Ford Diesel ( really Navistar) Owners Belching Complaints

DETROIT August 16, 2003; Justin Hyde writing for Reuters reported that ten months after it rolled out a new diesel engine for heavy-duty pickups, Ford Motor Co. faces a chorus of quality complaints from owners who are among the company's most loyal customers.

The 6-liter Power Stroke diesel V-8, built by a unit of Navistar for Ford, commands nearly half the U.S. market for diesel pickups. But a raft of problems and repeat trips to dealerships for repairs has left some owners upset, threatening Ford's efforts to rebuild a reputation for quality vehicles.

"You don't know when the truck's going to go or not," said Matt Steffen, a F-250 Power Stroke owner in Florida. "You can step on the gas one day and it will go really well, and the next day you step on the gas and it won't go at all."

Soon after the new engines went on sale last November in heavy-duty Ford pickups and the Ford Excursion sport utility vehicle, owners started reporting problems. Among the costliest is diesel fuel seeping into the engine's oil supply in amounts large enough to ruin the engine.

Other complaints included engines that ran rough or stalled, lack of power at low speeds and harsh shifts. The complaints caused Ford to announce a recall of the Power Stroke in April to reprogram the engine's computer controls and replace a fuel injection sensor.

Even after the recall, several owners continued to suffer problems. After promising fixes in April, Ford now contends the problems should be solved soon, and that only a small fraction of Power Stroke owners have suffered any trouble.

Ford has even taken the step of buying back an undisclosed number of trucks -- a rare move that automakers usually don't take unless forced by state law -- to sate angry customers.

"We're sorry that it happened," Roman Krygier, Ford's group vice president for manufacturing and quality, told Reuters. "We think those problems are behind us."

HEAVY DUTY

Pickup trucks are the only part of the U.S. market where diesel engines have been popular. In the past couple of years, General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler arm have beefed up their diesel pickups to better compete against Ford, and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. is considering a diesel version of its Titan truck due out in December.

But Ford expected to maintain, if not build, on its market share when the 6-liter Power Stroke was launched. The engine makes 320 horsepower and 560 pounds-feet of torque, giving some pickup models enough power to tow nearly seven tons, while meeting tougher federal emissions rules ahead of schedule.

This year, Ford expects to sell about 260,000 Power Stroke-equipped pickups, which start at $27,000 and can reach nearly $50,000 when loaded with options. Steve Lyons, head of the Ford division, said in July that Ford's incentives on its diesel trucks are well below competitors' "because our diesel engine is as well received in the marketplace as it is.

"We dominate this business, and it is because the product is extremely strong," he said.

Many Ford diesel customers swear by their trucks, which are usually used as work vehicles or for hauling camping trailers or boats. While it's common for a small number of new-vehicle owners to complain, the volume and persistence of chatter about Power Stroke troubles on Internet chat rooms is unusual.

That may be a reflection of the owners. According to J.D. Power & Associates research, heavy-duty truck customers place a higher priority on reliability than any other type of vehicle buyer.

Two Power Stroke owners who asked not to be named because they were still negotiating buyback deals with Ford, told Reuters their trucks had a string of problems that couldn't be fixed. One owner in the western United States had his truck in the shop for more than six weeks.

"I wound up being used as the guinea pig, or I felt like it, trying to get my truck fixed," he said. "I just got to the end of my rope."

"This experience has changed my attitude toward Ford dramatically," said another owner whose F-250 was in for repairs six times before Ford bought it back. "I have lost all confidence in Ford's engineering department and think they should have never released a product with known issues."

IF MICROSOFT BUILT CARS...

To address the lingering complaints, Ford has issued three updates for the software in the engine's computers since February. It has two more updates planned in a few weeks to address rough idling and how the engines adjust to air- conditioning loads.

Ford spokesman Glenn Ray said the company believes the updates will cure most of the "drivability" complaints from owners, and that the earlier recalls solved larger problems such as diesel fuel mixing with oil.

But he also said some had complained about engines that were later found to be running up to Ford's standards, and said some owners may simply be unfamiliar with how diesels run.

"Obviously, there are some engines that are covered by the customer service program that we do need to fix," Ray said. "But on some of these vehicles there's nothing wrong with them. The customers just perceive there's something wrong."

So far, the troubles have not dimmed the enthusiasm of many owners. Several customers who got buybacks appear to be replacing their old models with new 2004 versions.

"They're going to get it right," said Steffen, who's owned four Ford diesel trucks before this one. "It worries me when."