w.t.f Ford?

Don't worry, I am not one of those people concerned about always being right, I just look for the truth. But seriously:

"Consumer Reports 09 - Ford leads the domestics

Ford's three brands-Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury-continue to pull away from the rest of the Detroit automakers. Almost all Ford models are now average or better, with the exception of some that are truck-based. Excluding those, Ford's reliability is now on par with good Japanese automakers.

Chrysler Sebring
LOW The Chrysler Sebring Convertible has the worst predicted-reliability score among new cars in our survey. It is 283 percent worse than the average model.

General Motors is a mixed bag. Among the bright spots is the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu; in its first year, the four-cylinder version is better than average and the V6 is average. The Buick Lucerne with a V8 and the Pontiac G6 with a four-cylinder are above average, and the Chevrolet Avalanche has improved to average.

But a quarter of GM models are still well below average in reliability. Some that didn't fare well are fairly new designs that did well in our testing, such as the Cadillac CTS and the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook SUV triplets. Chrysler trails the pack. Almost two-thirds of its products rate below average for reliability. The redesigned 2008 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans earned low scores, as did the Chrysler Sebring V6 and Dodge Avenger sedans and the Jeep Liberty SUV. The Sebring Convertible has the worst score: 283 percent worse than average. The only above-average models are the Dodge Caliber hatchback and Jeep Patriot SUV.


Now, given that, most people on these boards are not concerned about a factory warranty especially if they are modding. You get my point. :nice:
 
If they do make a 400hp GT, whats that gonna do to the price? It'll prolly cause a huge jump in V6 sales lol.

I hope, for our sake, it doesn't raise that much. I'm guessing since Ford is supposedly dropping this same engine in the 2010 F150, that it might not drive the price up too much, or at least not so much that people move back towards the 6'ers.
 
, but as far as I know the mustang has the largest aftermarket support out of any mass produced car on the market, and the easiest to work as far as a novice mechanics concern:nice:, hmm yea as a fellow stangnet person says, the best mod is a driver mod:), and yea those magazine stats are easily manipulated.:(

Stangs have a back seat and more trunk space which comes in handy from time to time. Its a different class of car all together. Also cars like the 370Z have engines which are pretty well maxed out. Unlike the Mustangs which have a lot of room for improvement. I think that the Z car uses forced induction. So it stands to reason that to be fair one should use a forced induction mustang too.
 
Now, given that, most people on these boards are not concerned about a factory warranty especially if they are modding. You get my point. :nice:

Actually....I think it’s more a case of you probably missing the point? By most people if you're referring to those members currently driving anything SN95 and older that make up the majority of this site.....I'm sure you're right, since they've got no choice as their warranties have now been expired for years. Point being, that you're speaking from the perspective of a guy that owns a 15-year-old Mustang, that has been out of warranty for as much as 12 of those years. You really aren't concerned with it since quite frankly you haven't had the option of having one on your car for over a decade...and that's assuming you bought the car new. For all I know, you're like myself and have never owned a vehicle new enough to be covered under warranty, so it’s really never phased you? :shrug:

Take a trip over the S197 Forum on the other hand and you'll see that the majority of the guys over there are quite concerned with retaining their factory warranty and have kept their mods to a minimum, or held off on the completely until said time that their warranty is up as a result.

You can choose to post all the consumer report stats you'd like, but they’re really irrelevant to the discussion. The fact still remains that if I'm gonna drop $40K+ on a new Mustang, I (and by the numbers most people purchasing a new car) am not going to risk having to replace an engine, trans, rear end, etc on my own dime because some aftermarket part I installed/had installed caused it to fail or is even suspect of it. Hell, in most cases, the dealership won't even care if the part was the cause, or not. The burden of proof is on the owner to maintain, not the dealership. You leave there with a perfectly good running car, you change working parts on your own accord, it breaks, you’re screwed.....end of story!

And before you go quoting the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, don't bother. Most dealerships will laugh in your face when you bring it up. 99% of the time a dealership will find some way to weasel out of footing the bill and most of the time they will either succeed in this endeavor, or you'll spend so much time, money and effort proving them wrong, it won't have been worth it in the first place!

Remember the old saying, “If it can go wrong, it will go wrong”. You can choose to take the risk and sweep aside the existence of the factory warranty all you’d like, but you’re most certainly the minority vote on the subject.
 
Also cars like the 370Z have engines which are pretty well maxed out. Unlike the Mustangs which have a lot of room for improvement. I think that the Z car uses forced induction. So it stands to reason that to be fair one should use a forced induction mustang too.

I wouldn't count on it. By comparison, the 3.7L VQ37VHR engine in the 370Z is built even more stoutly than our current 4.6L SOHC. Never mind the fact that with a 7,500RPM limit its a screamer, its saddled with a beefy stock bottom end that is said to handle power levels well into the 550-600hp range. And FYI, the engine makes all 332hp of its horsepower in N/A form, without a power adder. There are already many hop up parts, including aftermarket twin turbo kits and stroker rotating assemblies on the go for these cars.

So to say that these cars are "maxed out" is far from the truth. :)
 
No I am not missing the point. Lots of peeps driving new mustangs mod them. Its the mustang way. You've got it way wrong on that pointy. :)

hmm...maybe one of these guys?

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/792640-kb-vs-whipple-will-grow-better-car.html

No..

or this guy?..
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/791106-rebuilt-engine-pics.html
No...

Come on man .. there are TONS of people that mod their stangs and you know it. Let's not pick tit for tat. Again, I am not in the business of debating just to win a debate let's leave that to the college interns shall we? Common sense, people mod stangs for performance. You know it, I know it.
 
You speak as thought it’s a hard and fast rule? I didn't say there weren't owners that won’t choose to forgo their warranty and mod away to their hearts content. There are always going to be a few who are willing to risk it. But the majority of new Stang owners are keeping them stock, or at the very least keeping the bolt on parts to a minimum until the warranty is up.

...and that my friend is a fact!

Also, your examples are flawed. Both guys are driving '06 Mustangs...which means their basic warranty is up and their Powertrain has already, or will likely expire within the year. No warranty remaining = no worries of it being voided because of modifications.

The second guy even went as far as to replace the entire engine. Its pretty hard to lay in a claim for warranty work on an engine, when there's nothing left of the original to work from? :shrug:

:)
 
LOL. You can't be reason'd with!!! :chair: :fairyfight: Yes I see your point as well. They will give in eventually though! :) (Maybe after the warranty, yes that too)

How much more reasonable do you want me to get? :shrug: You don’t have to believe me. Just head into your local dealer and ask how many of the Mustang GT's they’ve sold in the last 3 to 5-years that come in for regular service are heavily modded, vs. those that show up with minimal, or no bolt ons. I'll bet you anything that the Service Dept can remember more distinctly the ones that are modded vs. the ones that aren't.

Again....not saying there aren't exceptions to the rule, but most will wait until their warranty is up. Your two example above prove as much. I don’t know why that’s such a hard concept to recognize? :scratch:
 
How much more reasonable do you want me to get? :shrug: You don’t have to believe me. Just head into your local dealer and ask how many of the Mustang GT's they’ve sold in the last 3 to 5-years that come in for regular service are heavily modded, vs. those that show up with minimal, or no bolt ons. I'll bet you anything that the Service Dept can remember more distinctly the ones that are modded vs. the ones that aren't.

Again....not saying there aren't exceptions to the rule, but most will wait until their warranty is up. Your two example above prove as much. I don’t know why that’s such a hard concept to recognize? :scratch:

Well, I wouldn't really ask a dealer because heavily modded or those who mod before warranty don't take their car into the dealer. They do it themselves right? Still, the infinite is a great car, just not my taste. The Mustang is mostly known to be a car you mod out.
 
If my car breaks, the last place I'm going to take it is the dealer. My experience has always been that you take your car to the dealer when it breaks, if you want someone to screw it up more. I'd rather just buy a car that doesn't break.

But I admit that the vast majority of people who buy Mustangs do not modify them, and do appreciate retaining their factory warranty.

Kurt
 
If my car breaks, the last place I'm going to take it is the dealer. My experience has always been that you take your car to the dealer when it breaks, if you want someone to screw it up more. I'd rather just buy a car that doesn't break.

But I admit that the vast majority of people who buy Mustangs do not modify them, and do appreciate retaining their factory warranty.

Kurt

So if you had a brand new car and something broke under warranty you woudn't take it in to the dealer to be fixed?
 
Yes and I understand that argument completely and I understand Brian's point. I may be focusing on a little different market which would include 06's..I guess to me that IS new because I have a 94'! lol.
 
So if you had a brand new car and something broke under warranty you woudn't take it in to the dealer to be fixed?

Depends on what it is. If it's something small like an air conditioning vent having fallen off, then I'd take it to the dealer. But if it's something serious like the clutch is making noise, then I'm doing it myself.

Kurt
 
Depends on what it is. If it's something small like an air conditioning vent having fallen off, then I'd take it to the dealer. But if it's something serious like the clutch is making noise, then I'm doing it myself.

Kurt

...and if for some reason you install it improperly, or something is defective with the new clutch assembly and it grenades and takes your transmission with it and now the dealer says "sorry.....you didn't have it repaired by us, thus you've voided your warranty and we're not covering your clutch/transmission replacement".....you'd be OK with that?
 
Worth the risk in my opinion. Never had anything but terrible service from the dealer. If I have to rebuild the transmission, then I guess I'll do that too. It's much easier than bringing your car back to the dealer time and time again. I'd rather just buy a car that doesn't need a warranty, and nothing breaks. My girlfriend's Mitsubishi Mirage has never been back to the dealer. 103,000 miles with no maintenance other than fluid and filter changes whatsoever. I finally convinced her that she needed to let me do the timing belt, because it's an interference engine. Timing belt was a little loose, but overall ok when I changed it. That's the kind of car I want to buy.

Kurt
 
Your pride could get expensive. Sounds like your in need of a better local dealer than just throwing up your arms and walking away altogether?

..as far as your GF's Mitsubishi. I'm sure we'd all love to buy a car like that. Let me know if along your travels you come accross a crystal ball that helps us sort the lemons from the Jems. You'd make a mint selling the information.....maybe even enough to cover what might have normally been your warranty work when you buy a new car. :D
 
You don't need a crystal ball, you just need to do a little research, make an informed decision, and hope for the best.

And my method isn't a matter of pride. I know it will save me time and money in the long run. Four hours on a Saturday afternoon is better than 6 trips to the dealership. I loose a lot of money if I can't make it to work. I can't afford to break down. There's more to it than just the cost of repairs.

Kurt