More news on the Ford Transmission Issues

[wag123]

Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Actually, the NUMMI built Corollas and Pickups were found to be better than their Japanese counterparts. Toyota did a study and concluded the Japanese manufacturing system coupled with the American worker ingenuity was producing better cars. In fact, NUMMI was the only Toyota plant to achieve a zero defect audit. NUMMI's defect rate constantly ranked with the best in the world.
That was Toyota's "official" propaganda for media/industry consumption. A high level manager I know that worked at NUMMI and transferred to San Antonio (now retired) is where I got my information from.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by wag123
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Actually, the NUMMI built Corollas and Pickups were found to be better than their Japanese counterparts. Toyota did a study and concluded the Japanese manufacturing system coupled with the American worker ingenuity was producing better cars. In fact, NUMMI was the only Toyota plant to achieve a zero defect audit. NUMMI's defect rate constantly ranked with the best in the world.
That was Toyota's "official" propaganda for media/industry consumption. A high level manager I know that worked at NUMMI and transferred to San Antonio (now retired) is where I got my information from.




I had a ‘96 Tacoma, assembled at NUMMI. For the record it was a great truck and did everything I asked of it. I had no problems whatsoever with it. It was one of the early models that came out of that plant. The above comments about NUMMI happened over time. Toyota learned from that experience and built upon it with improved assembly and automation. It's one of the reasons they continue to lead in quality.

(Waiting for edy to jump in with his "opposing argument")

 

[JeffKeryk]

My old 93 4WD Pickup was built at NUMMI. The odo stopped years ago at 350K. Still in service and never seen the inside of a garage.
Regarding the plant quality, during the tours they showed off their quality awards. They had a wall full from Toyota, JD Power, etc.

 

[wag123]

I never said the vehicles built in the NUMMI plant were bad. The former manager I know said that NUMMI was Toyota's worst plant in terms of quality, productivity, absenteeism and worker safety among ALL of Toyota's plants. Being the worst plant within the Toyota system doesn't make it a terrible plant producing substandard products, just that it was at the bottom of Toyota's barrel. Someone has to be last. I personally owned a 1990 Geo Prizm that was built there and it was trouble-free for 250k miles, right up till it was totalled.

 

[DweezilAZ]

Originally Posted by FirstNissan
I was waiting for this to come out. been reading about the transmission issues for a few years on various forums now. I don't know if ford can come back from this, way wayyyy to high of a cost, I think 3 billion is on the cheap side, wasn't VW dieselgate twice that amount?

Yet there's always some hambone claiming "Well, Ford fixed this. The new ones are fine after 2017".

You see the same denial regarding Nissan's cvts. But they may actually have fixed them in the last few years. Ford ?

This is why I despise Ford as a company. The Powershift transmission tells you exactly in what contempt Ford holds buyers of small cars. Not just cheapskates but first car buyers, Mom & Dad's graduation gift to their kids, single people, the elderly and those that just don't want to spend a lot for transportation.

No. Ford wants to sell $90,000 F 150 King Ranch Titanium LTDs to a select group of upscale customers. And leases and 96 month loans on the rest of it's over priced product.

Ironic when Ford was founded on putting America on wheels and making the Every Man Car in the Model T. Henry Ford brought the automobile to ordinary slobs and ordinary slobs built his company both as workers and as buyers.

Just look at it now. Powershift is a Powershaft to all you peons out there without the jack to pony up $35,000 for a "real" car. That's the real "Job 1".

Of course it's been this way simce the first compacts came out in 1960. FOAD Ford.

 

[DweezilAZ]

Originally Posted by Chesterr
My 14 focus runs great at 100k miles ...has the dct transmission

And it's said if you put 100 monkeys in a room each with a typewriter they'll tap out the Great American novel eventually.

Ford got one right. You got lucky. I'm truly happy for you despite my sarc., No one wants to be stung by a $20,000 mistake.

Be grateful.

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by Bailes1992
Originally Posted by AC1DD
Originally Posted by tig1
It's my understanding some of the Euro trans are dry clutch as well.


Nope most were wet clutch, that's why there were almost no issues at all.



Not true. Our smaller engine'd cars specified with PowerShift boxes are dry cluch (1.0 Ecoboost & 1.6TI-VCT etc).

Thing is, we mainly buy manuals in Europe so the PowerShifts are few and far between anyway.



It appears that the MK III Focus and MK 4 fiesta used wet clutch versions of the DCT but not the last generation (no longer sold in Europe but still being sold here in the USA)


I agree though that the MTX75 manual transmission in these cars are excellent and Ford should have pushed them even in the USA over the DCT.
Most of the cars with the manual sold in the USA are trouble free and very good cars.

 

[Doublehaul]

I know a couple people close to that fiasco as well. The NUMMI issues were many and well documented. There is a reason it's no more...UAW and UAW mentality be thy name.

Toyota got out as fast as they possibly could

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted by wag123
I am NOT an anti-union person (I have been a union member myself), but IMO the one big problem that unions have is the protection of bad/unproductive workers, making it very difficult for companies to get rid of them.


I agree with this.

I wish unions would recognize the fact that protecting of bad/unproductive workers hurts EVERYONE!

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted by DweezilAZ
[
Ironic, when Ford was founded on putting America on wheels and making the Every Man Car in the Model T. Henry Ford brought the automobile to ordinary slobs and ordinary slobs built his company both as workers and as buyers.


I don't know if it's feasible for Ford to built an equivalent Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, or Toyota Echo and still make a profit.

"Shareholders demand...."

Of all the things that "Shareholders demand".................................. PROFIT is always number 1.

 

[paoester]

Originally Posted by FirstNissan
I was waiting for this to come out. been reading about the transmission issues for a few years on various forums now. I don't know if ford can come back from this, way wayyyy to high of a cost, I think 3 billion is on the cheap side, wasn't VW dieselgate twice that amount?

VW's (VAG's) scandal costs 10 times as much as the Ford problem.
https://www.wardsauto.com/industry/volkswagen-s-dieselgate-costs-top-336-billion
.... and VAG is recovering, they are just that BIG.

Will they ever learn the importance of getting it right? An old friend of mine is going through a scandal at Boeing now (737 Max) and I can't believe its happening there either.