of the Explorer issues have to do with the Chicago Assembly plant, which has been notorious for producing garbage. My 2014 SHO had a lot of body alignment issues as well, and many many many Taurus's between 2013-2015 had the same alignment issues.It wasn't a one off problem. How is the 2018-up Traverse? Has it been relatively problem-free? I've read issues with the 9-speed transaxle at least for the initial 2018 release. This is the 9-speed that was jointly developed by Ford/GM, and Ford took out 4th gear and made it into the 8-speed transaxle on the newer Edges. SUVs like the Equinox, Edge, and Blazer have too small of a fuel tank. The Traverse seems to have a good balance of highway MPG's (27 mpg at 75 mph according to Car and Driver) and fuel tank capacity (almost 22 gal) giving it a 540+ mile range. My girlfriend's 2015 Malibu 2.0 gets about 30 mpg on the highway and has a 18 gal tank and we were seeing about a 500 mile range during a cross country road trip. My 2018 Explorer barely gets over 300 miles before having to fill up. My Fusion Sport is much better at over 400 miles.

I got tired of Ford/GM/Chrysler and have switched over to buying designed, manufactured, and assembled in Japan. I have been very pleased with the results of that decision. Better vehicles with far less issues.

 

[Fordiesel69]

If you wanna trade all of your issues for electrical gremlins, get a GM (government motors).

Mazda is where its at today. At least for now.

 

[JT20]

Nothing wrong with Fords...

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

Ford paint issues are well known and a huge problem. Cost over $4k to have problem areas on my truck stripped and repainted. Plus all the well know issues that are never recalled just TSBs. Never owning another Ford.

 

[dogememe]

Nothing wrong with Fords...

I mean Ford's not perfect but they aren't bad by any means. I've owned three Crown Vics, a 99, 07, and 08. All ran great at time of sale. They did have minor issues but all things considered, the way I abused them, plus two of them being retired cop cars, they too didn't live easy lives.

I've put my Escape through it all. Drove over curbs/medians, off-roading (and almost getting stuck since it's only FWD), flooring it pretty much everywhere (the 2.5L NA engine just doesn't have the power I need/want it to), and I've loaded the ole girl up with 7+ pallets strapped on the roof and the inside full of soil and plants... Still rode fine even though it was even slower LOL. Also rented it out on Turo for a while... I'm sure my renters didn't treat it nicely. Oh and did some Uber too.

And now I have this F-150. Sure the engine makes a tapping noise but after some cleaning the interior is in almost perfect condition... Sun visor, vents, door handles, all in perfect condition. The seat isn't even torn like a GM would be. And it handles great... even with worn out Chinese tires on the wet roads I haven't done any accidental drifting. Unlike all the other pickup trucks I've owned. So they designed something right.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still a big fan of GM, but I've turned into a Ford guy too. I would say they both have good models/years and bad. As do all other car makers. You have to do your research. Just don't get a Dodge/FCA product. I had an 05 Ram 1500 I got for free. Biggest turd ever. That said, I sold it for $900, so, no complaints there. If it hadn't been such a turd it wouldn't have been free.

Mom's Accord is a piece of junk, my aunt traded in her Corolla on a Subaru... both are oil burners and needed way too many clutches. I would rather have a 200K mile Ford or GM than spend the same amount of money on a 300K import because for some reason the imports hold their value absurdly well.