Ford Posts HUGE 3rd Quarter Profit

[littleraven7726]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

As Cindy said, there are always lemons. My Ford Crown Vic is a perfect example. Most Crown Vics were rated A+ but mine was awful. It had zero heat in the winter and for Canada that's just "too cool".

Ours were older VWs. One ended up with what I liked to call "old car syndrome" It was just so old it was giving out and had some kind of mystery issue we couldn't solve in (I think) '04 or so. It was an '86 diesel golf. The other VW was from the years where it was somewhat known they made bad cars. It was an '89 and a total money pit. The '86 was a good car til it gave out. The other was a lemon from the time I got it, amassing ridiculous repairs. But it was enough to turn me off to the brand. My DH is more forgiving. He did a lot of the work on our VWs. His first car was an '82 Rabbit Convertible, and he really wants to get one again.

I couldn't live without heat in the winter either! We live in Wisconsin.

I agree that there was a definite problem of too many cars available in the American brands.

[Misty8723]

I did my part, and I love my 6 month old Ford Fusion!

[AmberThe Bobcat]

My wife has a 1999 Saturn and I have a 2003. I am really saddened to see the Saturn line go. My wife's car has 185,000+ miles and mine just over 180,000. They both run great. When it does come time to buy another car, to be honest, I don't know what I will get. I love my Saturn, but will not be able to get another one of those.

[Yosemite]

Originally Posted by Skippymjp

I had one of those too. Two-tone blue hatchback. I drove it till the motors bottom end fell out, about 170,000 miles. I didn't think it was ever going to stop.

I don't consider 170,000 miles to be very high mileage.

Originally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat

My wife has a 1999 Saturn and I have a 2003. I am really saddened to see the Saturn line go. My wife's car has 185,000+ miles and mine just over 180,000. They both run great. When it does come time to buy another car, to be honest, I don't know what I will get. I love my Saturn, but will not be able to get another one of those.

Anyone I've ever known that had a Saturn loved it. Isn't it so true that when you find a quality product and really like it, they stop manufacturing it. I can only assume there is more money for them in repairs or having you buy a new whatever.

[Essayons89]

Good for Ford. They still have a long way to go to get out of debt but at least they have been working hard at it through the current financial crisis, which is more than I can say about GM and their sense of bailout entitlement. I'll never buy another GM car as long as I live. Keep up the good work, Ford.

[3CatsN1Dog]

Originally Posted by Skippymjp

I had one of those too. Two-tone blue hatchback. I drove it till the motors bottom end fell out, about 170,000 miles. I didn't think it was ever going to stop.

LMAO mine was a two tone blue hatchback too!! Stick shift!! I freaking LOVED Bessie!!! She had 230,000 miles on it when some jerk off smashed my windshield in while it was parked in front of the house and by that time my sister bought a new car and was giving me her 98 Neon so I ended scrapping bessie for about 280 bucks...I almost got what I paid for her which was 500...

**In my current car Im going to eventually have to replace the fuel and brake lines in it (rust from it sitting for 3 years after it was wrecked) the only way for me to get them is thru a dealer and thankfully our landlord and one of BFs good friends and can get us a great deal on custom fitted lines for my car. We priced them at a Chevy dealership and it was about 800 for both lines and then to top it off they said they had to install them..Malarkey BF can install them just fine and dandy thank you very much I told them to keep their fuel and brake lines Ill find somewhere else to go. I can get my new lines from Sunbury Motors for about 100 bucks for both!**

[AmberThe Bobcat]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Anyone I've ever known that had a Saturn loved it. Isn't it so true that when you find a quality product and really like it, they stop manufacturing it. I can only assume there is more money for them in repairs or having you buy a new whatever.

It sure does seem that way My wife and I both love our Saturns. I have a friend who owns one and he too, is sad to see the line go. I was so thrilled when I heard Penske was going to buy Saturn, but then the deal fell through for wahtever reason

[Skippymjp]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

I don't consider 170,000 miles to be very high mileage.

For a well maintained, sanely driven car, it isn't. I think my little escort may have gotten 3 tuneups it's entire life. I've learned a lot about proper maintenance since then.

[emrldsky]

Wow, my little '99 Escort has only 54,000 miles on it! lol My parents bought it for me while I was in college (my brothers both got hand-me-down cars in high school, I didn't). She only had 16k miles on her when she was purchased, at 3 years old. So, for being 10 years old, she's doing really well.

She doesn't get driven around much, though. Most of that is because my husband and I carpool, and we take the Mazda 6.

[sarahp]

I love tha Japanese made cars. I've driven a Toyota the last 8 or 9 years now, and they've been so reliable - first a Camry, now a Prius.

The one thing I like about the Japanese cars is that they've stayed ahead of technology. They brought out the Prius knowing that people wanted more environmentally friendly cars, and they were expected to fail in the US market, because the US auto makers were still making huge gas guzzlers. The Prius took off, you had to go on huge waiting lists to get one, and it took the US auto makers way too long to start trying to play catch up. The market is moving toward smaller more economical cars, and so many US auto makers had a HUGE line of large cars. As someone said - too many different vehicles to sustain.

We couldn't believe when we moved to the US how many huge SUVs were on the road. Back then Prius' were just getting popular, and we were usually the smallest car on the road. In Australia, most people have small cars. It's good to see people are moving to smaller cars now - all the car manufacturers are starting to reduce their range, but make it a more diverse range.

I'm impressed Ford did so well, but I guess if they cut back so much, you'd kind of expect it. Good on them for not taking a bail out, and finding a way to make money in a tough climate.

[RubSluts'Mommy]

Originally Posted by carolinalima

After having a Chevy I will not have an American car for a loooooooonnnnnggg time! THAT was TRAUMA. Have had my Nissan for 5 years, and never had a problem with it... will stick with the Japanese for a while, that's for sure.

Well, that was the problem right there... you had a Chevy. In my life, I've had two Fords, two Dodge/Plymouths, and one Chevy. Of all three companies, the ONLY one I'll ever return to is Ford. Some of the Japanese makes are nice ... I've driven a Honda Element which I liked well enough... but Ford is what I love. Chevy couldn't pay ME to drive one of their pieces of cr** again. I had it for 5 months, I spent over 4K to keep it running for that long. Yes, it was used, but holy cow...

Originally Posted by ckblv

Well, mine is a 6 cylinder, 4.0 liter engine but the gas mileage is still good. Safety first is my thing, I want to be safe, I want to sit up higher and have something between me and whatever could hit me. Those little VW's and itty bitty cars look like a squashed bug after they get in an accident and I imagine a person would look the same.

My first Ford was a white, extended cab Ranger. I LOVED that truck. i went freaking everywhere in that thing. I miss Ferdinand (my later Ford, an Explorer, was Fernando).

And that is one reason why our auto makers in this country have had a hard time. Americans don't have the loyalty to their country that the Japanese do. Japanese people pay MORE for Japanese cars than Americans do and they STILL buy Japanese cars. I admire their loyalty to their country. Any car can be a lemon.

yeah.... I've had my share of them.... Chevy, Dodge, I've seen others have problems with other brands...

Originally Posted by Yosemite

One thing to NOT do is go to dealerships - they overcharge IMO unless you can find a good and honest one. We just recently were told of a good and honest one in our area so if we ever need to go to a dealership for anything, then at least we know a responsible one.

And at the same time, I had taken my Explorer to two different places and they couldn't figure out why it was dying on me and having issues... just once... 95% of the time, it was an awesome car. I drove it to the Ford dealership and they found some worn out sensors and such... better diagnostic equipment. Sometimes, the dealership can be better... but usually I don't. Of course, I don't have a car anymore so not worrying about it!

If and when I do get another car, it will most likely be another Ford... hybrid preferably.

[JuneBugBear07]

YAY for Ford!!! Maybe GM will turn around too!! I have a 1995 Chevy pickup...that I LOVE!!! It is a V8, 3/4 ton, 4X4, 350 engine, long bed and has 216,000 miles on it I have very rarely had any issues with my truck, yah I get horrible mileage, but if I get in an accident versus those little prius....I will have a scratch whereas that prius will be scrap metal. I DO not like newly built vehicles, its all plastic. From my experience foreign trucks (I think toyota and honda are the only ones with trucks) they arent tough like our trucks, my truck was made for towing and I ride horses so I need to have a tough well built truck. I dont like cars, if I can I will never own one. You do realize if GM and Ford were to have gone under, we would be run by foreign companies?? Since when did the US ever let foreign companies take over? Also those parts to make your foregin vehicles, had to be sent over here by ship, and those ships pollute.... Id rather not support a foreign countries economy