Ford makes the comics

alphainventions

Ford put out a full page ad in the Toronto Star – they must be doing well, today and they state that they have “quality equal to Honda nd Toyota”.  Needed a good laugh to start the day and I hadn’t even turned to the comic page.  They go on to say: “Ford is building some of the highest quality vehicles in the world”. Yeah, right.  If you’ve read my blog, you’ll see their definition of quality.

Honda and Toyota do recalls when there is a problem.  Ford not only ignores the problem but doesn’t even warn the consumer so that even further damage results.  This further damage – someone has to pay the freight to keep the dealerships open and the parts industry afloat.  Well, Ford just hides all their problems and calls it “QUALITY“.   When they burn some police officers to death, they ignore the problem and let aftermarket guys come up with a solution.  Hell, if you don’t admit it, there can’t be a problem.

 

alphainventions

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Want a laugh – read the Toronto Star ad on Ford

I was reading the Toronto Star (the one who doesn’t like to report the truth about Ford) and there was a major (whole page) ad by Ford on page A14 (March 23,2009).

The main title was: “FORD QUALITY IS EQUAL TO HONDA AND TOYOTA”.

When you stop laughing, read on.

I can’t believe they have the nerve to put this in writing, considering the blowing spark plugs, leaking rear window and the leaking front window (which allows water to fry the electronics) quality issues – issues they ignore.

Right, if you don’t do a recall or respond to the problems, I guess they don’t exist.  I can’t speak for Honda but Toyota, I know, dealt with their problems in an ethical and mature manner.  Instead of paying their president $34 million and giving out bonuses, Toyota owned up to their problem (rusting truck frames) and dealt with the consumer in a ethical manner.  I mean, this comes from a president who only makes $1 million a year.  I mean, if you only make $1 million a year, you can’t really be that good.  Right???  WRONG!!!!!… We are seeing an ethical man leading an ethical company who treats their customers like family.  Ford puts crap into the ads for suckers to lap up and believe.  No, Toyota talks with their reputation of honesty, fairness and integrity.  Something our bloated and overpaid auto industry in North Amercia fails to realize.  And, don’t forget, Honda and Toyota hire Canadians and Americans to build their vehicles here.  Meanwhile, Chrysler threatens to close plants, GM closed the truck plant and, god only knows what Ford will do next.  Maybe Obama should investigate all this before shelling out the tax money.  Wish Harper would.

I also get a kick of how Ford flogs this F150 award thing.  A bunch of journalists, who are probably given travel perks, etc by the company ( I know the Toront0 Star guys do)  drive the truck for a short period and they say, “WOW”, “THE BEST”, ETC ETC.  But those of us that invest in the truck and drive it in a real world for a real period of time experience all sorts of problems, like those I mentioned above.  Do the beer swilling journalists come out and report that.  No, they are too busy getting the free rides and lunches.  A few bloggers are bringing out the truth but our audience isn’t as big.

So, for those reading this.  Are you going to believe the ads or do some research and find out that Ford is all ad, no substance when it comes down to the line.  At least Toyota has the balls to own up to mistakes and do the honourable thing. 

 

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CAW & Ford – get with the program guys

Well, well, well, Lewenza and the CAW are going to re-open discussions with the Big 3 automakers regarding contracts.  Yes, the same guy and union who won’t even respond to my emails.  But, I don’t really want to get into a battle with a union.  We all know what happened to Jimmy Hoffa, don’t we? 🙂

 

But, I have to laugh at these guys.  I mean, here I’ve been discussing QUALITY (Quality really does depend on the guy working the line doesn’t it?) and they haven’t even bothered to respond to my emails regarding the Ford problem.  If they were really worried about consumers buying the product, wouldn’t they be interested in how we felt about the quality of a product.  Who buys crap unless we are forced to buy it?  We go to the manufacturer who produces the best product for the best price.

 

But the unions forgot that.  They think the consumer will waste their money buying consumer products that are built wrong only because they are union made and American/Canadian made.  Yeah, right.  We’re all brain dead consumers who don’t really care how we waste our money.  We might not be able to tell the CEO’s they make too much money but, we can certainly support companies that build a good product and, if they screw up, correct the problem without shafting the consumer.

 

Lewenza stated, “In exchange for concessions, the CAW said the automakers would have to accept financial assistance from the governments (sic) of Canada and the province of Ontario, and make a commitment to future production in Canada.”  Ohhhh, I like that one.  The automakers, who flew to Washington in their private jets and one of them made $34 million, have to ACCEPT financial assistance from the governments of Canada.  Hey, that is the taxpayer, the consumer, the sucker who bought the Ford F150 with the leaky window. (By the way – how many governments does Canada have??? ).  I do like the fact that OUR tax money must ensure a commitment of production in Canada though.

He further stated, “But the workers could work for free, and it wouldn’t make a difference without a broader national strategy to address this industry’s deeper problems.”  Hey, we’re not asking them to work for free.  Hell, give them a decent wage.  We, the consumer, just want them to put the damm vehicle together properly so that we the consumer don’t get stung with repairs down the road due to sloppy construction.  There is solid proof that the F150 had its window put in place improperly and it has caused thousands of dollars of repairs per vehicle.  Has the CAW stood up and said, we’ll take responsibility?  Has the CAW stood up and told Ford to take responsibility?  No, and they wonder why they can’t sell vehicles in the numbers they want and in the numbers to ensure jobs in this country.  Hey Lewenza, wake up and smell the coffee.  Maybe if you were more concerned about the consumer, you’d have more workers out there instead of being terminated due to declining sales.  Here we have a union that is worried about declining membership. Why?  Maybe because this will determine their next pay raise.  How much in tune is the CAW with our economic crisis?  They are already talking of striking at Air Canada in May.  Here is a company that has laid off more than 2000 people and the CAW is talking strike!!!!!!  Get with the program guys.  You’re no better than those executives that ripped off the rest of us with their high wages and options and won’t look after ripped off consumers.

 

Here’s a little hint.  Have your guys look after the consumer; don’t ask for any big raises; ask the government to go after the “robber barons” ripping off the companies at the top and screwing the consumer; ensure your members can build a decent product with minimal recalls; and, ensure that each member helps each other out and lose the “it’s not in my contract” mentality or,” it’s not my job man” work ethic and you know what – we might all just start to like you and buy your products.   Otherwise, get used to the declining membership.

 

 

Toyota steps up to the plate while Ford hides the problem

As you can see, I have not written for awhile.  It appears that Ford really doesn’t care about the consumer enough (See Toyota further on) to really bother about this problem (along with the blowing spark plugs and leaky rear window).  Even the CAW couldn’t care less.  Earlier I noted that I sent the CAW and President Ken Lewenza emails concerning this and, as yet, haven’t heard a whimper from them on this matter.  I guess they are more concerned about their future salaries as the CAW membership shrinks.  Maybe if they were more involved in quality, the vehicles would sell more and thus save jobs.  But Quality isn’t necessarily # 1 at the CAW.

 

But it is at Toyota.  According to the Toronto Star, Toyota is recalling 2006 & 2007 “Yaris” cars in Canada for a PERCEIVED problem with the seatbelt assembly that might, in a front end collision, cause some rubber padding to catch fire.  Interesting dynamics here as the Toronto Star is fully aware of the leaky front window problem that Ford has with the F150 but won’t mention it.  Here is a problem that is not PERCEIVED but is actually happening when water infiltrates the front window and fries the electronics.  Your wipers go crazy; your electric door locks will fail; you GEM will corrode and die; and, a myriad of other electronic problems will happen, some of which can cause problems for the driver while driving in rainy weather.  Not PERCEIVED but DOCUMENTED with the government.

 

Well, Toyota and its employees recognize a POTENTIAL problem and deal with it in an ethical manner.  Meanwhile, back at Ford, the president flies company jets to Washington to beg for more taxpayer money, made $34 million one year while the company was going bankrupt and, can’t be bothered to deal with the F150 quality control issue.  What do they do – flood the papers (including the Toronto Star) with the new 2009 F150 with the “man steps” and get writers to put out glowing reviews, while dismissing those of us who invested in a F150 truck and got scammed with the front window problem.  A problem well known to Ford but not published to even the owners of the trucks so they could have taken preventative measures that would have saved them thousands of dollars.

 

Thank you Toyota for giving me hope that the auto industry isn’t all about union demands, executive salary rip-offs, poor quality and high prices and, a low opinion of consumers.  And thank you Toronto Star for printing this article about the recalls.  It shows a manufacturer who cares about the consumer.  Maybe you should print the story about the F150 problems and show that Ford only wants the taxpayer bailout without the consumer satisfaction strings attached.  Or, do you only print bad news about foreign owned auto manufacturers?

Gettelfinger boasts union faster than non-union. What about quality???

According to the Tundra Headquarters website, Ron Gettelfinger, who is the UAW boss, made a claim in an op-ed piece for the Detroit News that union workers are faster than non-union workers.

Maybe that explains why the Ford F150 has had so many problems – problems that Ford ignores and hopes the customers forgive and continue to buy a product that no longer advertises “Quality is #1″. Maybe if they took more care in building the product instead of pushing it through at a rip roaring pace, the parts would be put together right. I mean, what does the consumer want – a truck built right or just built fast?

Yes, we have become a fast food country but, I still think we enjoy the taste of a slow cooked steak over a nice charcoal BBQ instead of one of those flash frozen pieces of meat (union or not) quickly warmed over a greasy grill or microwave.

It is an interesting read at this website, with facts showing that Gettelfinger is a bit off the mark and, the closing statement states it all.

“To UAW chief Ron Gettelfinger: Sharing this type of inflated and misleading “fact” is a big part of the reason no one trusts you, the major auto manufacturers, or congress. If you really want to help your members, how about being honest and open with the U.S. public?”

Yes, Ford, why not be open and honest about the leaky window instead of flying your corporate jet to Washington and begging for more money to pay your executives?

Ford – what happened to “Quality is #1”???

I borrowed the following quote from http://www.Ford.ca.

“Canada’s climate is colder, its population is smaller, and its economy is different compared with the United States. These and other factors have set the stage for some fascinating differences in Canadian cars over the last century. Even cars produced by the same manufacturer often digressed from the American pattern. And in some cases, Canadian Fords were more innovative than their American counterparts. What follows is a review of the uniqueness found in many vehicles produced by the Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited during its long and illustrious history.”

Of course, one of the unique features they don’t tell you about is the fact that the front window of the F150 leaks water onto your electronics. I almost believed them in their statement that our cars in Canada are unique until I saw all the complaints in the United States regarding the leaky windows – complaints to the U.S. Department of Transport. But then, maybe the trucks were BUILT in Canada. Wonder what the UAW has to say about that but, then, the trucks are now all built in the U.S. Maybe they were tired of leaky windows from Canada.

A visit to http://www.ford.ca is interesting in that we no longer see “QUALITY IS NUMBER ONE”. Guess Ford has finally agreed that their trucks aren’t necessarily built with the care us consumers assumed they were. They still use “BUILT FORD TOUGH” but I’m not sure if that refers to our leaky window and “TOUGH TITTY”.

Speaking of consumers, if you’re troubled by a Ford, or any other vehicle, visit: http://www.camvap.ca.

“The CANADIAN MOTOR VEHICLE ARBITRATION PLAN is a program where disputes between consumers and vehicle manufacturers about alleged manufacturing defects or implementation of the manufacturers’ new vehicle warranty can be put before a neutral third party (arbitrator) for resolution.”

And the nice thing – it’s FREE. My thanks to Ellen Roseman of the Toronto Star – a paper which refused to notify the pubic of the leaky window problem with Ford, while continually taking in advertising and promoting the new 2009 truck. At least Ellen is doing the proper job of a newspaper – informing the public of useful knowledge, not manufacturer’s propaganda.

QUALITY – not in the union vocabulary

In today’s Toronto Star, CAW President Ken Lewenza wrote an interesting article titled, “Only long-term strategy can save auto industry”.  He brought up some interesting points that are probably relevant to any long term strategy to save the Big Three in North America but, his description of the union workers read more like someone trying to bargain for their contracts.  I only saw points towards contracts staying the same and describing the workers earning wages “built on a foundation of high technology, high-productivity, high-skill work”.

 

What I found interesting in this whole article was a lack of the word, QUALITY.  Now, maybe I am old fashioned and not part of the THROWAWAY GENERATION but, I do like to buy my cars with a bit of quality built into them.  It is nice to know that once the warranty goes, the car doesn’t start costing me an arm and a leg right away with built in problems.

 

This is the whole point behind this blog.  We the consumers are sick and tired of auto manufacturers not owning up to their mistakes and costing us money after we have invested – yes, invested, in their product.  Ford built the F150 with a built in problem with the front window that allowed water infiltration to fry the electronics.  Since, the “high technology, high-productive and high-skill” worker made this vehicle, maybe we could see some work towards HIGH QUALITY.

 

Since the CAW doesn’t want to help out with the bailout, why should I the consumer support the bailout, considering I got the shaft with QUALITY?  The Big Three were arrogant when they went-a-begging in their luxury private jets and, Ford shows itself to be unethical when it comes to acknowledging that they have a built in problem that is potentially life threatening.  Hopefully no one dies to prove the point.

Ford – cheaper than a gallon of gas and no accountability

I read in the October 10^th National Post that the shares of Ford Motor Company sank 4%.  Not much of a fall but then I saw they were $2.55.  As the note mentioned, cheaper than a gallon of U.S. gasoline!!!!!   They mention that the industry has suffered due to high gasoline prices and the housing slump that has caused a weakened consumer confidence.

 

I say that and the fact that their product lines don’t meet the consumer’s expectations and the poor quality of vehicles they sell.  The fact that Ford won’t even discuss the leaking window problem shows a lot of arrogance towards the consumer.

 

And speaking of arrogance and the ME generation!!!!  I found this article (although I don’t usually read this blog but a Google search brought me to it) and it was substantiated at more mainstream sources that, for four months of work at Ford in 2006,  the CEO, Alan Mulally earned $39.1 MILLION.  The company lost $12.7 BILLIION but they could afford to pay this guy $39.1 million dollars.

 

But could they afford to fix my window and compensate me for the repairs to my vehicle, repairs that would have been unnecessary if the guy on the line had put the window in right?

 

No, they pay some guy $39.1 MILLION to do what – bring the stock down to less than a gallon of gas?

 

Good investment??? …… I think they should spend all that loose cash they have on customer relations, fixing their built in problems, building actual quality ( not advertised quality ) and maybe make the pay package of the line guys based on quality control. – the better the built vehicle, the more in the pay package.  If you screw up, well, the money goes to the consumer to fix the problem.  Sort of like ownership of your product and therefore pride in what you accomplish.  Not advertised bull shit ‘BUILT FORD TOUGH” but real world, takes responsibility built in quality.

Ford – built tough quality? – yeah right

In a recent “National Post” there was a small story on how Ford was stung by “its worst-ever quarterly loss and a stampede away from its historically profitable trucks and SUV’s.  Fords response – boost the sale and manufacturing of more fuel-efficient vehicles.  Now, I can’t complain about that.  I mean Ford is responding to the consumer and trying to give it what it wants to buy.  Good business move.  But, nowhere do I see that they are going to ensure the public will get a WELL manufactured product.  Yes, nice you are going green and making more fuel efficient vehicles but if you put in leaky windows, etc, the consumer will just be spending their savings on repairs instead of fuel.  And, the price of labour and parts will be going up in response to higher fuel costs so; our little green car really isn’t going to save us money.

 

And we all know the first model blues?  Sorry Ford, but the F150 has been out for quite some time and you couldn’t even get the front window right on it so why would you expect us to think you could get a new green model correct.

 

The CAW has not responded to my letter about how I thought they should support the consumer in regards to the leaky windows, except to say I am anti-union.  Sorry boys but that just doesn’t cut it.  You want us to buy union, then instead of whining about how we are losing jobs in North America, maybe you should start supporting the consumer in regards to mistakes such as the leaky window and then we’ll support you.  I mean, Toyota makes cars in Canada and is non-union.  So, if I buy Toyota I am supporting Canadian workers, albeit non-union.  At least Toyota backed up their vehicles instead of screwing the consumer and, they are into second generation green cars – which means the kinks are more likely out of the car.

 

So Ford and CAW, if you want our business, start respecting the consumer instead of advertising what you don’t really mean – quality.