Ford (F) COO Mark Fields says the automaker will work to improve product quality after several...

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Ryandan Comments (589)
 
Well Mark, you borrowed 6B to retool and improve quality.

You are lucky that Honda and Toyota are recalling almost every car they have ever made and China shut the door on J-cars.

Makes me wonder if buying any new car is worth the investment. The feds should step in and require 5 year 100k warranties and then watch the assembly-lines slow down and quality of the assemblers change.

I really like some of the new designs for Ford - you had a perfect opportunity to steal big market share. And who ever approved the new Lincoln designs should be delivering newspapers for a living now.
19 Dec 2012, 09:29 AM Reply Like

Augustus9 Comments (205)
 
Ryandan, It probably isn't good investment as often as some folks do it. (Buy new car.) 5 year 150k mandate would be helpful. Increase PR among factory workers and management. Big wigs personally walking through factories and coffee or a meal among the people in the cafeterias or lunch rooms, big help for workmanship. Serving them lunch now and again also helpful and creates more loyalty and work ethic. Wakes it up.
19 Dec 2012, 10:36 AM Reply Like

Ryandan Comments (589)
 
That's a nice looking medal there Augustus9 - yours?
19 Dec 2012, 11:34 AM Reply Like

moran Comments (214)
 
Ryandan...You have finally said something I agree with (if that means anything to you). But be careful, you almost said something nice about the workers....Slow down the assembly lines and watch the quality of the assemblers change or did I read you wrong.
19 Dec 2012, 01:09 PM Reply Like

Ryandan Comments (589)
 
Moran

Let me tell you something about the workers, the vast majority of them are fine people. If I saw Chinese tanks rolling down my street, I wouldn't bother calling the marines, I would call the UAW and the Teamsters - problem solved. I'd sit in my lawn chair and watch the a**kicking.

Union leaders protect workers who should be fired, drunks, druggies, and lazies. Why? they pay dues. Who gets hurt, other union workers, the company and customers.

Unions should be like a team (Baseball, etc.) we want the best - we want to out perform everybody - not we want anybody - dead weights and all.
19 Dec 2012, 04:46 PM Reply Like

moran Comments (214)
 
Once again I find myself half way agreeing with you. There was a time when that was entirely true, but what I have heard from people in the automotive sectors, the unions are not so hot on protecting these types anymore. It is said by white collar people. The unions realize the importance of trying to be more reasonable with their "demands" as well as trying to clean their own house...That will be a good thing for them as well as the car companies AND the economy. You are 100% right by thinking they should want the best. Merry Christas.
23 Dec 2012, 11:51 AM Reply Like

flumeride Comments (176)
 
What did Mark Fields mean by this? -- "issues with its infotainment system"

Are they considering dropping MS? I would love to see them partner with anybody else. Also, I'm not impressed with the Sony sound systems they have in Fords and Lincolns.
19 Dec 2012, 01:43 PM Reply Like

Tdot Comments (1621)
 
For better or worse, Ford is contracted with Microsoft and other outside software app suppliers in the Synch and Touch infotainment systems.

They are releasing MyFord Touch version 3.5 updates to customers as of Dec 10th, and they were at version 3.2.2 as of September, which says a little something about the chaos after only about 18 months or so in service with the 2011 Edge, which kicked it off.

By comparison, note that Microsoft took some ten years to get from Windows 1.01 to Windows 3.5.1, so again, perhaps it shows a bit about the magnitude of the changes since introduction.
19 Dec 2012, 04:26 PM Reply Like