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Ford chief seeks help from Toyota



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 27th 06, 03:51 PM posted to alt.autos.ford,alt.trucks.ford,rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Grover C. McCoury III
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 27
Default Ford chief seeks help from Toyota

By Micheline Maynard
International Herald Tribune

December 27, 2006

(Detroit) The new chief executive of Ford Motor, which is struggling to
bounce back from one of the worst crises in its history, met last week in
Tokyo with the chairman of Toyota Motor, which is poised to become the
world's biggest auto maker next year.

Ford's chief executive, Alan Mulally, and Mark Fields, the head of Ford
operations for the Americas, attended the meeting last week with Toyota's
chairman, Fujio Cho, and other top Toyota executives, senior officers at
both companies said Tuesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Toyota issued a statement Wednesday describing the meeting as a courtesy
call, but did not say what was discussed.

"We held talks at the request of Ford," the president of Toyota, Katsuaki
Watanabe, said in Nagoya, according to Bloomberg News, citing Kyodo News.

Toyota and Ford officials, as well as the Japanese news media that first
reported on the meeting, indicated that the talks had focused on developing
environmentally friendly technology, like hybrid-electric and hydrogen fuel
systems, as well as on ways that Toyota could help Ford improve its
manufacturing efficiency.

The meeting of Mulally, Fields and Cho follows talks held this summer
between General Motors, Renault of France and Nissan of Japan.

But Ford and Toyota are not believed to have discussed anything that
resembled the joint purchasing or car- production ideas that were the
subject of GM's talks with Renault and Nissan, which ended in October
without any agreement.

Ford and Toyota have an association that stretches back to the 1950s, when
Ford allowed managers from Toyota, which was trying to regroup after World
War II, to study the operations at its giant Rouge complex in Dearborn,
Michigan.

The visits helped Taichi Ohno develop the Toyota production system, which
emphasizes driving out waste, fostering worker involvement and making
continuous improvements on the factory floor.

Toyota also came to Ford in the 1980s when it was looking for an American
partner with which to open its first plant in the United States.

The two companies held brief discussions that could have led to a joint
Ford- Toyota venture to build a version of the midsize Camry for each
company. Instead, Toyota entered into a joint venture with GM that recently
celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Now, Toyota and Ford may work together again as Ford tries to regroup from a
third-quarter loss of $5.8 billion in North America.

Cho, who worked under Ohno and ran Toyota's plant in Georgetown, Kentucky,
before becoming its chief executive and subsequently its chairman, is
concerned about the financial problems facing Ford, an executive at Toyota
said.

"If he can do anything to help them out of this, he would like to," the
executive said.

Analysts have said that Ford probably had little to offer Toyota in terms of
cash or know-how, though Toyota could be seeking access to Ford's hybrid
technology. Rather, they said, Toyota was probably hoping to deflect
criticism from Washington as it seeks to overtake GM.

"If it forges a relationship with Ford, Toyota is probably hoping it will be
seen as a goodwill move," said Chester Dawson, author of "Lexus: The
Relentless Pursuit." He added, "Toyota is wary of inciting trade friction."

James Womack, co-author of "The Machine That Changed The World," which
examines Japanese automakers' American plants, said, "Toyota has nothing to
gain, either politically or in the market, by letting Ford fail fast."

Toyota, the world leader in hybrid- electric cars, already licenses hybrid
technology to Ford, which sells a hybrid version of the Ford Escape, a small
sport utility vehicle.

Ford has its own hybrid program, but it cut back on hybrid development this
year when it decided to place more emphasis on developing flexible fuel
vehicles that can run on gasoline and another type of fuel, like ethanol.

Ford buys parts for its hybrid vehicles from Aisin Seiki, a supplier that is
partly owned by Toyota and part of its global network of parts-making
companies. Ford and Aisin have had disputes over the number of parts Aisin
was willing to make available for Ford vehicles.

Mulally is a student of the Toyota production system and used a form of it
on assembly lines at the Boeing, where he was head of the commercial
airplanes division before joining Ford in September.

Mulally and Fields flew from the United States to Japan and returned
immediately afterward, people with direct knowledge of their trip said
Tuesday. During an interview Friday, Mulally gave no hint that he had made
the trip, which is a round-trip flight lasting about 24 hours.

The long journey reflects the value Mulally places on Ford's relationship
with Toyota, according to a company officer with knowledge of his views.
Only a year ago, Bill Ford Jr., then Ford's chief executive, sounded a more
competitive note.

"My goal is to fight Toyota and everybody else and come out on top," Ford
said during an interview with Time magazine, adding: "I'm not ceding
anything to Toyota. They're an excellent company, and they're a terrific
competitor, but I look forward to taking them on."

Yet another $.02 worth from a proud owner of a 1970 Mustang Mach 1 @
http://community.webshots.com/album/18644819fHAehGJAjt


Ads
  #2  
Old December 27th 06, 04:41 PM posted to alt.autos.ford,alt.trucks.ford,rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Nicholas Anthony
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 94
Default Ford chief seeks help from Toyota

Goes to show you that our Government isnt looking out for the best interest
of our country and rather the worlds opinion of us, sigh. Imagine if we
impose the same tactics to Japan they do on our products.

Nick


"Grover C. McCoury III" > wrote in message
...
> By Micheline Maynard
> International Herald Tribune
>
> December 27, 2006
>
> (Detroit) The new chief executive of Ford Motor, which is struggling to
> bounce back from one of the worst crises in its history, met last week in
> Tokyo with the chairman of Toyota Motor, which is poised to become the
> world's biggest auto maker next year.
>
> Ford's chief executive, Alan Mulally, and Mark Fields, the head of Ford
> operations for the Americas, attended the meeting last week with Toyota's
> chairman, Fujio Cho, and other top Toyota executives, senior officers at
> both companies said Tuesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
>
> Toyota issued a statement Wednesday describing the meeting as a courtesy
> call, but did not say what was discussed.
>
> "We held talks at the request of Ford," the president of Toyota, Katsuaki
> Watanabe, said in Nagoya, according to Bloomberg News, citing Kyodo News.
>
> Toyota and Ford officials, as well as the Japanese news media that first
> reported on the meeting, indicated that the talks had focused on
> developing environmentally friendly technology, like hybrid-electric and
> hydrogen fuel systems, as well as on ways that Toyota could help Ford
> improve its manufacturing efficiency.
>
> The meeting of Mulally, Fields and Cho follows talks held this summer
> between General Motors, Renault of France and Nissan of Japan.
>
> But Ford and Toyota are not believed to have discussed anything that
> resembled the joint purchasing or car- production ideas that were the
> subject of GM's talks with Renault and Nissan, which ended in October
> without any agreement.
>
> Ford and Toyota have an association that stretches back to the 1950s, when
> Ford allowed managers from Toyota, which was trying to regroup after World
> War II, to study the operations at its giant Rouge complex in Dearborn,
> Michigan.
>
> The visits helped Taichi Ohno develop the Toyota production system, which
> emphasizes driving out waste, fostering worker involvement and making
> continuous improvements on the factory floor.
>
> Toyota also came to Ford in the 1980s when it was looking for an American
> partner with which to open its first plant in the United States.
>
> The two companies held brief discussions that could have led to a joint
> Ford- Toyota venture to build a version of the midsize Camry for each
> company. Instead, Toyota entered into a joint venture with GM that
> recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.
>
> Now, Toyota and Ford may work together again as Ford tries to regroup from
> a third-quarter loss of $5.8 billion in North America.
>
> Cho, who worked under Ohno and ran Toyota's plant in Georgetown, Kentucky,
> before becoming its chief executive and subsequently its chairman, is
> concerned about the financial problems facing Ford, an executive at Toyota
> said.
>
> "If he can do anything to help them out of this, he would like to," the
> executive said.
>
> Analysts have said that Ford probably had little to offer Toyota in terms
> of cash or know-how, though Toyota could be seeking access to Ford's
> hybrid technology. Rather, they said, Toyota was probably hoping to
> deflect criticism from Washington as it seeks to overtake GM.
>
> "If it forges a relationship with Ford, Toyota is probably hoping it will
> be seen as a goodwill move," said Chester Dawson, author of "Lexus: The
> Relentless Pursuit." He added, "Toyota is wary of inciting trade
> friction."
>
> James Womack, co-author of "The Machine That Changed The World," which
> examines Japanese automakers' American plants, said, "Toyota has nothing
> to gain, either politically or in the market, by letting Ford fail fast."
>
> Toyota, the world leader in hybrid- electric cars, already licenses hybrid
> technology to Ford, which sells a hybrid version of the Ford Escape, a
> small sport utility vehicle.
>
> Ford has its own hybrid program, but it cut back on hybrid development
> this year when it decided to place more emphasis on developing flexible
> fuel vehicles that can run on gasoline and another type of fuel, like
> ethanol.
>
> Ford buys parts for its hybrid vehicles from Aisin Seiki, a supplier that
> is partly owned by Toyota and part of its global network of parts-making
> companies. Ford and Aisin have had disputes over the number of parts Aisin
> was willing to make available for Ford vehicles.
>
> Mulally is a student of the Toyota production system and used a form of it
> on assembly lines at the Boeing, where he was head of the commercial
> airplanes division before joining Ford in September.
>
> Mulally and Fields flew from the United States to Japan and returned
> immediately afterward, people with direct knowledge of their trip said
> Tuesday. During an interview Friday, Mulally gave no hint that he had made
> the trip, which is a round-trip flight lasting about 24 hours.
>
> The long journey reflects the value Mulally places on Ford's relationship
> with Toyota, according to a company officer with knowledge of his views.
> Only a year ago, Bill Ford Jr., then Ford's chief executive, sounded a
> more competitive note.
>
> "My goal is to fight Toyota and everybody else and come out on top," Ford
> said during an interview with Time magazine, adding: "I'm not ceding
> anything to Toyota. They're an excellent company, and they're a terrific
> competitor, but I look forward to taking them on."
>
> Yet another $.02 worth from a proud owner of a 1970 Mustang Mach 1 @
> http://community.webshots.com/album/18644819fHAehGJAjt
>



  #3  
Old December 27th 06, 06:36 PM posted to alt.autos.ford,alt.trucks.ford,rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Michael Johnson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,039
Default Ford chief seeks help from Toyota

In the long run protecting our markets through tariffs etc. will do us
no good. Our economic model isn't built to work this way. If we
penalize imports then the domestic makers will just find a way to
exploit it without improving the quality of their vehicles. Then the
consumer suffers and the domestics dig themselves a deeper hole to crawl
out from. Besides, Toyota is not selling their vehicles for less than
Ford's or GM's counterparts. Most cases they are MORE expensive.
People buy them anyway.

IMO, the main problem facing Ford and GM is the perception of the public
regarding their products. I don't think their vehicles are all that
worse, or any worse for that matter, than the Japanese imports. The
import companies have run circles around them from a marketing aspect.
After the Mustang, what does Ford have to get anyone excited about their
lineup? I can't think of any right off hand.

Here's another reason I think Ford has hit a marketing wall... they have
abandoned vehicle names like the Taurus, Escort, Thunderbird etc. Now
do you think Toyota would decide to kill off the Camry or Celica? Heck
no they wouldn't. They understand the effect those long time model
names have on selling their cars. Ford just tosses their car names into
the garbage every 3-4 years and starts from scratch. IMO, it is beyond
stupid to do this and is costing them heavily in market share.

Nicholas Anthony wrote:
> Goes to show you that our Government isnt looking out for the best interest
> of our country and rather the worlds opinion of us, sigh. Imagine if we
> impose the same tactics to Japan they do on our products.
>
> Nick
>
>
> "Grover C. McCoury III" > wrote in message
> ...
>> By Micheline Maynard
>> International Herald Tribune
>>
>> December 27, 2006
>>
>> (Detroit) The new chief executive of Ford Motor, which is struggling to
>> bounce back from one of the worst crises in its history, met last week in
>> Tokyo with the chairman of Toyota Motor, which is poised to become the
>> world's biggest auto maker next year.
>>
>> Ford's chief executive, Alan Mulally, and Mark Fields, the head of Ford
>> operations for the Americas, attended the meeting last week with Toyota's
>> chairman, Fujio Cho, and other top Toyota executives, senior officers at
>> both companies said Tuesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
>>
>> Toyota issued a statement Wednesday describing the meeting as a courtesy
>> call, but did not say what was discussed.
>>
>> "We held talks at the request of Ford," the president of Toyota, Katsuaki
>> Watanabe, said in Nagoya, according to Bloomberg News, citing Kyodo News.
>>
>> Toyota and Ford officials, as well as the Japanese news media that first
>> reported on the meeting, indicated that the talks had focused on
>> developing environmentally friendly technology, like hybrid-electric and
>> hydrogen fuel systems, as well as on ways that Toyota could help Ford
>> improve its manufacturing efficiency.
>>
>> The meeting of Mulally, Fields and Cho follows talks held this summer
>> between General Motors, Renault of France and Nissan of Japan.
>>
>> But Ford and Toyota are not believed to have discussed anything that
>> resembled the joint purchasing or car- production ideas that were the
>> subject of GM's talks with Renault and Nissan, which ended in October
>> without any agreement.
>>
>> Ford and Toyota have an association that stretches back to the 1950s, when
>> Ford allowed managers from Toyota, which was trying to regroup after World
>> War II, to study the operations at its giant Rouge complex in Dearborn,
>> Michigan.
>>
>> The visits helped Taichi Ohno develop the Toyota production system, which
>> emphasizes driving out waste, fostering worker involvement and making
>> continuous improvements on the factory floor.
>>
>> Toyota also came to Ford in the 1980s when it was looking for an American
>> partner with which to open its first plant in the United States.
>>
>> The two companies held brief discussions that could have led to a joint
>> Ford- Toyota venture to build a version of the midsize Camry for each
>> company. Instead, Toyota entered into a joint venture with GM that
>> recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.
>>
>> Now, Toyota and Ford may work together again as Ford tries to regroup from
>> a third-quarter loss of $5.8 billion in North America.
>>
>> Cho, who worked under Ohno and ran Toyota's plant in Georgetown, Kentucky,
>> before becoming its chief executive and subsequently its chairman, is
>> concerned about the financial problems facing Ford, an executive at Toyota
>> said.
>>
>> "If he can do anything to help them out of this, he would like to," the
>> executive said.
>>
>> Analysts have said that Ford probably had little to offer Toyota in terms
>> of cash or know-how, though Toyota could be seeking access to Ford's
>> hybrid technology. Rather, they said, Toyota was probably hoping to
>> deflect criticism from Washington as it seeks to overtake GM.
>>
>> "If it forges a relationship with Ford, Toyota is probably hoping it will
>> be seen as a goodwill move," said Chester Dawson, author of "Lexus: The
>> Relentless Pursuit." He added, "Toyota is wary of inciting trade
>> friction."
>>
>> James Womack, co-author of "The Machine That Changed The World," which
>> examines Japanese automakers' American plants, said, "Toyota has nothing
>> to gain, either politically or in the market, by letting Ford fail fast."
>>
>> Toyota, the world leader in hybrid- electric cars, already licenses hybrid
>> technology to Ford, which sells a hybrid version of the Ford Escape, a
>> small sport utility vehicle.
>>
>> Ford has its own hybrid program, but it cut back on hybrid development
>> this year when it decided to place more emphasis on developing flexible
>> fuel vehicles that can run on gasoline and another type of fuel, like
>> ethanol.
>>
>> Ford buys parts for its hybrid vehicles from Aisin Seiki, a supplier that
>> is partly owned by Toyota and part of its global network of parts-making
>> companies. Ford and Aisin have had disputes over the number of parts Aisin
>> was willing to make available for Ford vehicles.
>>
>> Mulally is a student of the Toyota production system and used a form of it
>> on assembly lines at the Boeing, where he was head of the commercial
>> airplanes division before joining Ford in September.
>>
>> Mulally and Fields flew from the United States to Japan and returned
>> immediately afterward, people with direct knowledge of their trip said
>> Tuesday. During an interview Friday, Mulally gave no hint that he had made
>> the trip, which is a round-trip flight lasting about 24 hours.
>>
>> The long journey reflects the value Mulally places on Ford's relationship
>> with Toyota, according to a company officer with knowledge of his views.
>> Only a year ago, Bill Ford Jr., then Ford's chief executive, sounded a
>> more competitive note.
>>
>> "My goal is to fight Toyota and everybody else and come out on top," Ford
>> said during an interview with Time magazine, adding: "I'm not ceding
>> anything to Toyota. They're an excellent company, and they're a terrific
>> competitor, but I look forward to taking them on."
>>
>> Yet another $.02 worth from a proud owner of a 1970 Mustang Mach 1 @
>> http://community.webshots.com/album/18644819fHAehGJAjt
>>

>
>

  #4  
Old December 27th 06, 06:52 PM posted to alt.autos.ford,alt.trucks.ford,rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Brent P[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,639
Default Ford chief seeks help from Toyota

In article >, Nicholas Anthony wrote:
> Goes to show you that our Government isnt looking out for the best interest
> of our country and rather the worlds opinion of us, sigh. Imagine if we
> impose the same tactics to Japan they do on our products.


Japan isn't a problem IMO. Simply make a better product, that's all
that's needed.


  #5  
Old December 27th 06, 08:14 PM posted to alt.autos.ford,alt.trucks.ford,rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Whitelightning
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 78
Default Ford chief seeks help from Toyota


"Brent P" > wrote in message
. ..
> In article >, Nicholas Anthony wrote:
> > Goes to show you that our Government isnt looking out for the best

interest
> > of our country and rather the worlds opinion of us, sigh. Imagine if we
> > impose the same tactics to Japan they do on our products.

>
> Japan isn't a problem IMO. Simply make a better product, that's all
> that's needed.
>


One post, as I have hashed this out too many times in the past. Ford and
GM are as
good or better than anything Nissan, Toyota, Honda, or any of their
subsidiaries produce. They are
a 100 fold better than the junk Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, or Mitsubishi put out.

All one has to do is research the number and types of recalls the asians
have been having for almost 2 decades
vrs what Ford and GM have been issuing.
Of course researching that is hard these days, since AllData and Mitchell
both pulled the lists for Asian cars
this year. I wonder why they did that.

Whitelightning


  #6  
Old December 27th 06, 08:36 PM posted to alt.autos.ford,alt.trucks.ford,rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Michael Johnson, PE
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 272
Default Ford chief seeks help from Toyota

Whitelightning wrote:
> "Brent P" > wrote in message
> . ..
>> In article >, Nicholas Anthony wrote:
>>> Goes to show you that our Government isnt looking out for the best

> interest
>>> of our country and rather the worlds opinion of us, sigh. Imagine if we
>>> impose the same tactics to Japan they do on our products.

>> Japan isn't a problem IMO. Simply make a better product, that's all
>> that's needed.
>>

>
> One post, as I have hashed this out too many times in the past. Ford and
> GM are as
> good or better than anything Nissan, Toyota, Honda, or any of their
> subsidiaries produce. They are
> a 100 fold better than the junk Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, or Mitsubishi put out.
>
> All one has to do is research the number and types of recalls the asians
> have been having for almost 2 decades
> vrs what Ford and GM have been issuing.
> Of course researching that is hard these days, since AllData and Mitchell
> both pulled the lists for Asian cars
> this year. I wonder why they did that.


The only place the domestic automakers are getting their a$$ kicked is
in the marketing of their products. They have good vehicles but can't
seem to sell them to the public.
  #7  
Old December 27th 06, 08:59 PM posted to alt.autos.ford,alt.trucks.ford,rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Mike Hunter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 199
Default Ford chief seeks help from Toyota

The seem to well in the US.. GM and Ford still outsell any import brand in
the US.


mike


"Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote in message
...
> Whitelightning wrote:
>> "Brent P" > wrote in message
>> . ..
>>> In article >, Nicholas Anthony wrote:
>>>> Goes to show you that our Government isnt looking out for the best

>> interest
>>>> of our country and rather the worlds opinion of us, sigh. Imagine if we
>>>> impose the same tactics to Japan they do on our products.
>>> Japan isn't a problem IMO. Simply make a better product, that's all
>>> that's needed.
>>>

>>
>> One post, as I have hashed this out too many times in the past. Ford
>> and
>> GM are as
>> good or better than anything Nissan, Toyota, Honda, or any of their
>> subsidiaries produce. They are
>> a 100 fold better than the junk Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, or Mitsubishi put
>> out.
>>
>> All one has to do is research the number and types of recalls the asians
>> have been having for almost 2 decades
>> vrs what Ford and GM have been issuing.
>> Of course researching that is hard these days, since AllData and Mitchell
>> both pulled the lists for Asian cars
>> this year. I wonder why they did that.

>
> The only place the domestic automakers are getting their a$$ kicked is in
> the marketing of their products. They have good vehicles but can't seem
> to sell them to the public.



  #8  
Old December 27th 06, 09:11 PM posted to alt.autos.ford,alt.trucks.ford,rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Michael Johnson, PE
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 272
Default Ford chief seeks help from Toyota

Graph the domestic's market share for the last 20 years and you will see
a disturbing trend. If they don't change things is just a matter of
time before they will go the way of the dodo bird.

Mike Hunter wrote:
> The seem to well in the US.. GM and Ford still outsell any import brand in
> the US.
>
>
> mike
>
>
> "Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Whitelightning wrote:
>>> "Brent P" > wrote in message
>>> . ..
>>>> In article >, Nicholas Anthony wrote:
>>>>> Goes to show you that our Government isnt looking out for the best
>>> interest
>>>>> of our country and rather the worlds opinion of us, sigh. Imagine if we
>>>>> impose the same tactics to Japan they do on our products.
>>>> Japan isn't a problem IMO. Simply make a better product, that's all
>>>> that's needed.
>>>>
>>> One post, as I have hashed this out too many times in the past. Ford
>>> and
>>> GM are as
>>> good or better than anything Nissan, Toyota, Honda, or any of their
>>> subsidiaries produce. They are
>>> a 100 fold better than the junk Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, or Mitsubishi put
>>> out.
>>>
>>> All one has to do is research the number and types of recalls the asians
>>> have been having for almost 2 decades
>>> vrs what Ford and GM have been issuing.
>>> Of course researching that is hard these days, since AllData and Mitchell
>>> both pulled the lists for Asian cars
>>> this year. I wonder why they did that.

>> The only place the domestic automakers are getting their a$$ kicked is in
>> the marketing of their products. They have good vehicles but can't seem
>> to sell them to the public.

>
>

  #9  
Old December 27th 06, 10:05 PM posted to alt.autos.ford,alt.trucks.ford,rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Brent P[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,639
Default Ford chief seeks help from Toyota

In article <_Bzkh.5012$Ej7.1001@trnddc02>, Whitelightning wrote:
> "Brent P" > wrote in message


>> In article >, Nicholas Anthony wrote:
>> > Goes to show you that our Government isnt looking out for the best interest
>> > of our country and rather the worlds opinion of us, sigh. Imagine if we
>> > impose the same tactics to Japan they do on our products.


>> Japan isn't a problem IMO. Simply make a better product, that's all
>> that's needed.


> One post, as I have hashed this out too many times in the past. Ford and
> GM are as good or better than anything Nissan, Toyota, Honda, or any of their
> subsidiaries produce. They are
> a 100 fold better than the junk Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, or Mitsubishi put out.


Actually Ford and GM fail on a number of measures that make for a
'better' product. GM makes a lot of boring, utilitarian, FWD cars and has
been doing so for many many years. Ford has the mustang, that's it. The
500... what's that? A warmed over volvo? There is more that goes into
'better' than simple reliability. GM has cheapened parts to where it
feels cheap.... it might be reliable but look and feel and things like
that matter when you are trying to sell a product.

> All one has to do is research the number and types of recalls the asians
> have been having for almost 2 decades vrs what Ford and GM have been issuing.


I am well aware how recalls and such are handled in the media. It doesn't
help ford and gm that's for sure. But when ford can put a mustang out
that's good and it sells, it's obvious that this isn't crippling them, it
has to be something else.


  #10  
Old December 28th 06, 04:15 AM posted to alt.autos.ford,alt.trucks.ford,rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Mac Cool
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 36
Default Ford chief seeks help from Toyota

My family is a Ford family, with the occasional Chrysler or Plymouth or
whatnot thrown in. I haven't been without a Ford truck for twenty years,
often owning two at a time (like now) but the two I own now are likely
to be the last Ford products I own.

Why? I'm sick and tired of bare bones vehicles. Every Ford I've owned
(car or truck) has come with a ****ty stereo system, even their premium
system isn't very good. My truck is a '99 XLT and doesn't have a lighted
cargo box, doesn't have a retractable light under the hood, doesn't have
an auto-dimming mirror, has the worst cassette stereo I've ever heard,
doesn't have remote locks, the seat belts only half retract, has cloth
seats... I mean basically it's an XLT and it's bare bones. Don't get me
wrong, it's well built and reliable but I expect that by default these
days.

I've owned two Ranger class vehicles... an '86 Bronco II (piece of ****)
and a '92 Ranger. Both required heavy maintenance, either alone required
more maintenance than all the other vehicles I've owned combined. Next
time I buy a small truck, why buy a Ford?

I had a '94 Taurus that went 192,000 miles before it's first
breakdown... the waterpump. Awesome reliability but very basic, ****ty
sound system, utilitarian interior, no perks.

I've owned a variety of other Fords... Mustang, several Broncos and a
Thunderbird; the only one I would buy again would be a Mustang. Maybe
one of those swanky convertible T-birds if I could afford it.
--
Mac Cool
 




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