What is with all the recalls?

[crispaul77]

I don't understand this vehicle is not a complete overhaul they've been making it for 60 years yet there's several recalls already? Come on Ford what's going on and the price keeps going up? I thought they were focusing more on quality which they should have been from day 1.

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[erocker]

Several recalls? That's news to me! What recalls?

 

[JAM486HP]

I prefer few annoying recalls, rather than failures they don't announce or take responsibility for.

 

[Karguy]

Several recalls? That's news to me! What recalls?

Like the 8161 manual trans Mustangs recalled for fire risks…Could be a real dark horse even if you bought a GT…

 

[Q6543]

Recalls are calculated by the company to be cheaper than doing everything perfect the first time

perfection is the enemy of great…. And we have a great new mustang

Recalls are addressed “in process “ just like on the line.

 

[Skye]

My thoughts on the topic:

In very broad terms, it takes two things:

- A serious commitment from the leadership of the company

- Making the tools and resources necessary to fix the root cause of those problems

The first point I think is pretty easy. There are processes, ways and cultures that can be embedded within a company, creating a standard across lines or divisions.

The second I suspect is what's plaguing Ford, CSX, Boeing, other companies making the news these days.

Ford spends $4B a year on recall repairs. They seem to be pretty good at identifying the root cause of those problems. But I have serious doubt as to if they are making the necessary resources available to prevent the issues from occurring in the first place, or even some of the fixes themselves (see Bronco injector "repair").

In the short-term, Ford will continue to spend $4B on recalls. To bring that number down, they might need to re-arrange some assembly, design or engineering processes. These fixes might not bring about still more costs. But others can.

Many of the recalls I've read of involve a poorly-designed part. In order to prevent those recall-related, premature failures, the item needs to use better materials, have more exact tolerances or a more involved manufacturing and assembly process, all of which cost money.

"Hey everyone, we spend $0 on recalls now! Hooray! But it costs the company $5B to design, create and assemble a better product. Doh....."

There's no one single event, person or year, but over the last several decades really, publicaly-listed companies have begun idolizing Wall Street. "How are we going to make our numbers this quarter."

I'm pretty idealistic. Money is cool and all, but when I log into 7G and want to read about something I make, I want to hear how much people love it.

There's trade-offs to any of these decisions. You have to be profitable. You have to make enough to continue to sustain operations, invest in development and possibly grow. But, there's like a balance. IMO, several companies have tilted to far into one direction.

Most Fortune 500 and especially Fortune 100 companies look more and more to Wall Street, promoting their quarterly numbers. Instead of looking out several years in the future into what the company could be, with some peaks and valleys along the way, it's now more about how you can do better still than three or four months ago.

Ford is not an isolated incident. Look at Boeing. Boeing has had several significant, QC-related failures. Each time a new CEO is brought on-board, an announcement is made, and...nothing changes. Ford and Boeing are not the only companies where this is an issue.

Computers, vehicles, jets, medical devices and other products are complicated. There will be failures. But, it's been another step down (see also consulting, outsourcing, loss of customer service, cost-benefit analysis involving the use of a poorly-created item in a product, shrinkflation, etc.).

I'd rather take less profit and have a product people love. Long-term, I feel that suits all of us better. Others, think differently. To the consumer, that could involve paying more for the product. Not everyone is willing to pay more, and that's cool. There's always going to be a bit of going back-and-forth. A bit less profit. A bit more cost when buying.

Short-term, you keep making your numbers and propel the stock price higher. Long-term, less and less people come back and buy the product.

vs.

Short-term, you take a financial hit and reduce expectations while investing towards the future. Long-term, people become enamored with your product, promote it for you and keep buying.

My thoughts anyway. YMMV.

 

[Dxm]

Several recalls? That's news to me! What recalls?

Check the app. go to "service". There you'll find an inconspicuous "Active alert(s)" warning. Very nice, how you would never even think of checking there. I would not have seen it if it weren't for the trending thread about the clutch line catching fire.

 

[Zig]

Like the 8161 manual trans Mustangs recalled for fire risks…Could be a real dark horse even if you bought a GT…

8 minus 1 is 7, six plus one is seven, 7th gen. 🥸

 

[Mike Pfeifer]

As a BMW tech, on any given day, probably close to half of my work is recalls. They seem to have exponentially exploded ever since the Toyota floor mat thing. It’s industry wide.

 

[Wiley Marmot]

8 minus 1 is 7, six plus one is seven, 7th gen. 🥸

Man! That can't possibly be a coincidence! You need to get that **** on one of those conspiracy reality shows or podcasts! Dollars to donuts s or s are involved!

 

[roadpilot]

What is with all the recalls?

"All the recallS"?

I'm only aware of one, and it doesn't include my DH.

Can you please identify "all the recallS" you are referring to?

 

[crispaul77]

Ok so maybe not all have been fully addressed yet as recalls but a lot of people on here with the new model are complaining a lot about this vehicle noises, mis-aligned body pieces, just alot of complaints so far.

 

[Zig]

Man! That can't possibly be a coincidence! You need to get that **** on one of those conspiracy reality shows or podcasts! Dollars to donuts s or s are involved!

Six gears plus one driver.

 

[roadpilot]

Ok so maybe not all have been fully addressed yet as recalls

Recalls are safety related. There has only been one that I am aware of. Ford will not issue a recall, nor will the NTSB force them to, for non-safety related complaints, as they don't care if your panel gaps are not to your satisfaction or that your paint job has some bubbles.

but a lot of people on here with the new model are complaining a lot about this vehicle noises, mis-aligned body pieces, just alot of complaints so far.

Yup. Happens all day, every day, with most mass-produced vehicles.

 

[Karguy]

Recalls are never good because they tarnish a brands reputation for producing a quality product and cost frustration , time & money on both sides manufacturer and consumer…Ford lead the recall list in 2023 and is leading in 2024 so far…

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