Since it was brought up elsewhere, let me explain about my piece of shit Mustang. First off, I bought the car in August of 99 and the car had 4 miles on it. It now has 41K on it. I've had more problems with it than i care to remember. Here's most of them.

Weatherstrip on windshield replaced twice.
Throttle positioning sensor replaced. (took four visits to the dealership before they found the problem)
Catalytic convertor replaced, needs to be replaced again.

My favorite, clutch replaced THREE times. After the first time, the clutch pedal vibrates and makes a hell of a racket that Ford issued a press release saying is NORMAL. The clutch also isn't as tight and wears out faster. (no comment from Ford about this). BTW, the clutch needs replacing AGIAN already. The worst thing is that I listened to a salesman (yeah I know, stupid) when my clutch went out the first time (at 25K miles) and he told me clutches are not covered under warranty, so a private shop did the work and now Ford won't touch it. I know I'm leaving something out but these are the most annoying things.

I'll get into the Escort I got shafted with a bit later...

The TPS taking 4 times to ID is just shitty teching. I can't recall ever letting a bad one get by me... They're too easy to test. BTW, that convertor is covered under federally required emissions component warranties until 60 or 70k miles;) Don't let 'em tell you otherwise either:D

Originally posted by Shadowhawk
I'll get into the Escort I got shafted with a bit later...

The TPS taking 4 times to ID is just shitty teching. I can't recall ever letting a bad one get by me... They're too easy to test. BTW, that convertor is covered under federally required emissions component warranties until 60 or 70k miles;) Don't let 'em tell you otherwise either:D Yeah, after the clutch fiasco I found out my brother has a friend who works at a Ford dealership, so I got the scoop on the warranty break down. As soon as I can fix the cat and other crap (someone broke in about three weeks ago and took my stereo an ****ed up the door) I'm selling it or trading it in or something, but bet your ass it WON'T be a Ford!! I've had all I can ****ing stand!!

I think the warranty is 80k miles on catalytic converters these days, but I'm not 100% sure. The TPS is either careless or inexperienced diagnostics or a lack of communication somewhere between you, the service advisor, and the tech. What was your exact complaint going into the dealership about this? Sometimes we have a hard time understanding what the complaint is, and if the problem is intermittent we'll have a hard time diagnosing it until we get a chance to talk to the customer ourselves to get all the details rather than relying on the service advisor to get the necessary information. A clutch is viewed as a wear item and usually isn't covered after 12k miles or so. The problem with having an outside source handle the work is that it's too easy to blame the next problem on a bad installation. If the dealership handles it, and it turns out that the part was installed wrong they have nobody to blame but themselves so they can't turn you away. It amazes me how many horror stories I hear about Ford's warranty. I work for Hyundai and we don't turn ANYTHING away. There was one guy who came in at 30k miles with a Santa Fe that he'd thrown some chromed 20's on and ended up burning up the clutch. We all knew that it was because of those heavy ass wheels but we still replaced the clutch under warranty. I guess that's why Hyundai techs don't make any money and Ford techs do :(

Up Holden?

I can't speak for Ford techs in your neck of the woods Nic, but around Atlanta they get screwed just as bad as everyone else. I know two ex-Ford dealership engine techs & one ex-body tech who all could tell you horror stories about getting screwed on labor times and all the other typical tech horror stories you hear about everywhere.

It's really funny to me that at a time when the industry is supposedly crying for truly qualified diagnostic technicians that they seem to be going so far out of their way to run everyone out of the field.

We've got a senior master and a master tech in our shop and neither one of them make anywhere near as much as the master tech's at the ford dealership down the street. In addition to that, we typically turn 15-20hr/wk less at Hyundai than the guys do at Ford, but I think our biggest problem is that we've got 5 techs and only have enough work for 3.

Originally posted by JoeyNormal
Up Holden? Uhhh.. what?

That was my first thought when I saw it as well... I guess Joey will pop back in soon enough to explain what he meant:)

Wrek-

Don't discount all Fords...I gotta say the build quality on my mustang is FAR less than the build quality on the numerous Taurus' my family has owned.

I currently own a 97GL and my dad just turned in form a 3 year lease a 98SE. We're now looking at leasing an 01 or 02 SEL.

We've had close to know minor problems with the 4-5 Taurus' we've had over the past 10 years and no major mechanical problems...

I think Ford just makes the build quality on the Mustang shitty...

Originally posted by Manu
Wrek-

Don't discount all Fords...I gotta say the build quality on my mustang is FAR less than the build quality on the numerous Taurus' my family has owned.

I currently own a 97GL and my dad just turned in form a 3 year lease a 98SE. We're now looking at leasing an 01 or 02 SEL.

We've had close to know minor problems with the 4-5 Taurus' we've had over the past 10 years and no major mechanical problems...

I think Ford just makes the build quality on the Mustang shitty...
The Mustang was the only Ford I ever liked to begin with.

I have owned about 30 cars and trucks of every make over the last 20 years and I have found Ford and honda to be about the best over all. I have never owned a new car because I never liked the idea of instant depreciation. I have also heard TONS of dealer/service nightmare stories form just about everyone who have ever bought a new car. I know some guy who went through 2 trannies in his new dodge mini van in the first 3000 miles and another who went through 3 factory motors in his Toyota Land Rover in the first 2 years. Face it, when you buy ANY new car, you take it up the poop shoot in payments and depreciation while also being the guinea pig who irons out all of bugs for the next guy who gets it (like me ;) )

Originally posted by Fordman50
I have owned about 30 cars and trucks of every make over the last 20 years and I have found Ford and honda to be about the best over all. I have never owned a new car because I never liked the idea of instant depreciation. I have also heard TONS of dealer/service nightmare stories form just about everyone who have ever bought a new car. I know some guy who went through 2 trannies in his new dodge mini van in the first 3000 miles and another who went through 3 factory motors in his Toyota Land Rover in the first 2 years. Face it, when you buy ANY new car, you take it up the poop shoot in payments and depreciation while also being the guinea pig who irons out all of bugs for the next guy who gets it (like me ;) ) There are people who have bad experiences with ALL car makers. Think about it this way, someone married the ex-girlfriend who was shitty to you, but does that mean you should go back to her with the hopes that she won't shit on you again? Not me. I'll take my chance elsewhere. I think you're right about one thing though, I'm going used from now on.

I just have to, being Resident Rice and all. GO AND BUY HONDAS! Neener-neerer-neerer! Any import will do. Try my volvo with 250+ miles on it (odo broke at 232,xxx)! Rat bastards think its all about RWD and lots a torque, eh?

Originally posted by ResidentRice
I just have to, being Resident Rice and all. GO AND BUY HONDAS! Neener-neerer-neerer! Any import will do. Try my volvo with 250+ miles on it (odo broke at 232,xxx)! Rat bastards think its all about RWD and lots a torque, eh?

Hey, how many hondas ya see on the road from the 60s? How many stangs? Thats what I thought. :p

All joking aside, I am pretty impressed with the durability of the hondas. Both my sisters own civics and they've had decent luck with them.

Though, I gotta say, in maint/repairs they've had more by 60K miles than my Taurus has needed.

My sister has about 70K into it now, and aside from oil/tires/etc she's put about 2K into maintanence related expenses (rotors, cvboots, etc) I've been not a dime into the taurus.

Careful Manu, It was that exact same comment that got me dragged into the Fight Forum by your friend ;)

I have had 3 volvos and I have to say that they were the worst POS I have ever owned! I kept hearing how great they were so I kept going out and getting them but they all sucked. There Bocsh fuel CV injection is a joke! I also had to do a head job on two of them. Even the HIGHLY paid mechanics at the towns PREMERE Volvo shop secretly admitted to me that "Volvos sucked and that I should give up on them." I swear to God! He says, "look over in the employee lot and see how many Volvos we all drive" I looked over and there was not ONE! All Fords and stuff :cool: :cool: :eek: He also said that the only reason the Volvos got a rep for lasting a long time is because there owners spend a lot of money to make it so. I currently have a 90 Taurus with almost 200k on it that have had no real problems with it EVER BTW

Haha, Fordman. Glad to see your back. I have no beef with you, I think I figured out what kind of humor you had on our little "war" thread. No hate, just love. :D Asssssiiiiian love.

Funny he bought THREE of them if they're such bad cars though... LOL!

BTW, Ian... Hate to tell you, but care to guess who owns a good piece of Volvo?? Hint: Same people that own a big chunk of Jaguar, Mazda and a lil of Rolls Royce too I believe:D

Hehe. I said I'd stop bagging on you, fordman, but I never said I wouldn't laugh when other's gave you a little shot. :)

Originally posted by ResidentRice
Hehe. I said I'd stop bagging on you, fordman, but I never said I wouldn't laugh when other's gave you a little shot. :)

LOL! Nothing like kicking a guy when he's down RR. You should be ashamed of yourself:D

In all fairness, Ford's done wonders for Jaguar's quality. They usd to have some of the shittiest electrical & A/C parts in the business before Ford bought into them. They were using a company called Lucas for those parts before then. BAD things man...

Originally posted by Shadowhawk


LOL! Nothing like kicking a guy when he's down RR. You should be ashamed of yourself:D


Just remember, us ricers never have shame. NEVER.

Originally posted by ResidentRice


Just remember, us ricers never have shame. NEVER.


Well, anybody that would drive a Volvo and call himself a Ricer sure doesn't, LOL!:D

Exactly.

Honestly I think we're just going to have to change your callsign to RiceWannabe or ResidentIdentityCrisis if you can't gitcha a legit piece of rice before too much longer:D

So, if you slapped a box wing and some neons on a Volvo, that'd qualify, right?

Originally posted by jwreck
So, if you slapped a box wing and some neons on a Volvo, that'd qualify, right?

Only with some riced tail lights and some big 'Nihongo' decals:D:D

OH! And it would have to be a Station Wagon to start out with, which sounds about RR's style anyway:D :eek: :p

Originally posted by Shadowhawk


Only with some riced tail lights and some big 'Nihongo' decals:D:D

OH! And it would have to be a Station Wagon to start out with, which sounds about RR's style anyway:D :eek: :p Don't knock wagons man. I got a lot of tail in my dad's 83 Cutlass Wagon!! Actually, my first drag race was that car vs my friends dads wagon!! Oh the memories.

Originally posted by jwreck
Don't knock wagons man. I got a lot of tail in my dad's 83 Cutlass Wagon!! Actually, my first drag race was that car vs my friends dads wagon!! Oh the memories.

LMAO! Shall we all start singing the theme to 'The Brady Bunch' then?:D

Wagon = OK

Riced Wagon = beyond gay:D

Originally posted by Shadowhawk


LMAO! Shall we all start singing the theme to 'The Brady Bunch' then?:D

Wagon = OK

Riced Wagon = beyond gay:D It even had the fake wood panels on the sides!!! Heres a story..

Originally posted by jwreck
It even had the fake wood panels on the sides!!! Heres a story..

Heck, the OLD 'woodies' are classics:D

Originally posted by Shadowhawk


Heck, the OLD 'woodies' are classics:D Yeah the OLD woodies are. The late 70's early 80's fake woodgrain is a classic JOKE!!! Can you say T A C K Y !!!:eek:

Yeah, no kidding... Not to mention BADLY prone to rust underneath the fake panelling:(

Just an update. Turned out to be a cracked exhaust manifold, not the cat. Luckily, my friend is going to pull some strings and get it done under warranty. He says he's seen MANY low mileage 3.8s with cracked manifolds. ****ing Ford.

Wow, that sucks Jwreck!

There is a recall on uhm... 96-98 4.6 intake manifolds... PLASTIC! Can you believe that!

My Aunt's tbird just had her 4.6 replaced recently due to a busted rod.

Btw... do you ever take your Mustang to the track? We visited Houston Raceway Park tonight... my car isn't ready, but my husband took his oinker (3383lbs) to the track :)

Cristina-

Originally posted by buggy
Wow, that sucks Jwreck!

There is a recall on uhm... 96-98 4.6 intake manifolds... PLASTIC! Can you believe that!

My Aunt's tbird just had her 4.6 replaced recently due to a busted rod.

Btw... do you ever take your Mustang to the track? We visited Houston Raceway Park tonight... my car isn't ready, but my husband took his oinker (3383lbs) to the track :)

Cristina- No, everytime I start to think I'm going to mod it to actually have any balls (it is a six) something else goes wrong with it. The only mod it has is a short throw shifter. As reliable as it is, I wouldn't even drive it TO Baytown, much less run it when I got it there. I'm through with it. I'm buying something else n the next couple of weeks.

All I have to say is that the quality of my old mustang was crap. But my 86 Taurus was a beast, and my new escort has never been in the shop (knocks on wood). So not all ford's are prone to breaking down. So don't juge all fords just on the mustang.

Originally posted by jwreck
No, everytime I start to think I'm going to mod it to actually have any balls (it is a six) something else goes wrong with it. The only mod it has is a short throw shifter. As reliable as it is, I wouldn't even drive it TO Baytown, much less run it when I got it there. I'm through with it. I'm buying something else n the next couple of weeks.

Whatcha gettin'?

Hopefully a jeep. All depends on trade-in. I've had sports cars since I was 15. Think I'll try something new. I'm really tired of not being able to go anywhere anytime it floods a little (you know often that happens). I'm also tired of cops following me all the damn time. :mad: I had a roomate that had a Jeep once, that thing was FUN to drive. I'll keep ya posted.

Ooo... I love Jeeps. What kind? Wrangler or Cherokee? I had a 2000 Jeep Cherokee Classic! I still miss it. It had an issue after a while... it would vibrate when you went past speeds of 65 or so. It never got resolved. Very annoying since I wanted to keep it. I've a 2001 Ford Explorer (5.0)... took a bit to get used to since it's so top heavy, but it's great now!

Wrangler, baby. ;) But of course.