stlouisgeorge

Interesting notes from the banker world (credit news) Percent of Ford Sales as "passenger cars: 26.21% (2014)16.05% (early 2018)16.05% (mid 2018) Best Selling Ford Vehicles: 24.5% (Ford F-150 pickup truck)11.9% (Ford Explorer SUV)10.4% (Ford F-250 truck)For the first time, a passenger vehicle is not among the top 5 models. So A "F-150" is a "pickup". But a F-250 is a "truck". Begs question what is a "pick-em-up truck"? What is a F-350? ("Car cruncher")? If you find credit rating interesting (I do), this was also interesting info on Ford Motor Credit. The deal's concentration of “super prime” borrowers with FICO scores greater than 749 is 37.4%, which is consistent with REV transactions and amortizing FCAOT transactions. Borrowers with FICO scores less than 650 is 14.4%, which is at the bottom of range compared to prior REV transactions.

It is rather ironic that Ford didn't try to sell the Mondeo (Fusion) wagon in North America.

July 11, 2018, 6:00 AM CDT Bloomberg Business Ford Is Killing the Fusion and Giving the Name to a Sport Wagon "The Fusion name probably will live on when the sedan exits early next decade, according to a spokesman. It will be replaced in the showroom by a high-roofed hatchback built on the same mechanical underpinnings, said two people who asked not to be identified revealing future product plans." And you thought it couldn't get worse..

I think Ford's engineering is tops. Even though I cringe when I leave my FFH [running] with the fob in my pocket and get the "honk honk reward", I still end up laughing remembering my friend at work who had just leased a $90,000 Tesla (waiting months to get it). His wife dropped him off and then drove off to her workplace (the routine). He got a call 15 minutes later asking if he had the Tesla fob. (He did). His wife was 15 miles away with no way to (1) lock her vehicle outside work, and (2) no way to start the car again. The Tesla doesn't honk when someone walks off with the car's fob in their pocket (score one for Ford engineering). As seen in Amazon Prime Video's Grand Tour series reviewing a Tesla X, there is a mode on their fob where the car will drive to your position, and another where it lifts and "bird flaps" both rear gull-wing doors, flashes the lights and plays Beethoven's Ode to Joy on the speakers. If Ford had added a "celebration mode" and gull wing doors to the Fusion it might have survived.

Finally.. the wait is over. Waze is now available for iOS device owners on Ford SYNC 3. You'll need to update to the latest everything (see below). Waze is free. Waze data is "crowd sourced" -- people on the road report accidents, police cars, and traffic jams -- which show up on your display in a minute or two (as compared to an hour with Sirius Traffic Link). It is a fantastic application (which is why Google bought it..). Here is my report.. To get Waze to work on my Ford I had to disable Apple Carplay through the Ford SYNC 3 settings before anything would happen. Activating Waze on the phone and plugging it in opened up new menus and displays - the key one being setting your default navigation software (a menu item that appears only when Waze is detected. There were glitches, and one crash. For a while when I plugged in the USB on the phone I got the dreaded "Inserted USB is not detected" message. I soft rebooted SYNC 3 and power-cycled my phone and things straightened out. Here is a demo video- sadly done in the garage instead of on the road (not safe to drive and film), but you get the idea.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ntZrJ1bpM Wazer since 2013 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid SYNC 3, v3.0 Build 18025 iPhone X iOS 11.2.6 Waze 4.37.0.0 (Yeah I cross posted this to the main fusion forum..)

No discussion of the spare tire compartment on a FFH is complete without a Cheech and Chong reference.. Ford Fusions were recently used as "mules" to smuggle marijuana in the spare tire compartment from their final assembly in Hermasillo.. https://jalopnik.com/1-million-worth-of-marijuana-found-inside-new-ford-fus-1796979822

Why oh why doesn't my 2017 FFH have an option to beep assertively if I attempt to change lanes with a car in the blind spot? Of course I know about the light in the mirror, but a beep (like other cars have) is such an easy thing to add. It confounds me that this car, equipped with all this tech (I have it all) cannot make an audible sound in that situation. I am a little color blind and have some issue with light contrast -- the mirror light warning is inadequate IMHO

I tried to put the CR 2032 into my 2017 Ford MyKey fob. It wasn't even close to big enough. Ford owes me $3.50 for that pack of CR 2032's I bought.

I just replaced my 2017 Ford Fusion MyKey Fob battery. On page 50 of the manual ("Onwers Manual 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid") it states: The remote control uses one coin-type three-volt lithium battery CR2032 or equivalent. This is not correct. You need a CR2450. The CR2032 is much smaller. I've got it open in my hands now.

It's hard to believe you can't put gas in the car, nor open the trunk with a dead battery. But it's true. Pay attention at the "walk around" by the salesman post-purchase. You may need to know about the jumper cable "points". Heck .. you might want to note that you can't open the hood until you find the secret latch lever on the right side (facing the car) (find and practice opening your hood NOW). I did idiot proof myself. If you lose you $200 key fob and are miles from home in the dark you are more or less screwed. But.. I've got you covered. Wrap up your spare key fob in aluminum foil and hide it in the car. The foil will keep the fob from "talking" to the car. (so it stays locked -- and unstartable). Just approach the car and touch the pillar over the drivers door. Enter your 5 digit code and you can get in, unwrap the foil on the fob and drive home.

I thought my 2017 Fusion Platinum Hybrid had a huge defect on the drive home from the dealer (as the bright's turned themselves on and off seemingly on their own). I still laugh about it.. I studied the 2000+ options on the Ford Fusion and finally gave in to the Platinum trim. I love my 2017 FFH. Of course the price of gas went down, but it will head back up. The only negative is the weight on the brake pedal and the trunk. At least its not as bad as an Energi. I still go on youtube occasionally for a laugh (watching that poor guy who drove a Fusion Energi demo for a week and had to store his luggage in the back seat LMAO). I found a new feature on the car every day during my "honeymoon month". I had the "fever" bad. Eliminating all competitors to the 2017 FFH as I lovingly read hundreds of articles and virtually "building" one on the ford.com sales site a dozen times a day for months. I found a new feature in the left display last week after 15 months. It's a crazy good car. Enjoy it! The exclusive-to-Fusion "stop-and-go assist" is like butter - the stress of a hard urban traffic jam melts away.

I love my Platinum trim. I love it every day. If you prefer leather interior grab a platinum while you can. We might not see a leather wrapped dash again in a Ford for a long time (Lincoln of course will offer this). About the only thing I could give up is the auto parking. With the Platinum trim you get to drive a Lincoln for pennies on the dollar. Additional standard equipment has been added to the SEL and Titanium trim levels as well, while the top-end Platinum trim has been discontinued for 2019. Ford says the 2018 Fusion can be had in 2,000 different combinations, while the 2019 model has been pared down to 36 variations. 2019 Ford Fusion Goes Under the Knife, Gains Standard Features

The Detroit News, January 3, 2018 CANCELED REDESIGN MUDDIES FUTURE FOR FORD FUSION In a November letter sent to suppliers for the new Fusion program obtained by The Detroit News, Ford officials said the company is canceling the previously planned North American redesign program — named CD542N — for the 2020 Fusion. The decision does not mean Ford is axing the Fusion nameplate, but it at least temporarily kills a scheduled redesign of Ford’s best-selling U.S. sedan. Looks like Dearborn has come to their senses. You can't improve on the design of my 2017 Fusion.

Failures? I hope not! Do NOT put your foot on the gas :) I got it to work with a "one sided" perpendicular park the other day (two spaces open). Didn't know that would work.

Sue me, but I started a separate thread to discuss the SYNC 3 v2.3 update. Please share your experiences!