And the hits keep coming - Ford News

[Wheel-Nut]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/stories/MYSA022707.01E.ford.8791a1.html

Navistar has cut diesel engine supply to Ford. Some kind of money spat.

[oddlycalm]

Wow, an unplannned vacation for everyone at the plant in Indy. :( Navistar has sunk a bundle into that plant having put in all new machinery around 10yrs ago, making it one of the most advanced. It also has some great people with a lot of commitment.

This is the problem with tying a product line's fortunes to a single customer.

oc

[Andrew Longman]

Wow, an unplannned vacation for everyone at the plant in Indy. :( Navistar has sunk a bundle into that plant having put in all new machinery around 10yrs ago, making it one of the most advanced. It also has some great people with a lot of commitment.

This is the problem with tying a product line's fortunes to a single customer.

oc

Wow indeed.

I helped get those new operations in Indy up and running (and upgrades in Chicago too). Navistar was a total mess back then. I hope this doesn't throw them back anywhere close to those times.

[Wally]

This has been brewing for sometime. The 6.0 PSD was a disaster and the warranty cost will go on for years. The new 6.4 PSD is ten times more complex then the motor it replaces so the risk for more of the same could be a short few months down the road.:shakehead

[nrc]

Right, Ford has been after Navistar to recover some of the warranty costs. Funny the article doesn't mention the root cause. Probably neither side is anxious to give that any more publicity.

[oddlycalm]

I helped get those new operations in Indy up and running (and upgrades in Chicago too). Navistar was a total mess back then. I hope this doesn't throw them back anywhere close to those times. I worked on both Indy and Melrose park, so we may have crossed paths. Unfortunately, it doesn't look too good. This is from their website.


Navistar International Corporation will begin trading tomorrow on the over-the-counter market commonly known as the “pink sheets” under the symbol NAVZ following its suspension from the New York Stock Exchange at the end of trading today.

Very sad.

oc

[racermike]

I worked on both Indy and Melrose park, so we may have crossed paths. Unfortunately, it doesn't look too good. This is from their website.



Very sad.

oc

all this with the global marketplace beginning to correct itself (overseas stocks are tumbling from the bad day in usa on tuesday)

[Andrew Longman]

I worked on both Indy and Melrose park, so we may have crossed paths. Unfortunately, it doesn't look too good. This is from their website.



Very sad.

oc

Warranty issues? My work there was around quality, root cause analysis, complexity reduction and project management part of/following their crawl from the IH hole. Looks like I should have stuck around longer.

Sad indeed. And timed just as the Chinese stock market tanks.

[oddlycalm]

My work there was around quality, root cause analysis, complexity reduction and project management part of/following their crawl from the IH hole. Looks like I should have stuck around longer. Indeed, looks like they could have used you for considerably longer. Trying to come out of that IH hole to compete with companies run as tight as Cat, Cummins, Isuzu, etc. is a tall order.

On the manufacturing end they took a huge step in the right direction in the mid-90's by replacing that museum they called a factory with all new equipment at Indy and by buying the right stuff when they did. Our involvement was supplying active compensation instruments on the cam and crank lines on that new manufacturing line at Indy.

oc

[nrc]

Some potentially good news. Ford has finally seen the light and decided to bring a subcompact to the U.S. market.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070301/AUTO01/703010381/1148

But at least for buyers like us who have already drifted away to cars with more zoom zoom, what are the odds that the Ford version will be more desireable than the Mazda version that will be in showrooms much sooner?

[oddlycalm]

what are the odds that the Ford version will be more desireable than the Mazda version that will be in showrooms much sooner? Agreed, but better late than never. The future is not F250 crew cabs and Expeditions. This segment is about the fight for the generation Y market share 15yrs from now. People often stay loyal the the brand they start with, unless something puts them off, and if you don't have an entry level product to bring them in the door....:eek:

The Scion xA sells for $12,750 and is here now. You know Toyota isn't making anything much off them but they are mining their future customers.

oc

[Wheel-Nut]

Looks like Ford has to pay for engines received and Navistar has to continue building, for now. Court hearing 03/07/2007

http://www.navistar.com/newsdetail.aspx?id=840

[Wheel-Nut]

I wonder if the Audi diesels can do this? :eek:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=321LwkM7i90