ice-capades

Not a Ford buy back instance, but a dealership buy back that I was directly involved in back in 1986 at the end of the Model Year. The customer had his 1986 Ford Escort GT in for service and the vehicle was up on the old-style hydraulic lift that was sunk in the floor. The lift collapsed and the vehicle was totaled so it became a dealership issue and expense to replace the vehicle. The customer was always difficult (S.O.B.) and insisted that we replaced the vehicle with an 'exact" replacement. It was at the end of the 1986 Model Year and too late to order a replacement vehicle from the factory. It was impossible to locate an "exact" replacement at another dealership that we could trade for, as every vehicle in stock at any other dealership within hundreds of miles had the optional AM/FM Stereo Cassette. The customer demanded an "exact" replacement vehicle and would not accept any changes including the paint color. I located a vehicle that was the closest match but equipped with the optional AM/FM Stereo Cassette option, and then met with the dealership's office manager to discuss the situation. I explained the customer's demands for an "exact" vehicle replacement and told him that I then wanted to dealer trade for the replacement vehicle with an AM/FM Stereo Cassette, and then install the customer's AM/FM Stereo radio from his original vehicle so that he'd have an "exact" replacement as he demanded. The office manager agreed with me and approved the extra dealership expense to swap out the Cassette unit with the customer's AM/FM Stereo radio. We did the dealer trade, swapped out the Cassette unit, installed the customer's AM/FM Stereo unit and delivered the vehicle to the customer. The customer read the Window Sticker and saw that the replacement vehicle was built with the optional AM/FM Stereo Cassette but was now equipped only with the AM/FM Stereo. When he asked about it, I explained to him that we were delivering the "exact" replacement per his demands and had he been even a little flexible that we would have given him the AM/FM Stereo Cassette at the dealership's expense.

Ford has its own requirements regarding "Buy Back" qualifications, but these requirements can be superseded by applicable consumer protection state laws that address the issue. As such, the qualifications can vary. Years ago (25+) it could be very difficult to get Ford to agree to do a buy back, which favored Ford then, but it's changed a lot over the years and is now much more favorable to the consumer.

Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr Resigns After EV Push Goes Bust https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/hertz-ceo-stephen-scherr-resigns-ev-push-goes-bust Hertz, one of the four largest car rental companies in the world, is replacing its CEO after the company reversed its bet on electric vehicle (EV) rentals over increasing costs. Stephen Scherr will step down as Hertz Global Holdings Inc.’s chief executive officer and member of the company’s Board of Directors effective March 31, the company announced Friday. Scherr led Hertz for just over two years after spending nearly three decades at Goldman Sachs. Scherr’s resignation comes as the car rental company struggles with the higher repair costs and low demand for EV rentals. In January, Hertz announced in financial filings that it had made the "strategic decision" to sell approximately 20,000 EVs from its U.S. fleet, or about one-third of its global EV fleet, and to instead invest in gas-powered cars. The Biden administration has previously lauded Hertz for its investment in EVs as the president made an aggressive push to broadly electrify the transportation sector as part of his climate agenda. Last month, Hertz announced its biggest quarterly loss since 2020 after its decision to pivot away from EVs. Scherr, 59, joined Hertz as the company was emerging from bankruptcy and began betting big on EVs. Hertz will replace Sherr with Gil West, the former Chief Operating Officer of Delta Airlines and General Motors' Cruise unit, effective April 1.

Opinion: To EV Or Not to EV In CT? (New Haven Register - No Link Available) New Haven Register_2024-03-17_Opinion_To EV or Not to EV in CT.pdf

I've wondered about the same thing often lately with issues continuing almost daily now along with more and more evidence about the poor manufacturing oversight within Boeing. As an engineer with 30 years' experience at Boeing, including as CEO, one can only imagine what Alan Mulally thinks of the current situation while the current CEO, focused on profits, remains in his position. Boeing is in serious trouble.

The quality issues go back long before the pandemic impact, decades actually. Now Ford is finally implementing some form of accountability at last. Accountability, gee what a concept!

Ford Management Bonuses Now Directly Tied to Quality https://fordauthority.com/2024/03/ford-management-bonuses-now-directly-tied-to-quality/ After facing numerous well-publicized quality issues in recent years – some of which stem from inefficiencies that went away and resurfaced – Ford has since begun the long process of rectifying that big problem, a solid portion of which originated during the pandemic. The automaker recently set varying best-in-class quality targets for its most popular models, though CEO Jim Farley also noted that while he expects this process to take years, initial quality has already improved as of late. When speaking during the automaker’s Q4 2023 earnings call with investors, Farley also revealed that Ford management bonuses are also now directly tied to quality, too. “Yeah, I mean I’ll give you example. Three years ago, to be very precise, three years ago, when we – it was the first year we had kind of record recalls in the U.S. I had just become a CEO and I looked at the performance management of the middle and entry managers – supply chain, manufacturing, and engineering. And 91 percent of them had 100 percent or more in their cash bonus. Okay?” Farley said. “So, now, that’s not the case. You have to set up a culture shift, performance reward system, where every engineering manager, purchasing component manager, every plant manager is fully accountable for the quality and cost of their work. I could give you 20 examples like that. Things that have changed now and we’re starting to see the results.” This change makes perfect sense, and is perhaps overdue after Farley recently admitted that he waited too long to address the company’s burgeoning quality woes. Regardless, FoMoCo has since begun using one of its rivals – Toyota – as a benchmark for quality, all while implementing new production process that are quite costly, yet are already resulting in fewer issues during new model launches.

Except it's a matter of tax credits, not rebates. Also have to wonder how many customers were able to utilize the tax credits and to what extent. Even so, I have to think that many of those that were able to take full advantage of the tax credits didn't need them and could afford the vehicle anyway.

Ford CEO Farley to Meet with Dealers as Concerns Persist https://fordauthority.com/2024/03/ford-ceo-farley-to-meet-with-dealers-as-concerns-persist/ Tensions between Ford dealers and the automaker itself have reached a bit of a boiling point as of late, spurred on by quality issues that were left to linger perhaps too long before being addressed, as well as the controversial Model e Certified program, which is required for dealers that wish to sell all-electric vehicles moving forward. In fact, 50 percent of dealers who opted in for that particular program wound up changing their mind later on, though the automaker has been taking feedback and tweaking its requirements at the same time – including a number related to substantial investments made on the behalf of dealers. Now, Ford CEO Jim Farley will meet with dealers to help address some of these lingering concerns, according to Automotive News. Farley plans to head out and hold meetings with a variety of dealers across the U.S. to get a better idea of what their specific concerns are, largely ones that revolve around electrification, affordability, and quality. This so-called “engagement tour” will consist of roughly a dozen individual sessions with around one-third of the Ford dealer network, starting in the automaker’s hometown of Dearborn, Michigan, and hitting cities such as Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta between now and May. “For us, it’s a great chance to sit with the dealers and discuss the challenges in the industry, whether they be compliance, regulatory issues, shifting [electric vehicle] curves or new competition,” Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue, told Automotive News. “It gives us the chance to ask questions of them and have them inform future decisions we’ll be making.” The idea for these Q&A sessions stems from the Ford National Dealer Council, which asked Farley to embark on this engagement tour at the NADA Show in Las Vegas – where some dealers felt a bit left out as they weren’t able to ask the CEO questions due to time constraints. The concept here is to talk to dealers that aren’t regular participants at events like council or committee meetings as well, which Farley believes will give him a broader and more accurate look at their concerns.

Utah Teen Receives 'Dream Car', Ford Racing Trip After Learning Rare Cancer Diagnosis Has Spread to His Lungs https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/utah-teen-receives-dream-car-ford-racing-trip-rare-cancer-diagnosis-spread-lungs A teenager who is fighting a valiant battle against cancer has received a few gifts that have put a big smile on his face. Joseph Tegerdine, 18, of Springville, Utah, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma bone cancer in May 2019. At just 13 years old, Tegerdine’s knee pain, originally thought to be simple growing pains, turned out to be cancer. After completing chemotherapy, he had a rotatinplasty to treat the knee bone tumors, as SWNS reported. But in January 2022, cancer was also found in his lungs and his hip. Kerry Tegerdine, Tegerdine’s mother, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that her son had surgery and chemotherapy to treat the disease. In Feb. 2024, cancer was again found in his lungs — causing the family to begin completing some bucket list items for their now-18-year-old son. "Joseph is gearing up for radiation to slow the growth, and we’re focusing on making memories and doing bucket list items for him," his mom said. One of those bucket list items included owning a Ford Mustang — something Kerry Tegerdine told Fox News Digital that her husband, Joe Tegerdine, recently made happen. "Joe knew that Joseph has always wanted a Mustang and wanted to work to buy it," she said. "But we know that he doesn’t have the time to earn enough to buy it himself — so Joe went out and bought it." The father wrote in a post on X, "For those wondering why I’d buy my 18yr old son a 330hp Mustang, well, he’s been given months to live and can’t work long enough to buy one himself. His comment on the way home: ‘Dad, I’m going to squeeze a few extra months of life just to be able to drive this.’ #cancersucks" Kerry Tegerdine said her son’s reaction to the gift of the sports car was just amazing. "Joseph said, ‘The Mustang is my dream car, and I feel freaking fantastic!’" she recalled to Fox News Digital. She also told Fox News Digital that Ford Motors, specifically CEO Jim Farley, gifted Joseph Tegerdine a Mustang driving session at its performance racing school. Ford North America communications director Mike Levine told Fox News Digital on Thursday that Farley reached out to Joe Tegerdine after seeing the tweet of his excited son with his Ford Mustang. In a tweeted response, Farley shared his condolences for what the Tegerdines were going through — then offered Joe and Joseph Tegerdine the chance to drive a Ford Mustang Dark Horse on the track. That's something that's typically only offered to those who own the special-edition car. The pair, in April, will visit the performance racing school in Charlotte, North Carolina. As of 2023, the Mustang was named the bestselling car in the world for eight years straight, according to S&P Global Mobility. Over a million Mustang vehicles were shipped to customers from 2013 through 2022, with the all-time tally of 10 million crossed in 2018. While the vehicle is exported to over 100 countries, the vast majority of sales are in the U.S. The Tegerdine family recently traveled to Japan together. They continue to plan more bucket list experiences together for the near future. In a follow-up post on X, dad Joe Tegerdine wrote, "My son also values his quality of life. He’d rather live the heck out of a few months, than be confined to a bed or wheelchair suffering for years."

Ford Transit Connect Importation Scheme Will Cost Ford $365M https://fordauthority.com/2024/03/ford-transit-connect-importation-scheme-will-cost-ford-365m/ As Ford Authority reported back in 2021, The Blue Oval has been facing potential penalties ranging between $652 million and $1.3 billion – along with $181 million in added penalties levied by the U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – for failing to pay proper import duties on Ford Transit Connect models that were produced at the Ford Otosan Assembly Plant in Turkey prior to 2013. The issue, it seems, is that Ford classified the Transit Connect as a passenger van rather than a cargo van, fitting it with a cheap rear seat designed to be easily removed – which resulted in it being charged a far lower import duty. Now, that scheme will cost the automaker a whopping $365 million as it has officially settled its case with the government, according to the the U.S. Department of Justice. According to the federal agency, Ford has agreed to pay this hefty fine to “resolve allegations that it violated the Tariff Act of 1930 by misclassifying and understating the value of hundreds of thousands of its Transit Connect vehicles.” The issue stems from the fact that Ford Transit Connect vehicles imported into the U.S. between 2009-2013 were fitted with “sham rear seats and other temporary features to make the vans appear to be passenger vehicles,” according to the DOJ. At the time, the U.S. levied a 25 percent duty rate on cargo vehicles, but by classifying these Ford Transit Connect models as passenger vans, the automaker only had to pay a duty rate of 2.5 percent. After declaring those models as passenger vehicles and clearing customs, each unit was then “immediately stripped of its rear seats and returned to its original identity as a two-seat cargo van.” “This settlement, which is one of the largest customs penalty settlements in recent history, demonstrates that U.S. Customs and Border Protection will pursue even the largest companies to ensure that all importers follow the rules; our intent is to enforce the customs laws fairly, which means that non-compliance is not an option for anyone,” said Senior Official Performing Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller of CBP. ”The partnership between CBP and the Justice Department provides a critical safeguard to protect the revenue of the United States.”

This morning's gas prices in Hamden, CT (New Haven)  $3.24 Regular (Cash) @ Gulf  $3.39 Regular (Cash) @ Citgo Prices up and down but withing the same range for some time. Expecting prices to go higher soon as the refineries start switching to summer blend gas.

Do you think that we're not understanding or getting the point of your constantly repeated posts about efficiency? We get it and enough already! Repeating the same "efficiency" message doesn't make it any more important or contribute anything further.

GM Lifts Stop-Sale on Blazer EV and Lowers the Price https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2024/03/08/gm-blazer-ev-stop-sale-lifted-lower-price/72896365007/ General Motors is lifting the stop-sale on its Chevrolet Blazer EV and lowering the price of the vehicle. GM ordered the stop-sale of the Blazer EV on Dec. 22 as engineers started working to resolve owner-reported software problems that included intermittent issues with in-vehicle screens and problems using DC fast charging. In a statement Friday, GM spokesman Kevin Kelly said, "We have made significant software updates that will improve features and functionality to deliver on the high expectations of our customers. We’re confident these improvements will address concerns heard from some early owners and as promised, we’re carrying learnings over to other products in GM’s lineup." GM said the enhancements it made include customizable multicolor ambient lighting and revised Driver Information Center graphics with battery percentage display. The automaker did not offer more specifics. Now, GM said it is able to source parts for the Blazer EV to make it eligible again. But the previously announced $7,500 GM incentive remains for already-built, nonqualifying Blazer EVs for eligible customers. “We are excited to have the Chevrolet Blazer EV available again, this time with a compelling price, enhanced features and functionality and qualifying for the full consumer tax credit,” said Chevrolet Vice President Scott Bell in a statement. GM is lowering the entry prices on the three trim levels by as much as $6,520. The LT all-wheel drive Blazer EV had an original starting price of $56,715, it now starts at $50,195. After the $7,500 tax credit, the price would be $42,695. The next trim level is the RS all-wheel drive. It moves from the original starting price of $60,215 to a starting price of $54,595. After the tax credit it would be $47,095. The RS rear-wheel drive trim level drops from an original starting price of $61,790 to $56,170. After the tax credit it would be $48,670. GM has said the Blazer EV’s entry-level trim, the LT front-wheel drive, will start under $50,000 and it will announce the final pricing on it, as well as the remaining models, closer to their sale date later this year.

2025 Explorer Order Guide & 2025 Lincoln Aviator Order Guide are now downloading correctly.

Depending on the size of the dealership and how many retail Super Duty orders are ahead of yours, I would have expected your Dealer to have changed your priority code to 03 which is the lowest retail priority code that Dealers can assign. I would contact the sales or general manager directly regarding your order's priority code and also ask about them contacting their Regional Zone Representative to have your order re-prioritized to either 01 or 02. In addition, I'd ask the Dealer about any commodity issues that are preventing your order from getting scheduled after this time. Ford provides information on commodity restraints multiple times per week which your Dealer can review for specific information. Do not rely on information from a sales representative as many, or most, are not familiar with the retail order process or have access to the resources available to provide the information you require.

I'll post this here as it's related to EV transition... CT Lawmakers Scrap 2035 EV Transition Plan https://www.nhregister.com/politics/article/ct-abandons-2035-target-mandating-evs-california-18709543.php New Haven Register_2024-03-09_CT Lawmakers Scrap 2035 EV Transition Plan.pdf

I just tested the source file, which is good, and uploaded it as a new file but the file is still getting corrupted somehow at the site. I just found the same issue (0kb file size) with the 2025 Lincoln Aviator Order Guide. A few other order guides I tested downloaded correctly. I've tried several methods to resave the 2025 Explorer Order Guide with different specifications. Every version opens fine except when the file is uploaded to the Dealer Order Guides section which generates an error notice.

With 4B shares outstanding, there's not much that will raise the per share price and a share repurchase plan will take years at a substantial cost before showing significant improvement. Of course, Ford and Lincoln improved sales performance will be a major factor but getting the share price to increase is no simple matter and requires long term planning and commitment.

I'm interpreting the Ranger hold as a quality hold prior to a shipping release and evidence that Ford is finally addressing the quality issues seriously so that vehicles shipped are delivery-ready and not subject to the cost of Dealer performed repairs.

Ford may have cancelled Focus production and converted the MIchigan Assembly Plant in order to produce the all-new Bronco and Ranger models which have been very successful, but I don't consider them to be replacements for the Focus. To me it was a matter of better plant utilization for producing the all-new Bronco and reintroducing the Ranger to the North American market. I fail to understand or agree with plant commitments being part of the UAW contracts. Ford is the employer and UAW members employed to produce products in the Ford owned facilities. What products Ford chooses to produce in its plants should not be a contract matter nor the subject of potential plant closures. It's unfortunate that Ford for years has teased about plans for the Flat Rock plant with plans delayed numerous times and no new product commitments announced or put in place. Most of us are aware of the production limitations at Flat Rock related to vehicle height which limits Ford's options. It would have been interesting if Ford had moved Fusion production, with an updated model, back to Flat Rock to better utilize the plant's production capacity.

This morning's gas prices in Hamden, CT (New Haven)  $3.19 Regular (Cash) @ Gulf  $3.39 Regular (Cash) @ Citgo Prices up and down but withing the same range for some time.

Lincoln is running TV spots for the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus constantly on the free Pluto TV streaming platform.

It might be useful to advise the Moderators of any additional site changes planned so that we can provide feedback.

Yes, selling price is a factor but there are still a lot of customers that simply don't like, want or need the utility of an SUV, CUV and/or don't like the high seating position of SUV/CUV's. As sedan or coupe availability is reduced, those potential customers are forced to move to other brands that offer vehicles that fill their needs, etc.