Following the lead of General Motors, Ford US has introduced an even more aggressive incentive program to encourage Japanese car buyers to abandon their brands in the wake of Toyota’s accelerator recall issues.
From today until March 1, Ford is offering US$1000 rebates to owners of Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles as well as Honda and Acura cars made within the last 15 years.
Ford said Honda was included in the incentives not over any quality or safety concerns but because Toyota owners are likely to consider Hondas as a replacement.
The rebate is also available to customers who are currently leasing Toyota or Honda vehicles with a contract expiring by June 30.
The incentive program applies to all Ford vehicles excluding Ford hybrids, Edge all-wheel drive SE, F-150 Raptor, Taurus SE, Shelby GT500 and KR versions of the Mustang.
Honda and Nissan have confirmed that they will not be introducing any incentive programs like GM and Ford, while Chrysler has said it does not currently have any plans to do so.
Ford itself has not been entirely immune from the accelerator issues that have plagued Toyota, yesterday being forced to suspend production of its Transit Classic commercial van in China.
Ford has produced 1663 vehicles for the Chinese market with CTS Corp pedals (the company responsible for the defective Toyota accelerators) since supply began in December. So far it remains unclear how many vans have been delivered to dealers and customers.
Ford confirmed that CTS does not supply pedals for any of its other vehicles.
Meanwhile, Toyota yesterday extended its floor mat recall to another 1.1 million vehicles in the US, taking the total number up to approximately 5.4 million.
The latest recall includes the 2008-2010 Highlander and 2009-2010 Corolla, Venza, Matrix and Pontiac Vibe.
It is still assessing whether it will recall up to two million more vehicles in Europe also believed to be affected by the sticking accelerator malfunction.
Assuming this works, I guess the price of used Toyotas is going to drop massively by flooding the market.
HAHA! Have a look at the headlights on that transit!!!
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Where are the Ford fanboy remarks???
Like already said I think its the paranoid Holden fanboy coming out in you Callus………
As per what I personally said on the other article, this too is pretty aggressive marketing, but then again thats business……
Someones misfortune is usually someone elses gain.
On the recall topic, and the increasing numbers affected, this stuff affects toyota more so because they use so many common components. If one part fails or is poorly designed, it affects many different models in many different regions. This may be a thing GM and Ford need to be alerted to as they proceed to globalise more models.
Whilst Globalising creates efficiency, you need to make sure quality improves as such examples will be amplified.
This incentive is BS. I was about to trade my Dodge for a 2010 F150 at Northtown Ford. Not anymore, if I cant get my truck for the same price as Yota boy, then they can keep their truck. If you want to offer it to anyone who drives a competitor, then fine, thats fair and makes sense. This just pisses off people like me who they apparently dont need as a custumer. FORD…KEEP YOUR TRUCK…I will buy a Toyota in a few months when they have the same incentive in reverse, and Ill get a better built truck in the process.
Funny how Car Advice posts a US centric ford story here but fails to report the profit Ford made globally in the 4th quarter of 09.
I wonder if I’d get called a Ford fanboy for pointing that out…
That story probably wouldnt get as many hits as the shyte stirring, US manufacturing haters wouldnt come near it….
Cheers. At least I don’t have to live in doubt any longer..
I think that these ‘issues’ with Toyota’s simply highlight just what kind of people drive them. Basically those with not much idea. Floor mats!!! Good grief, adjust them for crying out loud. As for the accellerator pedal issue, put the car in neutral, turn the key off (but not too far back as to not be able to steer), pretty damn obvious solutions. The fact that a few Yanks have unfortunately died further highlights the Darwinian nature of the US public. I saw an example on the box the other day where some Yank rang 911 in a panic because their accellerator had stuck. Trully pathetic. It has made me wonder if Toyota here in Aus has had some isolated incidents over the years, simply due to the number of octagenarians, and other predominantly females (usually of an ethnic persuasion) that have crashed into shopfronts, run onto footpaths, and ran through walls in shopping centre carparks. I have attended a few, and all of the cases I have attended were Toyota’s, and from the ones you see on the news, nine times out of ten they seem to be Toyota’s as well. Makes me wonder now if any of them did have any other issue apart from being ‘past it’ or in some cases ‘never had it’.
I agree. Why don’t people learn to properly react to problems which can occur while driving, as pilots have to do, instead of just being passive computer game idiots, with no clue as to to what to do in a real driving situation. Such as beginner motorroller jockeys, who don’t learn how to steer left in order to initiate a fast right curve, to avoid an oncoming car in their lane, until just before they die in the head-on. Or the young ladies who swerve to the right when they are passed, losing control on the edge of the road by wrenching the steering wheel as if they were watching a video game at home, forgetting that when the traction comes, they will shoot into the lane of oncoming cars. They learn, but too late. The video game industry, I feel, is partly responsible for the continuing deaths by naive young drivers, with too much video game experience before they (try to) learn to drive.
I understand your point “Save it..,” but if I own one of these vehicles I damn well want to be warned that there’s an issue. An automobile is still the 2nd biggest purchase most of us ever make. They need to be held to the highest standards, especially when it comes to safety. And by the way, that Darwinian nature you’re talking about has never been limited to the US public. There are idiots everywhere my friend.
That’s kinda funny – Ford clearly thinks Americans have forgotten the Explore killing machine and it’s recalls for rollovers.
It won`t take them long to return to Toyota once they have had a Ford.
Except for the FACT that Ford vehicles have equal or better quality than Honda or Toyota.
http://www.businessweek.com/au.....ali_2.html
http://blog.pennlive.com/pa-ca.....inues.html
Your stuck in the past, get with the current.