Report: Ford Fiesta shipments flowing again after faulty part fixed
Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, Ford
2011 Ford Fiesta - Click above for high-res image gallery
The Ford Fiesta launch was supposed to be smooth as glass, but few complex plans go off without a hitch. The first samples of Ford's hot subcompact were stalled due to hazardous weather near the Mexico assembly plant where it's produced. Ford mailed out $50 MasterCard gift certificates to stave off its increasingly impatient order holders, but unfortunately the delays aren't over. The Fiesta had more problems in the last week, but this time Mother Nature had little to do with the delay.
Automotive News is reporting that a quality problem has further postponed some Fiesta shipments, which means already waiting buyers will have to wait a bit longer. Ford President of the Americas Mark Fields declined to say which part caused the delay, but sources at AN say that a faulty seat lever is the culprit. The Blue Oval claims that the issue is now fixed and production has ramped back up in an effort to meet demand. Ford further says that it is unlikely that any defective parts have made it to customers.
While we're sure that Ford management is less than thrilled with the hiccups in the Fiesta launch, Fields summed up the situation by saying, "The great news is that we have a product that is in really high demand."
Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]
Report: Ford Fiesta shipments flowing again after faulty part fixed originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Fiesta shipments delayed due to hurricane, damaged railroads *UPDATE
Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, Ford
2011 Ford Fiesta - Click above for high-res image gallery
Those waiting patiently for one of the most anticipated new vehicles of the year are going to have wait just a little bit longer. According to Automotive News, Ford has been forced to delay the initial shipments of the 2011 Fiesta by 10 to 14 days due to Hurricane Alex, which hit Northern Mexico in late June, and Tropical Storm Bonnie, which made landfall shortly thereafter.
It seems there are a number of damaged railroads around Ford's factory near Mexico City, and the automaker has been forced to reroute some of its shipments. Ford is reporting that it has collected about 2,000 down payments from customers waiting for the 2011 Fiesta, and some of those vehicles will be arriving later than initially planned.
While nobody wants to wait any longer than necessary for their brand new cars, an extra 10 days or so shouldn't cause too big a problem, right? Especially when it's due to... an Act of God.
*UPDATE: A Fiesta fan on Facebook has uploaded some images that show the damaged railroads in Mexico, one of which can be seen to the right. Click here for more.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]
Ford Fiesta shipments delayed due to hurricane, damaged railroads *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsIs the Ford Fiesta a late arrival, or on time? Either way, customers are getting antsy
Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Sedan, Hatchback, Ford
2011 Ford Fiesta - Click above for high-res image gallery
Ford has said all along that its hotly anticipated Fiesta would arrive in dealerships this summer, but an Automotive News report shows that some customers are getting a bit anxious waiting for their new ride. Production copies of the B-Segment compact have been churning out of The Blue Oval's Cuautitlán, Mexico plant since May, and dealers around the country have been placing significant orders for the heavily marketed vehicle. Dealers have even taken cash down payments for over 2,000 Fiestas, with tens of thousands of additional hand-raisers waiting in the wings.
So what's the problem? It appears that some customers thought their Fiesta would have already arrived by now. The Fiesta Facebook page even has customers that are none too pleased with the fact that they haven't yet taken delivery on their little sedan or hatchback. At least one dealer reportedly told AN off the record that he was under the impression that he would already have some Fiestas in stock right now, and that the vehicle hasn't yet been cleared for shipping.
Does that mean that there is some sort of quality issue holding up the launch? Not according to Ford spokesperson Angie Kozleski, who insists that the launch is going according to plan. Kozleski points out that customers have several different ways to check the progress of their vehicle, including a reservations call center and a reservations hotline. Kozleski reportedly told AN that it takes up to three weeks for the vehicles to get from Cuautitlán to the U.S. border, and that vehicles will begin hitting dealerships in the "next several weeks," so if you have one on order, sit tight.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]
Is the Ford Fiesta a late arrival, or on time? Either way, customers are getting antsy originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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