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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Inexpensive car parts leading to unbelievably costly repairs |
| 2019-11-29 |
| ATLANTA - A Channel 2 consumer investigation exposes how an inexpensive part can lead to an extra-expensive repair. Consumer investigator Jim Strickland reveals why the drivers of some of Ford's most popular cars and trucks get hit with the bill. You know the names well, like F-150, Explorer, Fusion and Taurus. They're all Fords, and the affected model years in this case share the same engines. When a $200 part goes bad, the news gets worse in a hurry. Shona Manigault's car is a 2011 Ford Explorer. She was pulling out of a McDonald's when it started to sputter, stall and overheat. It turned out to be a fairly routine issue involving the water pump, an engine component that circulates coolant to keep your engine at an optimum temperature. But the price of the repair was anything but routine: more than $8,100. "Are you angry?" Strickland asked Mrs. Manigault. "Angry is putting it lightly. I am past the moon with rage with what has happened to me with this vehicle," Manigault said. Ford introduced the Duratec engine in 2007. Its water pump is inside the engine itself. When it fails, instead of anti-freeze leaking on the ground, it leaks into the oil, turning it into something resembling a chocolate milkshake. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #7 Watched Ford vs Ferrari the other day. Refreshing in that you can't find a single token wakandan being mistreated for the audiences to sulk over, nor was there a lesbi4n couple making out for no reason. It seems we can only get our films from the past now. There was some good critique of Ford and systems oriented manufacturers. |
| Posted by: Dron66046 2019-11-29 13:17 |
| #6 They're propping up these dealer networks as a form of compensation for slashing prices on new cars. The dealers make all their $ on servicing those cars and their deliberately shitty quality & crap parts. |
| Posted by: Lex 2019-11-29 13:06 |
| #5 Willys flat head four had pressed paper timing gears. They were bulletproof. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2019-11-29 12:40 |
| #4 They used to simply require 'special tools' to fix things - tools which were both expensive and not generally available to the public. Then there is the old "Cut a trace, double cpu speed." There was a rumor once that a certain computer manufacturer offered an "upgrade" that would double CPU speed. Of course they charged a good price for it. The 'upgrade' was to have a field service technician go out and simply cut a trace on the circuit board. Once cut the processor would run at full speed. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2019-11-29 10:32 |
| #3 Accountants shouldn't run engineering firms. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2019-11-29 10:18 |
| #2 Got my Jeep working the other day. I was absolutely amazed by: How accessible the battery is. How much visibility the cab offers. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2019-11-29 09:32 |
| #1 I believe the correct term is 'programmed obsolescence.' 'Making room in the engine compartment for a water pump' comment in the video is absolute bullshi*. Hiding the fuel pump in the gas tank has been going on for years. Both engineering marvels tend to put the 'shade tree' do-it-yourself guy at a distinct disadvantage. But that was the goal after all. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2019-11-29 09:13 |