📝 UPDATE Dec 12th: My Letter to the Ford Executive Team: Submitted Customer Feedback Proposal and Response

[JimL]

I’m sticking my neck out on this one, but I took delivery of a 2022 Ford Maverick a few weeks ago. Made in Mexico at the same factory as the Bronco Sport. So far, I have been impressed. More impressed than I was with the cosmetics of the dealer’s Bronco mannequins with paint drips. For a cheap truck, it seems pretty solid. I have yet to read of major issues on the forums and Facebook.

Maybe enough Mavericks haven’t been delivered for problems to show or perhaps the kinks were worked out on the Escape and Bronco Sport sharing the same architecture.

Or just maybe Ford has a serious cultural and leadership issue at the U.S. assembly plants resulting in egregious quality issues not being caught.This is the first place I’d start if I was putting together a case study for the Harvard Business Review! But I’m sure those execs get paid to know this.

As much as it chafes my hindquarters to buy a vehicle not made in the US, I have to admit, the Hermisillo-built 2010 Fusion Sport I bought new gave me 168,000 wonderful carefree miles, until it was totalled. That thing was built magnificently.

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[Tornado_735]

Since you work for a dealer, question. Why does the marketing team always say y'all have more info than they do? I have been in constant contact with mine throughout the whole process and he has always given me good intel but is always complaining that corporate/MAP wont tell him much of anything else. Are y'all really able "to get more info," or are they just saying that (they prob are)?

That's an answer I don't have. That has to do with Sales, I'm in Service. I get my information the same way y'all do: by pestering the sales staff and manager. Actually, I've stopped bothering the manager so much since I found out the Administrator here posts the build schedules. Much to his relief, I'm sure.

 

[BRBUSTER72]

Pretty simple. Weed is legal in MI.

NOUGH SAID!

 

[mcrank]

I wrote this e-mail to top level Ford Executives early this morning, as the Safety, Manf. & Quality issues escaping are bothering me:

"Dear Ford Executive Team,

I am writing to you today about an alarming and ever-growing list of manufacturing and quality defects related to the new Bronco, as posted by Bronco6g Forum members. Please spend some time reading this note, and viewing the attached pictures.

I am a retired Boeing Quality Leader, with 31 years of experience in Engineering, Manf & QMS, including Global Supply Chain. I have a Bronco WildTrak on order that has been reserved since July 14, 2020, and while I am excited to receive it, I am very concerned about the magnitude of safety and quality issues escaping Ford's QMS.

Let's talk about Safety first:

Customers are stranded on the road because radiator coolant hoses are rubbing on pulleys due to unfastened/loose clamps, or, wire harnesses are rubbing on the drive train because clamps are missing. Another was stranded because an alternator belt was installed smooth side down. Yet another had total loss of power because the Negative Battery Terminal was extremely loose. Repetitive reports of loose screws in the fuse blocks (pic attached).

Issues with the MIC 2.0 Hardtop are still rampant. Air pockets/delam, snakeskin, sharp edges cutting owners, significant water intrusion, gaps and seal issues, whistling to name a few.

One Customer received Black Diamond front seats and Badlands back seats. (Pic attached). Another had a hybrid driver's seat: Navy Pier back with Black vinyl front (pic attached).

Missing paint on the interior of the tailgate and fuel door (pic attached), as well as door hinges.

The items listed above are just a small sampling of recent Safety, Manf/Quality issues new Bronco Customers are experiencing. Below is my comprehensive checklist I will be using when I take delivery. These are all issues posted on the Bronco6g forum.

[This is where I inserted contents of my checklist I have been posting as of Nov 29th]. Ref: https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/pre-delivery-self-qc-checklist.29467/#post-999227

Thank you for your time and consideration of my e-mail; I know you all must have very full plates. I welcome your responses, and, if there is anything I can help with please let me know.

Sincerely,

Cat
2 Dr WildTrak, Prod Scheduled week of 12/20/2021.
Order# 5203; VIN 1FMDE5CP4NLA74127"

Thirteen hours later, I received a call from Ford's Executive Office, expressing concern and they are taking this feedback very seriously. My e-mail has been making the rounds, and has been forwarded to Manufacturing for their investigation and resolution of each item to prevent recurrence. The Executive I spoke with agreed these issues should not have left Ford's Quality Management System.

Sometimes, in big manufacturing companies, the Executives don't get alot of feedback directly from their end-users. When they do, improvement actions can be swift. Let's hope this is the case with Ford.

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This is absolutely brilliant. GOOD ON YOU for doing that---and thanks, on behalf of all of us, for doing so. I'm pretty sure they were taken aback at receiving this information in your email. I'm a loan auditor myself, so my job is looking for errors, fraud, etc. So, were I to receive my WildTrak, that is to be built in January, with mismatching seats like that, I think I'd blow a gasket. So, once again, brilliant. Let's hope some changes are made immediately!

 

[TheWoo]

There are a lot of reasons people complain about Ford:

1. Just to bitch
2. Upset about things Ford has minimal ability to control (global supply chain failures, government mandated coronavirus shutdowns, etc.)
3. Insane expectations ("I've been waiting for a year, so I should get $20,000 off and a free tow package!")
4. Upset about things Ford has somewhat limited ability to control (dealers being shitty, not enough hard tops being built, etc.)
5. Upset about things Ford has complete control over and can absolutely fix (build quality, communications, customer service calls, the reservation system, etc.)

It's not reasonable to be constantly trashing Ford about the first four bullet points. They can be taken to task to an extent about #4, but these are tough to address quickly.

It's also not reasonable for Ford apologists to treat the fifth bullet point as if it's the same as the first four. Things that Ford controls will only get fixed when their customers incentivize them to do so. Pointing out real problems isn't the same thing as saying the Bronco is a worthless piece of shit. There are lots of companies that do these things right, and I think Ford wants to get them right. It's not an impossible ask.

This is an excellent post. Also appreciate Cat's approach to this, which was to write a succinct, thorough, and rational/professional communication to people who can do something about it. Yelling into the abyss (which is what venting on a forum is) won't change things. Sometimes it's cathartic, though.

 

[Missy_Fussy]

@Cat nicely done! I too am a lean six sigma black belt, and the quality issues here have me cringing. I have yet to plob down reservation yet as I keep thinking, it has to get better right?

first thing I thought was the lack of lean/six sigma going on in the Ford assembly lines... it definitley would never hit the 0.00001 defect threshhold, which americans are not used to... we are accustomed to 100 defects per 1000 vehicles...

 

[Missy_Fussy]

This makes me think of something…. Maybe some of the production line employees are doing these things on “purpose”in order for to get attention to delve a deeper investigation on things that they’re cutting corners on, and this is their way of showing it…..so to speak??? Food for thought…

 

[Carolina Jim]

I wrote this e-mail to top level Ford Executives early this morning, as the Safety, Manf. & Quality issues escaping are bothering me:

Cat, Seems likely Ford will fly you to Dearborn for further discussions. Try to clarify the oil overfill situation....I PM'd the Ford forum rep & got this response:

ME:
I'm hoping you can answer an oil question on my 2.7L. Just had my dealer complete an oil change after 1,100 break-in miles. They did the drain & 7-quart add per Ford's spec. I had asked the dealer's tech to also do a dip stick check after completion; he did, and was happy with the reading.

Next day before cranking I did a dipstick check; mine dipstick is stamped FT4E-6750-BF D454A. My reading is right in the middle of the twist - which is quite a bit above the max-fill mark.

Granted there are not a lot of Broncos changing oil yet...but there is quite a dust-up on this forum about it, because everyone is experiencing this same thing. Some opine Ford's statement on 7-quart capacity is wrong; others opine the dipstick itself fails to account for the larger pan Bronco utilizes.

Can you please clarify this situation. Many thanks

FORD: Good afternoon, Jim. We appreciate you reaching back out to about your Bronco’s oil levels. This is a great question for the folks at your local Ford dealership. They are in the best position to assist regarding any technical concerns about your Bronco. You can find a local dealer by using the Dealer Locator tool at the following link: https://owner.ford.com/service/dealer-locator.html. Have a great rest of your day!

Will S Ford Social Media Team

ME: Thanks Will....Dealers are just as confused as forum members. The problem is that Ford has said things that are mutually exclusive (they can't ALL be true):

1. Bronco oil capacity is 7 quarts

2. Don't overfill beyond the 'max' mark on the dipstick

The problem is you/dealer can follow ONE of those instructions - but not BOTH

FORD: You're welcome. I recommend continuing to work with your dealer, as they are truly in the best position to provide you further assistance with your Bronco's oil levels. Thank you for your patience, Jim.

Will S Ford Social Media Team

 

[Missy_Fussy]

And yet it's important enough for you to become a member at the forum and post regularly. It's clear the brand Ford is dear enough to your heart for you to spend time typing posts apologizing for them. Thanks for your opinion but we don't need Blue Oval apologists to tell us what's important to us.

 

[Rover72]

Cat, Seems likely Ford will fly you to Dearborn for further discussions. Try to clarify the oil overfill situation....I PM'd the Ford forum rep & got this response:

ME:
I'm hoping you can answer an oil question on my 2.7L. Just had my dealer complete an oil change after 1,100 break-in miles. They did the drain & 7-quart add per Ford's spec. I had asked the dealer's tech to also do a dip stick check after completion; he did, and was happy with the reading.

Next day before cranking I did a dipstick check; mine dipstick is stamped FT4E-6750-BF D454A. My reading is right in the middle of the twist - which is quite a bit above the max-fill mark.

Granted there are not a lot of Broncos changing oil yet...but there is quite a dust-up on this forum about it, because everyone is experiencing this same thing. Some opine Ford's statement on 7-quart capacity is wrong; others opine the dipstick itself fails to account for the larger pan Bronco utilizes.

Can you please clarify this situation. Many thanks

FORD: Good afternoon, Jim. We appreciate you reaching back out to about your Bronco’s oil levels. This is a great question for the folks at your local Ford dealership. They are in the best position to assist regarding any technical concerns about your Bronco. You can find a local dealer by using the Dealer Locator tool at the following link: https://owner.ford.com/service/dealer-locator.html. Have a great rest of your day!

Will S Ford Social Media Team

ME: Thanks Will....Dealers are just as confused as forum members. The problem is that Ford has said things that are mutually exclusive (they can't ALL be true):

1. Bronco oil capacity is 7 quarts

2. Don't overfill beyond the 'max' mark on the dipstick

The problem is you/dealer can follow ONE of those instructions - but not BOTH

FORD: You're welcome. I recommend continuing to work with your dealer, as they are truly in the best position to provide you further assistance with your Bronco's oil levels. Thank you for your patience, Jim.

Will S Ford Social Media Team

Ford obviously does not care about end customer satisfaction when leaving it totally to the dealer network, which obviously does not have access to Ford product engineers who should know the answer to this question. Many forum members are unable to obtain this answer even after asking their respective dealers, as Ford is directing. What's wrong with this picture?

 

[Booback]

I wrote this e-mail to top level Ford Executives early this morning, as the Safety, Manf. & Quality issues escaping are bothering me:

"Dear Ford Executive Team,

I am writing to you today about an alarming and ever-growing list of manufacturing and quality defects related to the new Bronco, as posted by Bronco6g Forum members. Please spend some time reading this note, and viewing the attached pictures.

I am a retired Boeing Quality Leader, with 31 years of experience in Engineering, Manf & QMS, including Global Supply Chain. I have a Bronco WildTrak on order that has been reserved since July 14, 2020, and while I am excited to receive it, I am very concerned about the magnitude of safety and quality issues escaping Ford's QMS.

Let's talk about Safety first:

Customers are stranded on the road because radiator coolant hoses are rubbing on pulleys due to unfastened/loose clamps, or, wire harnesses are rubbing on the drive train because clamps are missing. Another was stranded because an alternator belt was installed smooth side down. Yet another had total loss of power because the Negative Battery Terminal was extremely loose. Repetitive reports of loose screws in the fuse blocks (pic attached).

Issues with the MIC 2.0 Hardtop are still rampant. Air pockets/delam, snakeskin, sharp edges cutting owners, significant water intrusion, gaps and seal issues, whistling to name a few.

One Customer received Black Diamond front seats and Badlands back seats. (Pic attached). Another had a hybrid driver's seat: Navy Pier back with Black vinyl front (pic attached).

Missing paint on the interior of the tailgate and fuel door (pic attached), as well as door hinges.

The items listed above are just a small sampling of recent Safety, Manf/Quality issues new Bronco Customers are experiencing. Below is my comprehensive checklist I will be using when I take delivery. These are all issues posted on the Bronco6g forum.

[This is where I inserted contents of my checklist I have been posting as of Nov 29th]. Ref: https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/pre-delivery-self-qc-checklist.29467/#post-999227

Thank you for your time and consideration of my e-mail; I know you all must have very full plates. I welcome your responses, and, if there is anything I can help with please let me know.

Sincerely,

Cat
2 Dr WildTrak, Prod Scheduled week of 12/20/2021.
Order# 5203; VIN 1FMDE5CP4NLA74127"

Thirteen hours later, I received a call from Ford's Executive Office, expressing concern and they are taking this feedback very seriously. My e-mail has been making the rounds, and has been forwarded to Manufacturing for their investigation and resolution of each item to prevent recurrence. The Executive I spoke with agreed these issues should not have left Ford's Quality Management System.

Sometimes, in big manufacturing companies, the Executives don't get alot of feedback directly from their end-users. When they do, improvement actions can be swift. Let's hope this is the case with Ford.

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Able to share the email address so we can write to them directly about how reservation holders are being handled? 500+ days……

 

[Wanted33]

@Cat Job well done. Since you have their attention, and you know the correct words to get them moving maybe you could help a bunch of us out. If you get a chance (and only if you want too) mention to them how their new Bronco allocation formula for '22 made liars out of Ford and put their customers that have reservations at small dealers last. Keep up the good work. I do hope we see improvement with these needless quality issues we've been seeing.


@subshooter thouched on this, and here's my experience.
Working for a Fortune 500 company in my second life I know that the top dogs are sometimes insulated from these type problems. Mainly because the mid to lower level management doesn't want their leaders to know they can't do the job. I would love to be a fly on the wall when that meeting starts. I've been in one of those meetings as a peon, and they ain't purdy.

 

[Cat]

Congrats on your perfect Bronco but there are others who’ve had less than perfect experiences. He did this for the Bronco community and deserves a thank you!!

"She", actually. "She", did it for the community! <cheeky grin>

 

[RoLyMa27]

And yet it's important enough for you to become a member at the forum and post regularly. It's clear the brand Ford is dear enough to your heart for you to spend time typing posts apologizing for them. Thanks for your opinion but we don't need Blue Oval apologists to tell us what's important to us.

HeavyD, at no time did I "tell" you or anyone else for that matter, what is or is not important! I clearly am describing myself! Now, if you infer that my statement applies to you then that's on you! And since you called me out, I will add that if this vehicle launch and all of it's ups and down has you in a tizzy and you find yourself cussing and screaming at Ford as you bang away at your keyboard...

 

[sgraing1]

Call me skeptical ,maybe even jaded...............Six Sigma is a novel concept at Ford.Just a fancy catch phrase and something people attain certification for to put in their resume.

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