[OT] Rant

[screwtape iii]

Pardon me while I whine and moan but I've had it with Ford Motor Company. Yes, I could go to one of the Ford groups to post this but I'm sure they're tired of hearing it.

I washed my hands of Fords years ago after having owned a Ford Tempo. Enough said about that. What really burns me up is the way Ford has screwed my 82 year old dad over.

Last month the intake manifold on Dad's '97 Crown Victoria ruptured. It was made of plastic. On a V-8 engine. 63K miles. Not surprisingly the replacement has the water jacket made of aluminum. Ford is well aware they have a problem with plastic intake manifolds but since it's not a safety issue they've gotten away with it. Fixing it cost Dad $800 - out of his social security and pension checks.

Today I get a call from one of my sons who drove Dad to Alabama this week in his 2000 F250 diesel pickup truck to visit relatives. On the way back they broke down in Tallahassee, Florida with a major failure in the engine. The vehicle has 15K miles on it. Oil / filter changed every 6 months. G-d only knows what this is going to cost to fix. The Ford dealership there will start working on it the first of next week. Dad and son rented a car and came on home this evening, leaving the truck and travel trailer in Tallahassee. Looks like I'll have to take off work next week to take Dad back up there as my son will be back in school Tuesday.

Seeing what owning Ford vehicles has done my Dad, I can only imagine how many other retirees have been treated similarly.

 

[Robert Cohen]

re: rant of woe

my ford-owning experiences have been with

a used 1954 blue two door "custom liner" with automatic shift--ok

a new 1970 red maverick--fair

a new 1973 yellow pinto wagon--not good

a new 1976 maroon grenada--not good

i then gave-up on ford

new '82 toyota corrolla--ok

new '86 toyota corrolla--not good

i gave-up on toyota

and guess what quality-improving & relatively not expensive korean brand cars i have mostly owned during the past 15+ years (?)

 

[Jon]

Pardon me while I whine and moan but I've had it with Ford Motor Company. Yes, I could go to one of the Ford groups to post this but I'm sure they're tired of hearing it.

I washed my hands of Fords years ago after having owned a Ford Tempo. Enough said about that. What really burns me up is the way Ford has screwed my 82 year old dad over.

Last month the intake manifold on Dad's '97 Crown Victoria ruptured. It was made of plastic. On a V-8 engine. 63K miles. Not surprisingly the replacement has the water jacket made of aluminum. Ford is well aware they have a problem with plastic intake manifolds but since it's not a safety issue they've gotten away with it. Fixing it cost Dad $800 - out of his social security and pension checks.

Today I get a call from one of my sons who drove Dad to Alabama this week in his 2000 F250 diesel pickup truck to visit relatives. On the way back they broke down in Tallahassee, Florida with a major failure in the engine. The vehicle has 15K miles on it. Oil / filter changed every 6 months. G-d only knows what this is going to cost to fix. The Ford dealership there will start working on it the first of next week. Dad and son rented a car and came on home this evening, leaving the truck and travel trailer in Tallahassee. Looks like I'll have to take off work next week to take Dad back up there as my son will be back in school Tuesday.

Seeing what owning Ford vehicles has done my Dad, I can only imagine how many other retirees have been treated similarly.

As well as women. And it's not just Ford's. It all the major auto manufacturers. That's why I decided to give my first forgein car a chance. After 28 years of buying American, I bought my first forgein car, a 2004 Sonata last June. 6000 miles so far and no problems. I got the extended bumper to bumper warranty, the best one they offer, and it was only $800.00 +. Compared to the pathetic American car warranties the standard one for Hyundai is great. And if you price the extended warranty on U.S. cars, it costs 3X as much. Maybe because they know the cars have problems?

J.W.

 

[illusion123a]

I have owned 2 fords and my hyundai accent.
My 84 ford tempo. This was my first car, I bought it in 97, and it gave out (engine problems) in may 99, I had put about 36k on the car in two years. I had to replace the brakes twice (my dad did the work, so its wanst that expensive), the power steering pump, and the muffler, and my exhaust pipe broke, but we just duct taped it together (haha) Then in may of 99 i got a 86 ford ecort with 50 k on (this car had belonged to an old lady who had died and she never took it out of the county) I paid 2200 for it. it now has 90 k on it and I have had to do some carorator work, and a thermostat needed replaced but thats it. WHen i got my hyundai, i gave the escort to friend who needed car, its still running, the Carb. now needs to be rebuilt, but the engine and tranny are really good. (no leaks or anything) I ran the crap out of both of them, and both are tanks (i baked up into so much crap, when learing to drive, but i didnt even dent the bumpper)

 

[screwtape iii]

As well as women. And it's not just Ford's. It all the major auto manufacturers. That's why I decided to give my first forgein car a chance. After 28 years of buying American, I bought my first forgein car, a 2004 Sonata last June. 6000 miles so far and no problems. I got the extended bumper to bumper warranty, the best one they offer, and it was only $800.00 +. Compared to the pathetic American car warranties the standard one for Hyundai is great. And if you price the extended warranty on U.S. cars, it costs 3X as much. Maybe because they know the cars have problems?

J.W.

Well, I've gotten a little more information since the original post. The diesel engine has a bent push rod which occurred when the engine revved up to 2800 rpm while going up a hill on I-10 at 60 mph. Red line is supposedly @3200 or so - I'm really not familiar with the vehicle and have never driven it. The first Ford dealership they stopped at sent them to another dealership in town that works on the diesel engines. I don't know if the 2nd dealership is just having pity on an old WWII vet or what but they told dad the warranty on his engine had been extended to 5 years/100,000 miles and they would fix it for free. I'm driving back up to Tallahassee with Dad on Wednesday to pick it up and drive it home for him.

 

[screwtape iii]

Well, I've gotten a little more information since the original post. The diesel engine has a bent push rod which occurred when the engine revved up to 2800 rpm while going up a hill on I-10 at 60 mph. Red line is supposedly @3200 or so - I'm really not familiar with the vehicle and have never driven it. The first Ford dealership they stopped at sent them to another dealership in town that works on the diesel engines. I don't know if the 2nd dealership is just having pity on an old WWII vet or what but they told dad the warranty on his engine had been extended to 5 years/100,000 miles and they would fix it for free. I'm driving back up to Tallahassee with Dad on Wednesday to pick it up and drive it home for him.

It just keeps getting better.
My son decides to take the rental car over to his aunts last night. Me and the wife say we don't think thats a good idea what with Dad having rented the car. He, being 18 and knowing it all, takes the car. He stops at a stop sign on the way and gets rear ended by a 2003 Sonata. The Sonata was going so fast it pushes the rental car across 2 lanes of traffic and into a lady's front yard. The Sonata then glances off the rental car and proceeds @50 feet on into a stump left over from the hurricanes, uprooting the stump. The Sonata came to rest on top of the now sideways laying stump about a foot from the lady's bedroom window. It looked kinda like the stern section of the Titanic. Neither my son nor the driver of the Sonata had a scratch on them. Police charged the Sonata driver with the accident. Now I get to go with Dad and son to Enterprise Rent-A-Car and explain why an 18 year old was driving one of their vehicles. Pardon me while I go take my blood pressure medicine...

 

[Robert Cohen]

re: not listed on rental contract, an eighteen year old driver of rental car

let us know how it turns-out (any "penalty" by the rent-a-car cimpany on you), because i am kinduv curious about such

the great thing is, of course: the no discernible injury

the irony of being hit by a sonata is certainly a strange coincidence

 

[Cathy De Viney]

Ahhhh...parenthood!

It just keeps getting better.
My son decides to take the rental car over to his aunts last night. Me and the wife say we don't think thats a good idea what with Dad having rented the car. He, being 18 and knowing it all, takes the car. He stops at a stop sign on the way and gets rear ended by a 2003 Sonata. The Sonata was going so fast it pushes the rental car across 2 lanes of traffic and into a lady's front yard. The Sonata then glances off the rental car and proceeds @50 feet on into a stump left over from the hurricanes, uprooting the stump. The Sonata came to rest on top of the now sideways laying stump about a foot from the lady's bedroom window. It looked kinda like the stern section of the Titanic. Neither my son nor the driver of the Sonata had a scratch on them. Police charged the Sonata driver with the accident. Now I get to go with Dad and son to Enterprise Rent-A-Car and explain why an 18 year old was driving one of their vehicles. Pardon me while I go take my blood pressure medicine...

 

[Sean Scott]

re: rant of woe

my ford-owning experiences have been with

a used 1954 blue two door "custom liner" with automatic shift--ok

a new 1970 red maverick--fair

a new 1973 yellow pinto wagon--not good

a new 1976 maroon grenada--not good

i then gave-up on ford

new '82 toyota corrolla--ok

new '86 toyota corrolla--not good

i gave-up on toyota

and guess what quality-improving & relatively not expensive korean brand cars i have mostly owned during the past 15+ years (?)

My first car 1985 GMC Jimmy, liked it but a junker

Next 1985 Nissan 200SX, hated it

1991 Honda Accord VERY RELIABLE no options

1995 Nissan ALtima traded in accord for options, cruise PW PL etc. good car but high milage

test drove a 2005 Corolla hated the dealership sales experience

ended up currently driving a 2004 Chevy Malibu Classic, plan on my next car being a GM

 

[Sean Scott]

re: not listed on rental contract, an eighteen year old driver of rental car

let us know how it turns-out (any "penalty" by the rent-a-car cimpany on you), because i am kinduv curious about such

the great thing is, of course: the no discernible injury

the irony of being hit by a sonata is certainly a strange coincidence

I wouldnt think the rental company will care much since the Sonata driver was at fault and his/her insurance should cover the damage.