You probably weren't that far from the 44K you have the XLT so I would say your sticker was still somewhere in the 31-34 range.

I got the FX4 it was like 36 or 37, yea that is 7 or 8 thou but it really seems closer than any of would like it to be.

I looked at a few Lariat 04 150 Screws at the time, they were going for 42K on the sticker, that was 2 years ago.

 

If Ford does not work extremely hard on turning their dealers around and their customer service around you can stick a fork in Ford because they’ll be just about done pretty soon…

Ford also needs to get on board first with the new market of aftermarket parts, performance parts, and tuning and start offering these items and services at very competitive prices as this is a wave of new business and a way of maintaining a good chunk of their current base of customers.

Ford needs to realize a very simple fact which is Ford dealerships ARE FORD and not privately owned entities that do can do as they please and treat people as they please. Sure private owners may own dealerships but Ford needs to make them into franchises with rules and regulations they MUST adhere to PERIOD!

Lastly they need to focus on and produce QUALITY product and then STAND BEHIND that quality product. In the 80’s Ford and other American auto makers got most business due to “some” improved quality but mostly because of customer service. Since customer service is just about null and quality is lacking behind other brands such as Toyota Ford has a LOT of catch up to do.

One finally note is Ford needs to clear out about 80% of their design teams and hire new young help to improve most the vehicles they have. The Mustang was a hit and the Fusion is a good step in the right direction but other then that everything else is very boring and since the quality and customer service is not there to back up the boring it’s just not going to do it for Ford.

Ford’s on their last leg, they need customer service, quality, fresh designs, and do everything they possibly can to rid themselves of a very unproductive and costly union. If they can’t then ship all the manufacturing across the border as they will be able to get it done. Anybody that can breathe can assemble a vehicle all they need is correct processes, procedures, and equipment…

 

[QUOTE=mountaineer02v8]
They're still trucks, and overpriced...
Come on man, do you think I would have been able to get a 2006 F-150 SuperCrew XLT for $21,000 when the sticker said $31,000 if they weren't over priced? They might be priced competitively, but the competition is marking theirs down too. An employe of mine bought a Ram Quad cab in 2004 and paid $16,000 for it, brand new. James Wood Chevrolet in Denton has Crew Cab Silverados for $19,995.00.

While there is no argument that trucks have improved, they are still a cab in front of a box. No much has changed in the last 50 years, other than the addition of extended and now crew cabs. Park a 2006 GMC Sierra Extended cab pickup next to a 1991 GMC Sierra Extended cab pick up, and show me where there are $14,000 worth of improvements. You can't... That's why I say they're over priced, toys...

People drive trucks now because they are "perceived" as being safer vehicles. In many ways they are, low speed fender benders, trucks always fare better. Perception is 9/10ths reality- but for the 1/10th that's the truth, one must do research, and in doing that research you'll find in high speed wrecks, people die in trucks at equal or greater frequency to cars, because trucks tend to roll over. They're less stable than cars so, and because there is generally no weight on the back, trucks tend to hydroplane more in wet conditions, leading to spin outs, and side-impact hits, and/or rollovers.

Another reason there are more "trucks" on the road than cars, is because the definition of "truck' has been blurrred. The term "trucks" now include SUV's, whether those SUV's are truck based (Tahoe, Expedition, Suburban, Sequoia) or car (Minivan) based (Highlander, RX300, MDX, Pacifica, MKX, and many more...).

Nevertheless, "value" is in the wallet of the beholder. No matter what, I haven't seen a truck yet that's worth $40,000 in my book. No matter how much lipstick you put on that pig, it's still a truck. Trucks may be far more capable than a car when it comes to off-road travel, towing, cargo, etc., but at the end of the day, somebody, somewhere, is throwing a load of manure in the back of one; for that reason, it should never be in the same "class" as a luxury car. (I don't believe any car is worth $40,000 either)

They're not worth $40K in Ford's eyes either, otherwise they wouldn't be trimming that much off the MSRP. The same employee I told you about with the '04 Ram, had an F-250 SuperDuty before that, and he paid $24,000 for it.

There isn't much you can do to a truck, to justify a $20,000 price difference, especially when that 20K will plunge like a water-filled submarine on resale because it's probably all tied to aftermarket accessories.

But, from what I hear, Ford doesn't take much off on the Super Duties... I never purchased one, so I can't say for sure...

 

Looks to me like they already have by extending warranty coverage. I'm sure they will match GM's 100,000 mile warranty in the near future.

 

Wasn't Ford going to 'value pricing' this year where they were supposed to price their vehicles MSRP a lot closer to what they expect to sell the vehicle at? I haven't been in the market for a new vehicle, so I haven't been paying very close attention, but it does seem like there has been less cash rebates offered this model year. If so this should help atleast as far as seeing $40,000 trucks going off the lot for less then 25k.

Ultimately, between Ford and Chevy, the company that is able to reinvent itself the closest to the 'mold' of Honda/Toyota will be the one to succeed which means selling cars that are cheap, reliable, safe, and fuel-efficient, not big, fast, and flashy with all of the bling-bling like we'd all like to see. As a result, Ford's recovery may be one of those situations where they have to take a step backwards before they can take a step forwards.

 

I do expect the rebates to go up once they get rid of most of the 06's. It's early in the model year for them to go too crazy on rebates and deals.

 

Aphuckingmen to that!!!!!!!!!

 

how bout them desighning a head that can hold a spark plug normally rather then having them blow out or get seized in.

 

Ford really needs to work on its dealers. The complaints here on the board mirror my own dealership ordeals. I like my truck, but after having a 2001, 2003, this 2005 might be my last F-150. Main reason: the dealerships that I have had to deal with. Everything from the service departments to the sales people. Just a couple of points:

1) When I purchased this truck, I had the dealer find the truck, bring it in, and fax me the buyers’ agreement. I talked to the salesman, made sure that he understood that time was important and that all I wanted to do was bring in the check, sign the few documents and out the door. Mail the title when everything clears. No problem, right? It took 2-1/2 hours to get thru their system. Just to sign a few pieces of paper. WTF???? To add insult to injury, when the title did not show up after almost a month and the temp plate was ready to expire, I called the salesman to find out what was going on. 3 times. When I finally got him, he had to talk to the office. To make a long story short, there was a sales tax problem [I live in one state, but bought it in another. Where they going to call me? Nope, I had to contact them….and then go out with another check for the tax. More time wasted. Overall rating: F-

2) An uncle purchased a new Lincoln for his wife. After recalls, warranty screw-ups, car being retuned to them dirty with fingerprints on the leather, and just all around bad customer service, he traded the car with 7k miles for a new Cadillac. The Cadillac dealer went out of his way: free loaners, free car washes, and just a caring attitude for the customer. Due to the dealer service alone, he traded his car and bought one from them.

3) A friend has a Honda Civic: base model that he uses for transportation to an industrial facility, so having a nice car for this does not make any sense. There was a minor problem that had to be fixed: they had a loaner [new accord] ready for him when he dropped off his car. If he was unable to get back before the service department closed, the gm could take car of everything. We picked up his car; it was cleaned, washed, and ready to go. Elapsed time at the dealer was about 20 minutes total, 10 of which we looked at new cars.

I would be willing to pay a little more for the service. Cars/trucks will have problems, and I can deal with that. What I do expect is to be treated nicely, the vehicle fixed and not to have to fight it out like the O-K Corral every time I have to go to the dealer. Based on my dealer experiences, my next truck might not be a Ford->saying that they are still in business in a year.

Woof
Bowser

PS: A 5 speed auto or ever a 6 speed would be better.....

 

The only disagreement I have with your post is I am NOT willing to pay a penny more for service. There is NO reason whatsoever any of us should have to pay a penny more for service when we DESERVE to be treated as a paying customer that are the SOLE people responsible for Ford being in business.

It’s not Ford management, its not Ford stock holders, and its sure not Ford manufacturing employees that are responsible for Ford being in business. There is ONLY one entity responsible for Ford, or any other business for that matter, being in business and that is the paying customer. Without a paying customer none of Ford would exist and that includes those who own shares in Ford.

We customers are the highest person in the chain, well above stock holders, management etc and thus deserved to be treated as such. That goes for dealerships equally as well since they are the lowest in the chain since they provide no value added benefits to the product. They simply take money, fill out paperwork, and correct screw-ups due to poor designs, cheap products used in production, and lousy quality control in the manufacturing process.

I am starting to get sick of hearing Ford’s stupid commercials about “Bold Move’s”. If Ford had a brain they would be making “Common Sense Move’s”. While they can not turn out new designs overnight, or correct quality control issues in manufacturing overnight they could very easily change customer service overnight with a simple memo to Ford Customer Service, or Care what ever they call that empty office and to ALL their dealerships.

Dealerships that don’t receive at least a 90% good rating from customers will no longer receive any Ford vehicles to sale and there should be NO surveys from dealers. The surveys should come to the customer straight from Ford and sent back straight to Ford and let the dealerships sweat it out for the end of the month results to see if they still have a business to run. Perform or you’re FIRED!!!

The other thing Ford could do overnight is begin paying for warranty repairs at full price and provide loaner or rental vehicles to customers free of charge. To help cover those costs they can cut top management’s salary by 30% - 50% overnight as well. Perform or you’re FIRED!!!!

 

I work for the world's largest appliance manufacturer. I happened to be a customer service supervisor for this company. We supervisors do not make the policy that is to be enforced over the phone, but we do do the enforcing.

I make decisions everyday all day based on policies handed down by corporate that ultimately **** customers off so much that the company does actually lose those customers. Here is the thing, that is expected and usually figured into customer service business plans. It is figured into ours. We know that in really when a customer says to us they will never buy our "X" brand again there are people who are saying that same exact thing to companies "Y" and "Z" and going out to Lowes, Home Depot, Menards, and Sears and buying our brand instead. In my business customers are highly influenced by prices. This year a customer might get pissed at us because we do not agree to cover an out-of-warranty repair and tell us they will never buy our brand again and go buy another brand, but in 5 years when the same thing happens to their "better brand" if Lowes has a sale or better price on our comparable unit, about 50% of the time the customer will buy with the better price. (This last is true in my business but maybe not in all business.) We don't have to change anything to keep this cycle up, this is how we became the largest in the world.

All that being said...Ford's customer service does suck that is a BIG part of the problem. It's not gas mileage. MPG sucks across the board in full size trucks and SUVs. Stock HP output sucks! My wife's car 3.0L V6 220HP my 4.6L V8 331...Nuff said 'bout HP. Obvisously the flagship F150 is beautifully styled, but Ford's buck literally stops there. I read a website a few days ago that said that Ford cleared an average of $13,000 from the sale of an F150. Basically

Ford is going to have to do something or risk be bought and intergrated into a better performing company like what happened to Maytag awhile back.

Although...
My office has aprox. 350 employees. Since I bought my truck on May
24th this year 16 other people have brought new Ford branded vehicles, only one other truck is an F250. There was was only 2 others vehicles purchased in that time, 1 Lexus and 1 Pontiac.