WOW!!! Because ford does so well in china. And Americans don't need jobs or revenue. While were at it, let's see if we can take a little more from the UAW also. What a great American car company. Really?

 

"will produce six-speed automatic"

uffff.... happy to get my automatic made in usa soon, refresh 2014 less interesting now

 

I don't get why everyone's so hung up on being built in China. It's like 30 years ago when "Made in Japan" was a dirty phrase. Seriously, the manufacturing is only as good as the processes and quality controls set in place - machines don't magically work better in USA or China or Japan. Assembly and overall quality of the final product will depend on appropriate tolerances and quality control procedures set by Ford.

If this is a Ford owned site with Ford processes and QC, then the quality will be as good as production in Flat Rock. Which isn't great if you ask me. I love my GT but there is so much inconsistency in the interior panel gaps with other Mustangs I've sat in that it is quite embarassing. And I wear a Ford shirt on most weekends.

If you want to compare to the Getrag/Ford joint venture that's getting a whole bunch of circle jerk press, that is a Getrag assembly plant so who knows how good their QC is. Let's all just stop this ignorant China-bashing because it makes us look like rednecks living in the '70s. If anything, pressure needs to be put on Ford to improve quality control.

By the way, I've visited multiple production factories in China 4-5 years ago. Even then, the factories were up to par; the bottom line is they will produce items to spec based on the buyer. I saw really crappy factories with 90% human production (think of a guy sitting on a stool hand machining hinges with coolant running over his hands) to high end air/humidity sealed factories with 95% machine production. The quality of Chinese manufacturing all depends on the buyer.

 

There was no china bashing yet. This is ford bashing. For not being loyal to the country that has stood by them through the years. Henry is turning in his grave for sure. Too many jobs needed in this country to see shat like this.

 

This plant was specifically built to produce parts for Chinese market vehicles.

 

I agree, that's one item I forgot to touch on. I do wish the jobs were kept in the USA, but that's the UAW's fault in my opinion. They keep hard line negotiating high pay packages for, let's face it, relatively average work. I do think Ford did the right thing by instilling worker confidence with their large profit sharing this year, and I hope that shows the UAW that they are willing to spend money on the USA workforce when it comes time for negotiating the next base pay structures.

 

Have to agree with you. As much as I love made in America stuff, it's not the most cost effective. Americans want the best bang for the buck. The only way to bring that to fruition is to find cheaper ways to produce, just because it costs less doesn't mean the quality is going to be bad. It's all about QC. As long as there is a mandated minimum wage and the UAW its going to be cheaper to produce certain things on foreign soil. At the end of the day at least the revenues are making it to an American company, which is not the case with Toyota, Honda, etc.

 

It's a fact that Chinese steel is weaker then US steel
Pocket knifes are a very good example
Tools are another
And how about "silver" wear?

 

Interesting - Didn't know that. But wouldn't the right quality control make sure the iron and other steel inputs are smelted to the right mixtures? Sorry, I don't know anything about steel. I will say that when it comes to raw material inputs, based on my experience, Chinese factories will skimp IF the right QC is not in place and the buyer is cost conscious. Basically, if you want to pay a penny less, they will turn around and put a penny less worths of quality into it. They're running a business too and they know how to control their materials costs, which helps them since their labor costs are still quite low.

 

Not really surprised, especially when you're getting bent over on labor costs.

 

The simple fact is if you want good product you do it yourself instead of sending it to the slave labor land of china.
Or worse
I deal with a lot of metal from china at work and a lot of metal from the US and it's very easy to tell which is which just by inspecting the product

 

Yeah, China has a lot - and I mean a lot - of iron ore. Problem is, it is very low quality ore, and its resulting steel is also of very low quality. Very brittle, and not very ductile. This is why Chinese pocket knives snap, hammers shatter, and gears grind.

This is also why German and Japanese steel is very highly prized; it is of very high quality (see: samurai swords).

Unfortunately, the quality of Chinese steel that most manufacturers focus on is that it is really, really cheap. You can buy 100 tons of the stuff for the same price as 10 tons of Japan steel. As usual, it's all about the money.

Always.

 

This is an outrage!(tm)

I mean, we should, to an American, sell any and all of our Ford stuff, EVAR, and buy...

uh...

well, what/whom, exactly?

I mean, if it's all about American jobs... what car is completely American?

Toyota Camry is built in Kentucky. Tundras are in San Antonio.

With parts from *everywhere*.

Just like Fords. Built in AAI, parts from lots of places. And some Fords aren't even built here. Oh, and Sony isn't American... but it's goin' in the Fords. What happened to an American radio maker, anyway? (And if it's got Sony in it, I ain't buyin' it. Too bad, SHOs.)

---

I'm down with being completely American in making, selling, buying. But if you're gonna be upset with this, you're about 20-30, or more, years too late to be grumbling, people, because this sort of things has been done for a LONG time.

You gonna stop flying Boeings when you figure out not everything comes from Seattle? Methinks not.

/unless your an acrophobic or aerophobic or such, then yeah, I expect you don't even fly.

 

We build the Toyota Camry here in Lafayette, IN at SIA. Subaru of Indiana. It's not Union labor either. Just a good fair wage.

 

Folks it is called the World economy for a reason. There was nothing in the article indicating the parts would be used in U.S. cars. Ford ,like all the other manufacturers, is building cars in the country they are going to be sold in, as well as in the Asia Pacific rim.

I was in a VW dealer with my wife's Passat the other day. A new Golf was on the floor. Final assembly in Germany, with an engine from Mexico (so they shipped the engine from Mexico to Germany!), and transmission from Japan. My wife's Passat, has an engine from Hungary and transmission from Japan. And, people believe they are buying German cars...right!

It really doesn't matter what you buy, look at the window sticker and decide what you will spend your money on.

And, don't forget those Challengers and Camaro's are "foreign cars" built in..dare I say....Canada

 

And don't forget the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX

 

Ford sells car on every populated continent. Does it not make sense that they also have factories all over the world? If Ford executives are bad Americans for having foreign factories, then the executives at Volkswagen and Toyota are bad Germans and Japanese. I guess the people who run Pirelli Tires are bad Italians because they have tire factories around the world.

Besides, our elected officials may complain a lot about jobs going overseas, but they sure don't do much to bring business in. We've got one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. Want to build a new refinery or power plant? Be prepared to spend decades getting permits. Boeing is America's largest exporter. They are trying to open a new plant in South Carolina and the National Labor Relations Board is trying to stop them, because South Carolina is a right-to-work state and the NLRB says the factory should have been built in a non-right-to-work state. And when you've got an industry (oil) that is paying their bills, employing a lot of people at good wages, making a good profit and paying dividends to their shareholders, they get their butts dragged before Congress for an annual ***-chewing. Gee, why would any company not want to put all their eggs in the American basket?

Wow, that was a bigger rant than I was planning.

 

As long as there's no difference in quality, I don't see any reason why Ford shouldn't have plants in different countries. Which leads me to my question: does Ford Mexico build their own Mustangs and if yes, are these cars known for quality issues of whatever kind or lower quality in general compared to US Stangs?

The reason why I'm asking is that my Swiss dealer from which I've bought my SterlingGM 2011 GT claims that all of his Mustangs come from Canada. However all my manuals are in Spanish (dealer didn't have them in English) and the extinguisher is made in Mexico...

 

The only assembly plant for Mustangs since the 2005 model year on is in Flat Rock, MI.