Real world feedback on 2014 MPG & Winter Driving?

[hybridbear]

Thanks, It looks like all the Hybrids will start with the 3, indicating the Mexico assembly. I got a little more excited when I read that some of the Fusions were being assembled in the Flat Rock, MI plant, but then found another site that indicated that Hybrids will solely be assembled in Mexico. *Sigh.

 

Anyway I did order a 2015 Hybrid Titanium yesterday from our dealer. Now the waiting game can start. :)

Congrats on your order. Why the *sigh* over the car being assembled in Mexico?

[usererror]

Living in Michigan we're a little 'crazy' about our cars being assembled in Michigan, whenever possible, and when I read that Ford was moving Fusion assembly to Flat Rock, I was hoping the Hybrids would also be built there. At least it's still North America.

 

Congrats on your order. Why the *sigh* over the car being assembled in Mexico?

Edited August 6, 2014 by usererror

[acdii]

Yeah but frankly I would rather have the mexican built car than a Detroit built one. The workers in Mexico have been building the Fusions for a long time now where the FR location just started up. Maybe in a few years when the line has had time to meld then it wouldnt be a problem.

[usererror]

acdii,

 

That is a very valid point, and I agree with it. I didn't think of that. It does 'reduce the sting' of it not being assembled in Michigan...at least the rest of the Fusions are now Mitten assembled cars.

 

Yeah but frankly I would rather have the mexican built car than a Detroit built one. The workers in Mexico have been building the Fusions for a long time now where the FR location just started up. Maybe in a few years when the line has had time to meld then it wouldnt be a problem.

[tr7driver]

I have a Mustang built at Flat Rock and the Quality is very good. Once they get the swing of it, the Fusions from there will be great cars.

[acdii]

I have a Mustang built at Flat Rock and the Quality is very good. Once they get the swing of it, the Fusions from there will be great cars.

No doubt, but first run cars on a fresh line that never built that particular car will have issues. The Mexican ones in the first year did get the QC straightened out quickly by Job2, which is really good. Hope that the FR location can do just as good. The biggest difference between FR and Mexico is Hermisillo produced the Fusion from the start, and other than tooling, the overall assembly line didn't really change. The FR though is going from a 2 door car to a 4 door car, which adds to the line, and it a completely different body, chassis, etc. This is why I would give it at least a year at full production to get things melded.

[hybridbear]

No doubt, but first run cars on a fresh line that never built that particular car will have issues. The Mexican ones in the first year did get the QC straightened out quickly by Job2, which is really good. Hope that the FR location can do just as good. The biggest difference between FR and Mexico is Hermisillo produced the Fusion from the start, and other than tooling, the overall assembly line didn't really change. The FR though is going from a 2 door car to a 4 door car, which adds to the line, and it a completely different body, chassis, etc. This is why I would give it at least a year at full production to get things melded.

I don't think FR currently produces Mustangs. They currently make the Focus, Fiesta, C-Max and some Fusions. Our Focus Electric, my parents' C-Max Energi & our friends' new Fusion SE were all built in FR and all three have much better visible build quality than either our Job 1 or Job 2 FFH from Hermosillo. I believe that the FR plant does an excellent job building cars. Hermosillo was in a Ford press release as being one of Ford's best factories worldwide for having a low defect rate prior to the release of the 2013 Fusion. They were really good at building the previous gen Fusion, but they really seemed to struggle with the new Fusion.

[acdii]

Yeah, but had it not been for Hermisillo working out the bug, FR wouldn't be as good as they are! :) Overall the build quality on mine isnt bad. only two items needed to be worked on, the bumper where the paint chipped, screwed down too tight when installed, others have seen this too, and the dreaded door trims that were redesigned. Yesterday it was in for a defective lock control module, so now the touchpad works all the time. This Fusion has been the best built car I have ever had, even tops the Lincoln MKT.

[usererror]

Yeah, but had it not been for Hermisillo working out the bug, FR wouldn't be as good as they are! :) Overall the build quality on mine isnt bad. only two items needed to be worked on, the bumper where the paint chipped, screwed down too tight when installed, others have seen this too, and the dreaded door trims that were redesigned. Yesterday it was in for a defective lock control module, so now the touchpad works all the time. This Fusion has been the best built car I have ever had, even tops the Lincoln MKT.

 

Could you elaborate on the 'dreaded door trims'?

[acdii]

early builds, through Job 2 had the trim between the glass on the front doors pop out constantly. Ford redesigned the trim so now it stays put. The originals didn't have enough curve in it to stay in place.

[hybridbear]

early builds, through Job 2 had the trim between the glass on the front doors pop out constantly. Ford redesigned the trim so now it stays put. The originals didn't have enough curve in it to stay in place.

I wonder if my new one that was just installed is the new design... Hopefully it is.

[acdii]

They should be, if they had to order it and it wasnt sitting on the shelf, I also think its a different part number than the original one.