I don't think they are going anywhere, They need to cut cost to match the income. I know I will always buy one of the Ford Family vehicles.

Does anyone know for sure if this is the TOTAL of all the companies Ford owns or just the FORD brand?

 

Total for Ford Motor Co., not just the Ford brand.

 

i would be interested in a breakdown by brand

 

Ive bought Nissans for the last ten years, and one Toyota.
I drove a 03 Nissan Frontier 4x4 4 door before buying the 04
Ranger Edge 4x4. I was about to buy the Nissan, but I seen
the Ranger and went to the Lexus dealer where my Ranger was
to look and drive it. The Frontier I drove and Ranger had the same
40,000 miles too. Im glad I went with the Ranger, because it is
better than the Frontier in every way. The sad part about the
frontier was the power, I was kinda liking the truck until I floored
it. No power, Took it back, drove the Ranger, everything was
nice, it looked better, 4.0 and the 4.0 sound. Took it down the
road, no rattles, rode about the same as the Nissan, but drove
better, I floored it, smile, I said Im buying this truck. Went back
and bought it. So as for Nissan and Toyota having nicer trucks I
doubt it. The new Tacoma is ugly, I dont know about the new
Frontier, but the Ranger still looks better.

 

If american car companies were actually serious abot their financial stuations, they wouldnt be giving the execs millions in bonuses, and, while on that subject, why are they getting a bonus at all if the company is doing crappy? these are all publicly owned companies, so unless the company does good there should be no bonus. remember is nschool, you dont get a reward for bad behavior.

as far as quality and whatever, i do think american autmakers have room for improvement. my truck is a testament to that fact. hell, brians 05 ranger needed a new tranny with in 5K miles. mine was completely rebuilt at 7K miles. there are room for improvements tho, and they need to stop charging for every little thing and address the entire market instead of having 1 boat for everyone (4 door canyon vs 4 door ranger) this would level the playing feild more. they also shouldnt charge almost $30K for a truck that cost $27K in 03. thats a little much, especially for a ranger.


and another thing, the taco is a bigger truck and heavier, yet has more power, more torque and better gas mileage... wtf?! for can definitely improve on that. there is alot of room in amercan cars for improvement. they should take a look at what the japs are doing and copy it. agter all, it shouldnt requre 3 different dealerships and 8x to diagnose one problem. and its still not fixed, torque converter locked up again tonight for a second at 35mpg.

not to mention jap cars have a reputation of lasting longer with out any major repairs. time the big3 got their **** together

 

coming from another buffalonian, you are right dave.

 

Dave, the move to DOHC engines is gonna get the HP/gas mileage ratio to other brands. It seems like every 4 or 6 cyl from ford has moved to that except the v6 mustang and ranger. So they are competing in those categories, they just haven't updated the Ranger.

One vehicle should not make or break a company. Ford allowed the F150 to make or break the company.

With the introduction of the 2005 Mustang, they had no real competition from anyone. The camaro was gone, the gto wasn't here yet.

The whole five hundred trio of cars was a flop. Underpowered from day one and pretty bland. It looked like 4 other cars that have been in the marketplace for years already. They did upgrade to the 3.5 which will solve the power issues.

The Edge/MKX will be a hit. The problem is "hitting showrooms in November" turned into December. I didn't see the first one until after Christmas. As of today the most I have seen is one "show' model not for sale and 0 to 1 in stock. The benefit of this car is it is new. It's not replacing anything. It will sabatoge escape sales when all is said and done but it will be a hit. The problem - its basically a clone of several vehicles out there. Ford didn't Invent the crossover, they got in the game after several others alreay came to market and robbed their escape sales.

The escape was redesigned yet compared to the EDGE it will lose its flavor. It has become outdated. That should have been replaced with the Bronco concept. Keeping the Escape name or changing it to bronco wouldn't matter. That change would put Ford head to head with the Hummer 3 and that retro Toyota vehicle I see everywhere.

Interceptor- Is it coming? a 4 door muscle car? Thats about the last thing to button up the selection. A car that will go head to head with the Chrysler 300. While I loved the Maurader, it was still a Crown Vic. I couldn't get my wife in one and i tried. Once again we are cloning our version of someone elses success.

FORD needs a hit that is their design and not a reaction to another company. The 3-4 year timeframe to react and produce their version is too late.

 

you mean the FJ Cruiser....that is a beautiful ride, isnt it?

i love that thing.

 

I think that this country needs to do more to help or protect its own companies here. If people insist on buying foreign products and taking advantage of cheap labor overseas, we need to level the playing field and levy a hefty import tax again, (maybe about 50% or so). Then take that money and put it back into our economy here.
Do this and see how many people will buy that foreign junk.

I've owned two Toyotas, two VW's, and one Mazda. Both Toyotas were pure junk, not only did I not get good service out of them, the repair parts prices were insane and hard to come by. All were hard to work on and seemed to need constant attention, and both Toyotas and the Mazda started to rot away in less than a year.

It's not likely that the Federal Governement will allow Ford to fail, but right now they are not doing much right now to prevent it.

The problem I see right now with Ford products is that they seem to be catering to the wrong market. The new Edge isn't a car and it isn't a truck so in my opinion it won't do either job very well. If I go looking to buy a truck, I want a truck, not an overdressed luxury ride or an undersized car, if I go looking for a car, I want just that, a car, not a cross breed of some sort. I also think that the new Edge is just plain ugly.
Ford seems too concerned with building futuristic looking vehicles, when they should be more concerned with simple function. All of the ginger bread is what drives the price of a new vehicle up and up.
I stopped at a Ford dealer the other day, they had an 07 Ranger out front fully loaded, $25K for a 2 wheel drive. While it was pretty well loaded, there's no way I'd shell out $25K for a small truck, when right next to it was a full sized V8 F150 for $250 less on the sticker. The pricing of the newer vehicles doesn't make much sense, why can I go out and buy a new Crown Vic LS series for $17, 880 brand new, (just did), but yet they want more for a truck, there's far more engineering and parts that go into a car like that vs. a truck. Theres some price gouging going on there. Years ago Ford seemed rely on affordable reliability, and their reputation of building a solid truck, but these days they seem more interested in appearance and selling only option laden trucks.
I use my trucks, and they get driven by several drivers, I am not interested in fancy gadgets and options, just function. Years ago that was priority with Ford. Now I get the run around when I want a basic truck. The only option I care to have is A/C, and if it were only me driving it, I probably wouldn't worry about that.
The bottom line is that I won't pay extra for options that I won't use, or those that will cost me more down the road in either fuel economy or maintenance.

The fault of their current situation lies on both the buying public having no buy American loyalty and Federal Government allowing such sustandard product to be brought in.
If Ford and GM both fail, can you imagine what will happen to the price of new vehicles if the Asian makers have no competition? Has anyone ever thought that the only reason they are competitive now was to hurt the American companies?

Just picture a world without vehicles like a Ford F350 Diesel, go try to pull a 12,000lb equipment trailer with a Toyota or Nissan. Try packing 6 full grown adults into a Camry for a long drive, you'll soon wish you had that Crown Vic or Town Car.
I have a neighbor that has owned and sworn buy Toyota for years, he has a new Avalon now, it got stuck in gear and wouldn't move last week, he came knocking on my door to see if I could figure out what the problem was, my problem was that I could barely get in that car, there was no headroom, no legroom and everything was flimsy plastic. The shifter interlock had failed, so it wouldn't shift, it was still under warranty, so they came and towed it away. The part I don't get is that that guy is as big as me, how can anyone stand to sit in something that small and cramped and like it. Not only that, no many how many times Toyota has to tow his car away either because it won't move or won't start, he still swears by Toyota, but Ford is junk because the one he owned 25 years ago need brakes at only 10,000 miles once.
What is it that brainwashes these people that they don't see the problems with these imports? Not to mention the fact that he never lets one of his Toyotas get out of warranty, they get traded long before that. But of course when he needs a truck, he rents a Ford.

 

i dont know man, i have NEVER met anyone with a honda or toyota that has had problems with them.

 

i see alot of old accords, camrys, corrolas, toyota pickups, nissan pathfinders, 4runners, nissan pickups

if these car companies are junk.....then why are they outselling domestics here in our own country?

 

Joe, there is still a large import tax on trucks. I guess the govt was trying to help with bread and butter for ford and gm. Guess what- Toyota built a plant in san antonio, tx. That avoids the import fee. I'm sure Nissan did the same.

Cheap foreign labor is becoming less and less of a factor. Benefits are. A new factory from a new company built in the 90's- 2000's (Toyota) doesn't have the benefits overhead that a hundred year old company does. What was the number? $3500 per GM vehicle sold goes to employee benefits? As the number of cars sold gets lower, the benefits $$ per car gets higher.

Isn't the real profit loss from Ford a stop the bleeding move. Take a big hit on the buyouts now and lower that benefits overhead so they can be competitive in the future.

I disagree on your sentiments on the edge. In your viewpoint that may be true, but if you drive around you will see lots and lots of crossovers. Ford didn't build a futuristic vehicle, they built a vehicle similar to several on the market. They weren't creative, innovative, or futuristic. They got in the game late. They didn't invent it. It will be a hit. There is no doubt. If they had inventory in the dealerships in October, the profit picture would have looked a lot different than it does now.

 

The government will never put a tax that ridiculous on foreign vehicles. They (foreign countries) can just tax us back and it would mess up the entire economy. Also, Honda and Toyota are probably two of the longest lasting vehicles that are made. I don't really care for them. I love Ford guess thats just how i was brought up by my dad. My mom has a camry (oh one thing about 6 grown adults in a camry... it only seats 5 to begin with so what kind of illegal driving are you doing) its a 98 never had a problem with it... i think ford cars suck except the mustang... but i dont think any company makes a truck like them. until the american worker wants to work for less american made cars are going to be more expensive. But i don't mind spending the extra.

 

I totally agree people are brainwashed that imprts , especially toyota are more reliable than domestic. Toyota and Honda are the most plain vanilla looking vehicles on the road. My Ranger that i own i use it for service calls to repair machines is on the road all day. Constantly getting in and out of places, hwy city never any service issues in 103,000 miles, just routine maint. I doubt toyota could top that.

 

Toyota could top that.

 

globalization sucks

 

if you want to keep the American worker employed then buy an American made car
it probably will not be a Ford, Chrysler or Chevrolet

you all speak of tax incentives - of course if Ford, GM or Damlier opened a new plant in the USA they would get the same
instead they close plants and move production off shore to Mexico or Canada
In August Indiana closed the deal on the SIXTH Honda plant in the USA
they are beating us on our own shores
no sense in pointing fingers - just send in your application if you want a job!!



Indiana scoops deal to host Honda auto assembly plant
August 01, 2006

The US state of Indiana has won the deal to be the location for a highly sought-after Honda auto factory. The $550m passenger-car assembly plant, the Japanese company’s sixth in North America, will be located in the community of Greensburg and will produce 200,000 fuel-efficient cars a year.

Plant construction is expected to start within a few months, with the opening due in autumn 2008. It is expected to create 1500-2000 jobs.

Indiana fought off competition from neighbouring Ohio and a late bid by Wisconsin with more than $140m in incentives. But Honda executives suggested it was the sheer enthusiasm that the small town of 10,000 residents showed for the bid that determined the outcome. Activities included letter-writing campaigns by local citizens and a photo of 100 Greensburg residents posing in an H formation, which was sent to the Honda board of directors in Tokyo.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever seen this kind of display from an American community,” said Koichi Kondo, head of Honda North America.

The announcement of the deal was regarded as a coup for the mid-west, which has been losing out on foreign auto plants to southern competitors for the past decade. “It is a coup that will not only affect the community of Greensburg, Indiana, and Honda’s suppliers in Ohio, but will also have a [ripple] effect in the entire mid-west,” said Jay Baron, chief executive of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

 

This is a VERY good point. GM is manufacturing engines in China and importing them to the USA. GM built a 1.5 Billion dollar plant in China and has 3 other joint ventures. Does this still qualify as an American built car?

Ford has invested in Chinese production facilities too. Google "changan china ford" and see what comes up. I honestly think the "buy American" ship has sailed.

 

FYI - this is the Mazda Division... These have been made in china, Matter of fact I am not sure if Mazda was ever made here in the USA.

 

even if the parts are made overseas, they are being made for an american company and the $$$ is coming back here. That's the problem I have when people say "oh well my toyota was made in the us" yeah well the money goes back to a company that is across the pacific ocean. That's just the way I feel though. But Ford is in BIG trouble and I personally don't see them coming though. I think another car comapny will come along and absorb FoMoCo. There is really no end in sight and they still have a long way to go to begin to turn things around. High labor cost? lol, yeah that's a huge reason, but also vehicle quality and design needs to be addressed. And they need to keep the Ranger around damnit!!! Ok, I feel a little better now.

 

I read above that someone went out looking at a ranger that was a 2wd but loaded for 25k.. im guessing thats american aswell.. Here in Toronto you can pick up a brand new 2007 Ford Ranger Extended Cab 4x4 for $18, 999 CAD. The One that was loaded with more options was $21k on the lot.

Last year when I bought my truck the price in the windshield was 22 for a 2wd although i didnt pay that. The 4x4's were going for $29, 000.00. If i woulda known they would be coming down in price i would have waited a year!!

You think this is because of the loss though?

 

This is hard to say, I have not been the Ranger portion of the Ford lot latly. I have been looking at the fusion and the explore. Next time I am over there, I will take a peek to see what the prices are in Minnesota too.