fuzzymoomoo Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Focus was moved in 2005. 2006 Fusion production started fall 2005. was it that soon? I thought the Fusion came out for 2008 for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2b2 Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 (edited) Fusion & Milan began with 2006my 500 & Montego were 2005my the rest is a blur Edited April 16, 2018 by 2b2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 was it that soon? I thought the Fusion came out for 2008 for some reason. I bought a new Fusion in September 2005 - one of the first ones out of the factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 I bought a new Fusion in September 2005 - one of the first ones out of the factory. You brave soul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbone Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Ive seen a couple PIUs since my post. Servicing the Caprice has to stink. I take the Ryan most days, as its consistent. The Stevenson can be quicker, but can also be much worse. The Stevenson...you mean the devils highway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 You brave soul Most reliable car I’ve ever owned. It was bulletproof. Not a single rattle or squeak after 7+ years. The only thing I had to do other than tires and oil changes was replace the driver’s door handle ($60 and 15 minutes) and clean out the HVAC fan. That was pretty much the same for all the first gen Fusions. It went to hell in a hand basket with the 2013s starting with a die that had to be sent back to Detroit for repair before job 1, headlamp replacements before they ever left the factory (they even shipped some to Flat Rock, repaired them and shipped them back). I also bought a 2013 (after the initial launch fiascos) and I had to have the gas tank replaced (and the new one still made a clunking sound when the tank was completely full), several pieces of trim replaced/added (one piece was completely missing from the rear view mirror) and a few other minor things. That’s why I’m so critical of engineering - Hermosillo didn’t forget how to assemble cars overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Most reliable car Ive ever owned. It was bulletproof. Not a single rattle or squeak after 7+ years. The only thing I had to do other than tires and oil changes was replace the drivers door handle ($60 and 15 minutes) and clean out the HVAC fan. That was pretty much the same for all the first gen Fusions. It went to hell in a hand basket with the 2013s starting with a die that had to be sent back to Detroit for repair before job 1, headlamp replacements before they ever left the factory (they even shipped some to Flat Rock, repaired them and shipped them back). I also bought a 2013 (after the initial launch fiascos) and I had to have the gas tank replaced (and the new one still made a clunking sound when the tank was completely full), several pieces of trim replaced/added (one piece was completely missing from the rear view mirror) and a few other minor things. Thats why Im so critical of engineering - Hermosillo didnt forget how to assemble cars overnight. I agree, those first gen Fusions were bulletproof. We had a 2008 until my dad declared bankruptcy and gave it up in favor of a beater that was paid off. I was referring more to you being brave enough to buy an early build. And yeah, engineering leaves a lot to be desired lately. Im noticing more and more squeaks and rattles in our Focus that werent there even 2 months ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonj80 Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 (edited) And yeah, engineering leaves a lot to be desired lately. Im noticing more and more squeaks and rattles in our Focus that werent there even 2 months ago. It is not engineering, it is the F****** MBA Finance people. They come in with you must cut 50 million from this program for next model year. Program manager in Engineering goes you know you're just going to run up warranty costs, and make the cars less competitive. MBA goes you need to figure it out this comes from the top (While thinking this idiot better do this I need my bonus; quality is engineering bonus and I don't care if they get theirs). Engineering objects again, MBA goes to product Manager with a directive from above you must do this its from the top were doing it to every programs we have engineering needs to GET TO WORK. Program manger goes Jim lets make the doors thinner, dump the CD player, dump ambient lighting, go from 6 clips to hold trim to 3, trash the rubber thing in the bottom of the cup holder, lessen the carpet and seat softness and dump the light in the glove box and eliminate a USB port and forget updating the crash structure to perform better in tests. Edited April 16, 2018 by jasonj80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 All true but it's also about HOW you engineer the parts to fit together and that doesn't necessarily cost anything extra. Like oldwizard keeps pointing out - Ford lost a lot of experienced engineers over the last decade who had already made all those mistakes a decade ago and knew better. Now the newbies are learning all over again. I'm seeing the same thing in our company with IT and cloud computing - newbie developers sending applications to production without backups or disaster recovery because they've never had to deal with a hardware failure or corrupted database or power outage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonj80 Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 (edited) All true but it's also about HOW you engineer the parts to fit together and that doesn't necessarily cost anything extra. Like oldwizard keeps pointing out - Ford lost a lot of experienced engineers over the last decade who had already made all those mistakes a decade ago and knew better. Now the newbies are learning all over again. I'm seeing the same thing in our company with IT and cloud computing - newbie developers sending applications to production without backups or disaster recovery because they've never had to deal with a hardware failure or corrupted database or power outage. The new architecture should help a lot of that, when an engine/transmission sit different in various applications it makes it difficult to line things up, so you just have to shove things in other places. What might work perfect on a Escape with a 1.5L won't on a Fusion or Focus. Everyone does things that are stupid at some point. You shouldnt have to take off a bumper to change a turn signal, or drop an engine to change the spark plugs. Experience is also way more valuable that a PhD in engineering. Edited April 16, 2018 by jasonj80 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 A lot of the Ford engineers Ive dealt with in the plants are incredibly lacking in the common sense department. My go to joke is they wouldnt know how to breathe if it wasnt a natural reflex because its not in a textbook. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 A lot of the Ford engineers Ive dealt with in the plants are incredibly lacking in the common sense department. My go to joke is they wouldnt know how to breathe if it wasnt a natural reflex because its not in a textbook. That's pretty common for engineers. And this comes from someone with an engineering degree (though I am a computer programmer). Quick story about my roommate (a fellow electrical engineer student). I came home one day and the oven was on and I asked him what he was fixing. "Toast." Really? In the oven? "Yeah, what else would I use?" Ummm, the toaster sitting there on the counter. "Oh, hmmm, never thought of that." Great guy, very bright, just not a lot of common sense. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Thats not toast Its twice baked bread 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Thats not toast Its twice baked bread and costs twice as much - because, fancy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Didnt ford hit its stride around 2005 for quality? Five Hundred, Fusion, Mustang were pretty clean launches werent they? Was it because of Volvo and Mazda? What happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 (edited) I think it started with the Euro platform moves - Escape, Focus, Fusion. D3 didnt seem to have the same problems. Even though it started as a Volvo platform I think the vehicle engineering was done in the US. Edited April 17, 2018 by akirby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 I think it started with the Euro platform moves - Escape, Focus, Fusion. But yet some people who used to visit here thought that Ford's Euro designs where superior to what NA could do. Given the fact that most designs we got from Ford EU where "older" designs that where at least in their second refresh, you'd think they would have the bugs ironed of them by then. Should be interesting how the Ranger fares in relation to this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 But yet some people who used to visit here thought that Ford's Euro designs where superior to what NA could do. Given the fact that most designs we got from Ford EU where "older" designs that where at least in their second refresh, you'd think they would have the bugs ironed of them by then. Should be interesting how the Ranger fares in relation to this. In fairness it may not have been just the platform but also a change in suppliers. But probably a combination. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonj80 Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Should be interesting how the Ranger fares in relation to this. This might be a good call considering it was engineered in a country where they think Vegemite is a food, and think it tastes good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assimilator Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 (edited) I think the biggest problem with Focus in the US is that it has been a very inconsistent product with long periods of neglect to long periods of quality and design problems with very infrequent updating. This is just not a customer Ford has been able to keep nearly as satisfied as Honda or Toyota. Ford is very responsive to the market, it has many other assets that it choses to pay attention to and will often neglect and return to segments with the tides which means they have plenty of ups and downs. Focus remains a crucial global product which assures a place in the US market to some extent, but you won't catch Honda or Toyota handling this segment as haphazardly in the US. Focus brand is certainly much weaker than Civic or Corolla, but it's a huge brand nonetheless with excellent awareness. The new Focus doesn't really stand out in any particular way right now, I don't think it will move the needle much in the US but it will at least bring it up to date with the rest and give people less reason not to buy one which is an achievement. Edited April 17, 2018 by Assimilator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 (edited) "I thought..." If I had a dollar for every time someone on a car message board said this. ;-) Anyway, Taurus dying off, by now is like when an old TV show is cancelled long after its hey day. Edited April 17, 2018 by 630land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe771476 Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 What is Ford going to sell for a CAR police vehicle? Fusion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ice-capades Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 What is Ford going to sell for a CAR police vehicle? Fusion? Police Interceptor Utility (Explorer), F-150 Police Responder & 2019 Police Responder Hybrid Sedan (Fusion) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 This might be a good call considering it was engineered in a country where they think Vegemite is a food, and think it tastes good. The good part is that your Ranger is a piggy back of the final refresh of the Gen 1 T6 Only a few years to Gen 2 T6 and you know that America is in on the ground floor with that one, whatever is seen as deficient in the last of the gen 1 T6 Ranger will be fixed in a few years. Bronco engineered by North America will give you a big clue to what's coming in 2021. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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