My 03's build quality is questionable...

[Ktee's Stang]

Well, she just went in for her 1st oil change...at 1,000 miles. My husband had them order a new steering wheel because of a flaw in my current one...the shifter came loose when I was changing into reverse my husband temporarly tightened it..the dealership took it apart and fixed it. Rob also said my car wasn't completed correctly..something to do w/the way the rear fender connected to the car. He showed the dealership..they corrected that too. They kept it over night and gave him a rental car (for free) and fixed the warranty items except for the steering wheel which they ordered from the factory. They tried to charge him for the oil change and he blew up at them..for all the inconvenience etc... They apologized up one side and down the other and reversed the charge.(My husband can be pretty intense at times)

I'm really kinda concerned about the build quality at the Ford factory. I still love my car but aren't these problems kinda strange? :??:

Ktee

 

[silvercoffin]

yes and no

Ford quality sucks all they care about is making their $$$

I love my car, but if I knew I would end up paying for a private shop to align the car right and need caster camber plates to get it right and need a new clutch so soon I would have bought an old car and had it built... I bought the 03 cause of the warrentied supercharged 4.6 but now I am afriad to bring it to a FORD DEALER. FUllerton Ford in Somerville , NJ put 25 MILES ON MY CAR TEST Driving it for the alignment. Then they scratched the hell out of the engine bay and then when they put it on their flatbed to bring it to their body shop, they scratched the front bumpoer valance all the way across.

Turned out FUllerton Ford in SOmerville, NJ never bothered to align the rear which was way out. Private shop took 30 minutes and no test drives to get my car right.

I wont buy another new ford after this experience. I am going to keep this car, but if I ever buy another sports car, i think I will give chevy a try.

Heres my list of Ford Q issues.........

1. BOTH Fog lights leaked

2. ALignment way out Needed camber plates redrilled. ALignment still wasnt right afterwards. 25 miles by dealer. scratched engine bay and touched up with chrome yellow then scratched bumper valance all the way across putting on flatbed.

3. Refused to look at my clutch until 5000 miles...claimed that SVTs orders were not to touch the trans or clutch on an 03 until 5000 mile break in period

5. drivers side window sqeeks terrible when going up or down. I wont even bother complaining about it

 

[SonterraSVT]

You guys make me think twice about buying an `03 Cobra.

 

[03DOHC]

silvercoffin- Tell us how you really feel. J/K.

 

[i8u]

Re: yes and no

Originally posted by silvercoffin


Heres my list of Ford Q issues.........

1. BOTH Fog lights leaked

2. ALignment way out Needed camber plates redrilled. ALignment still wasnt right afterwards. 25 miles by dealer. scratched engine bay and touched up with chrome yellow then scratched bumper valance all the way across putting on flatbed.

3. Refused to look at my clutch until 5000 miles...claimed that SVTs orders were not to touch the trans or clutch on an 03 until 5000 mile break in period

5. drivers side window sqeeks terrible when going up or down. I wont even bother complaining about it

Hey man....

1. Get your fog lights replaced under warrenty.
2. They should have used some two by fours to decrease the angle of the flatbed. They wouldn't replace it after they fk'd it up?
3. Ford has this stuff called Mini-vent Window Lube. Just put some on your finger and rub it inside the seal. Works wonders.
:beer:

 

[Dem03SonicSnake]

i agree, my window molding is coming off, the side scoops are on horrible, my window squeeks, the middle console squeeks, i have that damn pull, my hood latch is all loose , the paint is definetely painted like crap!!

i have to also say how much i love my cobra, i cant get enough of it, i dont regret a tiny bit about purchasing it, i just have to say they should of put a little more quality into building a 34 thousand dollar machine!!

 

[FEARNO1]

Hows this one for ya.....the bolts that hold my rear spoiler on were 3/4 loose:bash: :??:

 

[03DOHC]

Originally posted by SonterraSVT
You guys make me think twice about buying an `03 Cobra.

As with anything, those with problems are the most vocal. That's not to say I haven't had any problems. My passenger side Cobra emblem was the drivers side emblem and now even after keeping it under 3500 rpm for 1000 miles and changing the oil at 500 miles I have the "tick."

Am I happy with my car? Yes.

Would I buy another? Hell yes!

You can have a nightmare with any car and having a competent dealer makes it easier to resolve "issues."

 

[Dem03SonicSnake]

totally agree, love my cobra!

 

[FEARNO1]

:cuss: ....Oh now I just developed that :cuss: annoying squeeky window....along with the rough idle and stalling:cuss: :cuss:

 

[i8u]

Originally posted by 03DOHC
As with anything, those with problems are the most vocal. That's not to say I haven't had any problems. My passenger side Cobra emblem was the drivers side emblem and now even after keeping it under 3500 rpm for 1000 miles and changing the oil at 500 miles I have the "tick."

Am I happy with my car? Yes.

Would I buy another? Hell yes!

You can have a nightmare with any car and having a competent dealer makes it easier to resolve "issues."

:thumbsup: Couldn't have said it any better. I love my cobra!!!!:beer:

 

[kino]

I don't have any problems with my car although I do wish for a better fit and finish.

 

[hoofbeat]

:beer: another point of veiw, i,ve had my COBRA since june 8 2900 miles on the car and not ONE thing wrong with the car. from all the post on this web site the majority of owners have had litte or no problems with there cars or dealers.

 

[Dem03SonicSnake]

thats what warranty is for anyways, im just afraid of my paint starting to chip or something, some cobras already with flakes on it

 

[FEARNO1]

Would I do it over and buy my car aqain.. no question, absolutely

 

[silvercoffin]

well

Hey hoofbeat I think you are very lucky.

I Love the car. 12 sec stock car is awesome..Never had one so fast and I have had no running problems just quality problems which is whats being discussed here.

I had a GT before and had NO problems except for all sort of sqeaks and rattles that I learned quickly with Ford not to bother complaining about. I guess I was lucky cause i know many people who i have met at cruises, shows and, racing events that had all sorts of trouble with their 01gts and cobras too....

OH and they might have replaced my bumper valance but I was worn down and sick of dealing with the aholes. I bought a new one myself...still havent got around to putting it on.

Sure Ford will fix your problems under warrenty, but my problem is that there isnt a ford dealer I will trust after talking to people and havning bad experiences at three myself. The whole idea when you buy a new car is that you wont have to keep bringing it back right??

oh forgot to add...since they redrilled the camber plates my steering wheel vibrates/shimmies up and down at 100MPH+.. Fullertons response??? "Sorry we cant test dirve it that fast." Even after I said it didnt do it until you worked on my car.

OK OK im done....hahaha I better move on to happier threads hehe:fm: :xpl: :burn: :mj: :gt:

 

[kino]

Sounds like what FORD really needs is better dealerships that don't give people the run around. How a dealership treats you is important unfortunately, many dealerships don't recoginize that fact.

 

[Ktee's Stang]

Let me make myself perfectly clear...I LOVE MY COBRA! I would not switch this baby for any other comparible priced car.

I'm sorry those of you have had the problems you've had. My 99 gt had build problems too. I got them all corrected by warranty with some effort -- and loved that car from day 1 forward. I think if the dealership takes good care of you and honors their service commitment than even if the problems are major you can get them corrected and come out ahead.

I ended up dealing w/a svt dealership far away because of their reputation for better service than the one closer. Although my husband had to insist on a few things when he took the car in, they came around and promised to be more careful in the future.

That's cool w/me :thumbsup:

Ktee

 

[03DOHC]

Ktee- Which dealer did you end up taking it to? I'm in NorCal too.

 

[hoofbeat]

:coolman: i think kino may have said it best, the dealership may have a lot to do with how you feel about your car . my car came in on june 7 and the sales mrg. called me to pick the car up on the following day, he asked me to not jump his a$$ because the front drivers side rim had a little knick in it and he had already ordered one (he had been told not to touch the car until i had looked it over) . when the rim came in i was given his 02 gt for the loaner to drive .the salesperson and sales mrg. have sent a number of letters and or phone calls making sure every thing is ok with the car and why haven,t i brought the car in for yhe 1st free oil change ( i change my own oil) . got free cobra floor mats, svt hat .some dealers do understand cust. ser..