Grey

Many vehicles go Job 1 all year. What makes you think there will be a job 2? That would usually only occur if there is a major mid year design/option content change. Buy it now.

Yes, do it now.

High metallics are sensitive to temperature, humidity and spray technique. As my friend Mr Kirby states, the bumper skins are painted at the supplier site and are attached to a vehicle that was painted at a different time and place. Sometimes they are spot on and sometimes just a flake or two off. They also age differently on many vehicles. Since they are different substrates, the bumper skins can't easily be primed and painted along with the body.

At 5k miles, was the vehicle just serviced? Are aftermarket electrical accessories installed? By whom? Likely the owner's insurance company will settle the claim and look for the cause of the fire in an attempt to share the cost of the vehicle replacement. If the vehicle was just serviced at the corner luber, they may have had an involvement (overfill the crankcase, spill oil down the side of the engine, power steering cap left off, etc.) If it was an electrical fire, everyone will want to know if anything has been added or modified from the factory design. If there was a fuel or oil leak it may be hard to tell why it would turn up after 5,000 miles. So, I don't believe the sky is falling, but there may be a few dirty birds flying around.

The Ford scheduling system is updated on Thur. evenings. Ask your dealership to check on Fridays - that will give you the latest information.

Why did it take so long?

The date on your window sticker should be the week the vehicle was scheduled for production. I think you will see they are all Mondays. The actual build date for Ford tracking (if there were part changes on the line) will be shown in OASIS.

The date you place your order with a dealership has little to do with the date that the order is placed with Ford. If the dealership does not have allocation left for the current month, it will sit in limbo until allocation is available. Even then, if the dealership places another order (after you gave them your order) andthey put a higher priority on it, it will be scheduled before your order. What you really want to track is the timing from when Ford schedules the build. A dealer with available allocation will usually come out weeks ahead of one that has used up their current allocation if you go by "order date".

Sounds like an open circuit for the running lights. Put a test light (or meter) on the vehicle plug - ground to the plug ground circuit. If it is dead there, take it to a dealership for repair.

Great choice. I know you will enjoy it.

A. remember "no go deed will go unpunished". Truthfully, there are so many twists in determining vehicle cost that you can't predict true cost until you match a vehicle to a specific customer, on a partiular day, in a specific zip code. So, let's you and I be friends, along with Vincent.

Isn't that the truth. We have to buy new to get the latest tech features instead of buying to get new sheetmetal.

I suggest checking the alignment, front and rear If you are carying something heavy in the pass. compartment or trunk on the right side, move it. If one or both of the right side tires are smaller diameter, that might be the issue. Road are crowned to the right sife - does it turn right on a flat surface - parking lot? Also, make sure you don't have a sticking brake caliper on the right side. If you ever took a hit - the chassis might not be straightened correctly. You would think after a week, the dealership would have checked all this. Ask to drive another one and see if it is characteristic of all Edges. If not, ask them to get a Field Service Engineer from Ford to check it out. Good luck-

Your dealership has the most and most accurate information on the scheduling of vehicles. Their information is updated on Thur evenings. Once the vehicle is produced, it is turned over to the transport companies ( rail, truck, etc.) Other tracking systems go into play then. The things you can't anticipate very well are when the vehicle will be picked up from the plant, if the vehicle will be taken to a staging yard for truck delivery, if the vehicle had any in-transit damage that needs to be repaired or if the Company puts a hold on delivery for any quality concerns. So, when anyone guesses, they can be off by as much as two weeks. Most guessers will add a week or so just to cover some of the unexpected. For example, I called the CRC on delivery timing for a new Mountaineer and they "guessed" 10 days out and the truck came in later that day. It's often the luck of the draw since delivery truckers like to load for minimal travel and stops.

The condition often referred to as brake warp is often material transfer from the pad to the rotor. When you make a hard stop and hold the brake fully on (at 1,400 degrees or more) the pad can weld to the rotor. You can see the outline of the pad on the rotor surface and it can be removed by resurfacing the rotors. Drivers should always attempt to come to a stop "behind the line" after a hard stop and roll out the heat instead of holding the pad in one place on the rotor. If you can't dissipate the heat by rolling it out, then put the vehicle in park and let off on the brake. <An unpaid public service announcement>

Seems like there were a lot of problems, some they could duplicate and diagnose and some others they could not duplicate. It will be interesting to see what they do with their final repair attempt or if they say "no problem found".Good luck.

Status is updated on Thur. evenings. Call your dealership and ask them to check the status for you on Friday.

Like I said, if the PM's go to a Ford e-mail address - that could be a problem. The Ford employee could be replying from another computer (home?) once he/she has the information. Not excusing rudeness - just looking at possible frustration at the other end.

If a private message goes to his Ford based e-mail account - that can be a problem for an employee. Big brother may be wqatching. Responding to a forum is less visible. Private doesn't meaan anything when you are on a company computer.

I've been around vehicles for many years and have never heard of a "pry bar" - can someone describe this part?

All vehicles are scheduled for a week starting on a Monday. They can be built anythime that week.

At the beginning of each model year, the Ford field manager will encourage dealers to place their initial orders. The order guides have suggested configurations and many dealers will just order the suggested inventory to make sure they have something in the system. When a retail order comes along, it may be too late to prioritize the retail order ahead of the stock orders, so the stock units get built first. Many sales personnel don't know what has been ordered or where an order stands in the process so they repeat something they heard or believe about the processes that may be only half true. You kinda have to know the right questions to ask when you order if you want a better understanding of build and delivery timing for your vehicle - and only the dealership has all the answers (not the CRC.)

That means that the plant can sequence it for production (based on their available commodities and mix rates - colors, trims, options, etc.) Vehicles are not built in VIN order.

The cost of ownership has many factors. The MKX has a 4 year/50,000 mile warranty, more amenities and comfort, and higher resale value (figure about $4,000 more at 3 years out.) We leased an MKX and loved it so much, I bought a sister vehicle - the Ford Edge. And while the Edge was a great vehicle, we always wanted to drive the MKX. When the MKX lease was up (24 months) it was worth more than the residual value so we traded in the Edge and kept the MKX. I don't think you will be disappointed with either one, but you will be delighted with the MKX for luxury. If you want sporty, go with the Edge.

Different systems are updated at different times. Scheduling on Thur. evenings. Dealer news Bulletins on Friday evenings. As of July 30, the plant was scheduled down for a week beginning 8/23. This is likely a maintenance week. Ask your dealer (or CRC rep, if you must) if they can check the DNB for last Friday. That is how they would know when production is running. That also tells them what commodities are in short supply which could push back an order. Your VIN would be available before production. Scheduling means it can be picked for build, but they are not picked in vin sequence. The build seqyence is up to the plant, based on their material supply, etc. The CRC rep has access to some of the same data bases the dealers use - nothing more and often less (since some is controlled in-house and with the regional office. The vehicle ordering manager within the dealership should be your best source for all things order/delivery related. They have the complete picture and the CRC has bits and pieces.