Who cares how many mustangs have hood issues?

This isn't about somebody defending their work, or whatever. Even in today's litigation-happy society, the fact is, Ford does not have an obligation to make sure the paint on the hoods on their cars last more than the warranty period.

The bottom line is -- Ford has a responsibility to put out a product that will be flawless for the warranty period, and not a day longer. They also have a 3rd party liability to ensure that their workmanship does not cause harm to others for (presumably) the life of the vehicle. Bubbling, and possibly flaking, hood paint certainly does not fall into that category. Axles falling apart certainly would.

Even ####ty manufacturing problems aren't the company's problem after the warranty period, as long as they're not safety issues.

 

You make an excellent point, from the manufacturing standpoint.

If only the paint DID ACTUALLY last during the warranty, and not flake off BEFORE, which is the case in many respects, and why it needs to be talked about.

Also, this hurts the later resale value of the car, and that would prompt some to leave for a better painted car rather than take a chance on Ford.

And to hear the continuing saga, Ford is learning NOTHING. They keep doing it poorly. And it's not just Mustangs, it's Explorers and other cars too.

That is the only reason I get anywhere near what you'd call 'bothered' by this. My hood was also UNDER WARRANTY when it flaked off. Just, but still. It would have been covered. I probably should have found the time, but there were issues and I couldn't be without the car. I choose to not worry about it because it was just the underside.

But to see the hood now? It's pretty bad. It's not *terrible*, but it has several places where the paint is coming off, bubbling up, etc. That *all* my other Fords over the years have *never once* exhibited such a thing, from 60s to 70s to 80s to 90s era cars... Not. Once. Paint wasn't EVER an issue.

That it is on a 2000s car is just... shameful.

 

Thank you for the support, tom281!

Deysha

 

If it flakes off within the warranty, call up ford, I'm sure they'll cover it.

 

only supposed to last the warranty period? are you nuts?

No one would buy a ford or any other make if they made that claim... in fact Toyota sells cars because people think they last forever...

I think it down right un-American to even think in such a way. Making a quality product is important and giving the customer what they are paying for is important. Saying "it doesn't have to last beyond the warranty period" is a awful scary thing to say. That mindset is what is bringing this country down

 

Yet... evne with all these hood issues being known... how many Mustangs did Ford sell between 2010 and 2014?

Look, I'm all for making a quality product, and I'm sure Ford is at least trying to do that, because like you said, part of the decision in the new car buying process is how long the customer thinks the vehicle lasts.

But, that's totally different than suggesting that Ford has any sort of responsibility to fix cosmetic issues well after warranty period. The upset posters in here have absolutely no grounds to be -- what they're doing is essentially asking for a handout (extended warranty) without paying for it.

That "mindset" may be what's bringing the country down, but it's the reality which we face.

 

Ford, nor any other, *would* make that claim. It would be beyond preposterous if they were to come right out and say "Paint won't last past the warranty, so enjoy it while you got it!"

That being said, it's exactly right, the paint *should* only last to the warranty, and then it's buyer's problem. As is any other part on the car. Actuators, transmission, brake calipers (not pads, mind, that's NEVER covered under warranty), seat covers, headliners, etc... The WHOLE CAR is out of warranty, not just the paint.

That mindset is not bringing the country down. The mindset that "you cover that forever or I'm leaving!" is. Entitlement is a bad thing(tm), and while I'm a harper on "Ford should get this painting thing right, it's just messed up and embarrassing for it to keep being this way!" I am NOT a proponent of anyone trying to get their hood or any other part of the car warrantied when the warranty is expired. That is silliness. You have a warranty, then it's over, YOUR CAR. Deal with it.

That Ford extends a grace period of any type on mileage or months is rather exemplary, they simply DO NOT have to do that at all. But there is a hard point. Don't be angry about it if your car has to be denied, it's a thing that must be done.

But yes, again, I think it's just ludicrous that after all these years, and all these vehicles, and not just Mustang hoods, that Ford can't figure out how to FIX THE **** PROBLEM so that at least the buyers in the past couple or three years and all future ones do not have to deal with it.

Yeah, so... there ya go.

 

I might be in the minority on this issue, but I dont want anything from Ford.
I am just trying to show anyone at ford who cares about their company to rattle some cages at AAI and:

1) figure out WHY its still there on brand new cars.

2) figure out how QA didnt catch it.

3) make ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN any and all possibility of this occurring on the new F150 is eliminated.

it really upsets me to see cheaper cars more carefully assembled than my preferred brand - if enough enthusiasts keep squawking about it, hold Ford's feet to the fire, sooner or later someone high enough up at Ford will
look into it... they want their company to survive as much or more than us Ford-a-holics

 

Realistically... getting PO'ed on a forum is going to do absolutely nothing to change their manufacturing process.

Ford knows these problems, and they impact various various quality scores and their reputation. If they had a solution, I'm sure it would be implemented.

 

so are you suggesting we should just accept that brand new fords will have blistering from the factory, and understand the paint will peel at 3-5 yrs of age, and just consider it normal?

Sorry, but I personally think this may be the attitude with some at ford, but I doubt many buyers would realistically just eat it and ever return as a customer... keeping the discussion going, pissing folks off enough to email pictures to VPs at Ford, print/link forum threads to higher ups at the plants, get the bigger social networking venues chattering about it, they will have to do something.

I wrote off the underside conditions of my hoods long ago, I'll deal with it- but I can guarantee you I will NOT be buying another Ford until I see progress being made to be as good as the other guys.
Fords Ive bought:
89 Mark VII
93 F150
98 Windstar
06 Mustang GT
07 Mustang V6 pony
09 Mustang GT
these were all 'decent satisfaction' cars or better- except for the windstar axle(but it was old) and the mustang hood issue, really nothing to severe to complain about.


plus a slew of older ones... currently own a 65 galaxie, 69 mustang, 06,07,09 mustangs, 00 marquis winter beater, weve got one chevy in the mix, a 07 avalanche.
the 89 mark VII finally got scrapped last year, all those years of salt exposure had taken its toll- but the front clip I saved, still great paint...the 65 gal hood paint is 45 yr old enamel that looks a mile deep still. My 69 will be getting repainted(sitting on rotisserie right now), but its paint still looked great.

my 06 mustang hood was peeling at 3 yrs?

I bought a 85 camaro as my first new car, the paint peeled at 3 yrs old, didnt buy another new chevy until the 07 Avalanche 22 years later...

I've been a loyal Ford buyer, but am in a holding pattern until I see them fix their product. the Avalanche is getting up in miles, they dont make it anymore or I'd likely trade it in on a new one, its been a very good vehicle, and its paint hasnt had any workmanship issues... I'd wrote Chevy off for 22 years until finally figuring they appeared to get their act together... Ford has had this issue for over a decade and still havent eliminated it. I like the looks of the new F150, but theres no way in hell I would even consider one for at least a few years after seeing progress made... if the avalanches age starts to show with rust/mech reliability, a ford wont replace it. I'm hard headed, and doubt I'll be buying more than a few more in my lifetime, but unless they get their act together the 09 will be the last of my $ spent at the ford store.

 

It's very unlikely that Ford isn't aware of a solution, they just don't care to spend the money implementing said solution.

 

Part of car ownership is that things will break and go wrong. Nothing's perfect. If you don't like the fact that the cost of repairs here is something that you have to bear, then you have 2 options. You can only keep cars that are currently under warranty, or you can not own a vehicle.

Whatever the case, you're free to spend your money elsewhere.

 

I have to agree with this. It'll be a dang shame when Ford tanks over bad paint, but hey, thems the breaks, isn't it?

/not realistic? You sure about that?
//Well, yeah, actually, I kinda am, they're pretty big and such...

 

Well, that does appear to be what many folks are doing...

 

cost of repairs I have no problem with. cost of obvious defects is unacceptable these days.

friedmaster-
Have YOU looked at this pic I took last week of a brand new Mustang at the 2014 Cleveland auto show- this is a brand new 2014 with a 10 year old problem still present.

THIS car needs fixed, its VIN is 1ZVBP8FF4E5283640 - someday a upset owner will be taking this in for a peeling hood, I hope they notice it before the 3/36, although even if they do once corrosion gets under the lip, it will return within a couple years... this is poor workmanship, a factory defect, a future warranty claim, and its on a brand new $36,000.00 car.

this bothers me.
it should upset any Ford fan.
most of all, it should upset Ford corporate...somebody is dropping the ball.

 

Every repair is caused by a defect in one way or another.

 

^Right. The issue isn't that something has gone wrong (which is to be expected from time to time in today's world), but that it consistently goes wrong, and it hasn't been fixed yet. To top it off, Ford's reaction to many such problems is less then inspiring.

This hood issue isn't the only thing plaguing Ford vehicles manufactured recently...and with many issues Ford seems to just try and brush everything under the rug, or tell customers its "normal".

It's very disheartening to hear such responses when your vehicle has such issues. In fact, it's even worse then just doing nothing...being told your very obvious issue is "normal" just indicates where Ford's head is in this game. If it's normal for Ford, then why not just buy a vehicle from someone else?

And therein lies the rub. They make cars that are visually appealing and great on paper...but these mickey mouse issues that keep popping up, and that are NOT being handled in a proper manner are making it very difficult to remain a customer.

So to tie that all back in to the topic of this thread, Ford needs to stop pretending to fix issues and start actually fixing them. The customer reps on the forums are a nice touch and great to have around, but I get the feeling they are there more to try and show the public how "great" Ford customer service is and how hard they try, to hide the fact that they really just don't give a **** in many cases. It really shows how much they care when issues persist over many years without being fixed, all because the issue is unlikely to show itself during the warranty period.

 

I gotta respectfully disagree...Ive read a lot of responses from several on several forums, and the impression I get is they are exactly what Ford needed- but think their powers are limited, and thats understandable...but realize the reps are AT ford and have contacts to pass info upstream...like I mentioned before, the pics from last years autoshow hoods being forwarded mighta done some good, as all the mustangs there had decent front sealing this year- they were horrible last year.

I do wish the CS reps had a little more authority, but know Deysha in here alone has helped out a lot of folks with dealer issues- before that not much could be done if dealers didnt want to step up to warranty stuff- the CS reps cannot extend warranty even if they want to, it has to end at some date... I'd like to setup a petition site to get folks to vote on demanding 3/unlimited on paint, rather than 3/36... face it- other than stone chips, mileage shouldnt affect paint. if its blistered from stone chips, its not fords fault, but that is NOT the case on these hood issues.

in my opinion if ford dont feel comfortable guaranteeing paint for at least three years irregardless of mileage, perhaps they should just close up shop.
years back over in the now-mostly-dead blue oval 'to management' thread, Id had a poll, lots of discussion on why would the typical buyer finance a car two years past warranty, and suggested the same- if ford dont think 5 yrs would be a safe expectation of their product, perhaps they are in the wrong business... there were a lot of higher ups monitoring the threads back then, just a couple months later they did announce changing to 5/something powertrain... sometimes if enough wheels get squeaking loud enough in the right neighborhoods, things can be turned around. being complacent or defending stuff like this will NOT change a thing, getting it out there, holding their feet to the fire by enough customers (and dealers- ford still sees the dealer as the customer and buyers as dealers problem on some issues) they will have to react.

its totally possible at something as gigantic as Ford that Bill Ford or Allan Mullaly are being lied to by underlings that 'oh this is nothing'... lots of butt covering by mid-management must be going on here- theyve known of the issues for too long, and threads like this are starting to impact their reputation- sooner or later one of the big guys is going to pop into a auto show or local dealer to avoid the bull****, open a hood or three and see they've got a problem - and heads should roll.
getting this stuff in the media is more likely to get a Ford mid-manager to step up and bring this stuff to a big table meeting to protect his butt while looking to be 'helping ford'... I dont care what kind of bs has to be achieved to get ford to react, but they need to. they are an American icon, a big chunk of our economy rides on their coattails- including my job... we make wheels and machinery to make wheels for the big three, their failure can impact me and my family too... we NEED American manufacturers to build things at least as good as the imports, or our kids are gonna be employment starved...
my gut feeling is the higher-ups at Ford ARE 'car guys' and if they actually realized the extent of certain problems, they'd be on the phone demanding info pronto- and not just the obvious warranty repair costs, but also the denied claim numbers...the 3/36 is a easy way to weasel out of a problem that was there at delivery, but in a spot where it usually didnt get seen.

lastly, in situations like this paint, I really hurt for the dealers- ford pays warranty work at lower rates, so their production mistakes are cost offset by local dealer techs, the whole system is bass-ackwards, but thats fodder for another thread.
their process is flawed, their customers and/or the local dealer techs are getting stiffed, and its not right.

 

My issue isn't with the reps themselves, but with how Ford utilizes them. I've heard more then a few instances (some first hand...) where Ford customer reps just stopped returning calls, when someone had an issue that Ford was unwilling to fix.

And yes, the dealer network is just a flawed as Ford corporate and that should be fixed as well. Even when you get a good dealer it can be difficult to get warranty work done as 1) Ford denies the claim, even if it's a cut and dry warranty issue (not often but it's happened) or 2) the dealer just isn't interested since they don't care to go through the trouble of being reimbursed by Ford. And none of that even touches the various dealers around the country that do poor work and generally have poor service all around.

The dealer is Ford's front line in terms of customer relations, so anything to be done should start there. Beyond that, showing you actually care to customers and fixing things that should really be fixed, even if it costs a little money (they can afford it...), should be a top priority. Eventually they're going to toss aside an issue that becomes HUGE, and it'll bite them in the ***. Beyond just losing customers they could end up with a major recall or a class action suit that hurts more then the fix would have.

 

And, I'll also add that I really don't find any joy in feeling this way about Fords...it's just that between the last 3 Ford vehicles I've owned, I get the feeling that they just don't really care about a lot of things. There have been too many issues that just scream "we didn't care, so we did this part really cheap". And far too often it's something that pops up just after the warranty was finished. And these aren't failures that are happening a bit earlier then usual (like worn struts, for instance), but things that either just shouldn't fail, or should last a couple hundred thousand miles (my wheel well/shock mount rusting out at 80k miles was fun...).

I really want to love the cars Ford is putting out, I REALLY do. And I'm really hoping my Mustang can change my opinion.