Ford Hits Major Pothole With 2012 Consumer Reports Reliability Survey

[YesMAN]

Originally Posted by Phokus

http://news.consumerreports.org/cars...able-cars.html

Ok so here's my beef with this.
What the hell is with this list?

See how the Explorer is listed twice? Now look at how the Focus is listed with hatchback.
Does that imply the sedan is more "reliable" ?

I mean the Explorer V6 4WD was listed differently from the V6 2WD that means the other Explorers are ok? Meaning the 4cyl is fine and maybe the Ecoboost V6 too
Also by the way, I have to say.. the Explorer's front end is ugly as hell.. lol

Just logged in to CR to check out the details. Yes I subscribe to CR online - but not for car ratings. I agree they are biased.

The Focus sedan scores "excellent" in the vast majority of categories and "good" in the rest except for "transmission minor" and "audio system" in which it scores "poor".

The hatchback scores one tick below the sedan in the following categories for whatever reason: suspension, paint / trim, squeaks & rattles and power equipment. I guess these lower scores explain why the hatchback only is on the bottom 10 list.

What surprises me most is the sedan's excellent rating under squeaks & rattles. Mine has several squeaks and rattles and they appear to be chronic based on many other posts here reporting the same ones.

[lddavis]

The original article did note that it was MFT and the DCT that were responsible for most of the issues. I

'd agree that the MFT stuff isn't exactly "reliability" in the sense of critical problems for long-term ownership -- but it certainly would be annoying if it didn't work. Since the scores are accumulations of past data, it's not clear how MFT software updates affect the ratings.

As for the DCT -- well, I bought a manual, in part to avoid those problems. That particular part isn't Ford's best job.

[xxMichaelAnthony]

Originally Posted by flyboyike

Once you drive a Toyota, you never stop.

Originally Posted by mjd4277

Unless you crash and burn!

Originally Posted by WiscoGTI

And are too stupid to shut the car off.

I'll aways drive a Ford. I dont care what these reports say. It sounds like they are basing it purely on MFT system issues and minor things that people are nitpicking at.

[azdamay]

I saw this and I knew ultimately it was going to concern MFT. Some may consider lowering Ford's reliability rating based on MFT unfair to Ford, but when a company makes a decision to put a system like that in their cars, and it doesn't work (properly) that's a big deal. This isn't sticky window cranks, this is a major system of the car and the method for controlling other systems. It should work.

[whynotthinkwhynot]

Yeah, thanks MS, way to be like you always are. Raise your hand if you want your car to run like a Dell....... waiting......... still waiting......Beuller?

We also have the DCT woes in the Fiesta/Focus, and a whole slew of new models. I know, most of those DCT woes are not real problems, but unfortunately the flood of uninitiated DCT owners going into dealers is making the dealers susceptible to treating every case like it's just another customer who doesn't understand the inherent differences between the DCT and hyd ATs. Real problems get swept under the rug, and that makes for very unhappy customers who then encourage people who are just not adjusting to the DCT into believing that they have a larger problem. Of course, that can't be fixed- can it?

[cbdallas]

Some of the complaints are valid, and some are in regard to traits of a DCT that will always exist. "Smoothness" isn't its forte, when compared to a transmission with a torque converter. But....the grinding and rattling issue isn't a trait of a well-designed DCT. There's plenty of proof on Youtube of some really horrible noises people are tolerating, and this is the issue Ford needs to address, along with the crap input/output seals that are causing clutchpack problems. I'm a little mystified that this isn't of more concern to Consumer Reports than a buggy MFT. Ford needs to step up on this transmission before their reputation lands back in the toilet.

[lyonsroar]

the DSG in my VW is pretty darn smooth...a hiccup every once and a while, but no jerky nothing

[ducrider]

Even recently, I see Focuses advertised as "automatic" trans cars. It's the dealers that need training, and need to know how to respond to customers. When I bought my early 2012 Focus (5-speed manual) I noted to the salesman that I suspected there would be issues with the automated-manual transmissions, and he seemed unsure what I was talking about. There needs to be education all up and down the line. Europeans probably understand the mechanics better than Americans do.