Ford Resale Value In Thailand?

[sonic_11uk]

For whatever reason, Ford doesn't have a good reputation in Thailand despite drawing positive feedback in other countries.

I am sure that this reflects on the resale value of Ford cars.

With Ford doing a big push with the recent Fiesta, Ranger and the coming Focus, will resale values go up?

Will the Thai attention to T and H badges be drawn away to other brands?

[funcat]

If MRO was here,he will probably give you a positive answer to that with all the "new generation" cars and trucks coming...but this will take time...and I have no problem buying a Ford(Ranger that is)...

[stevenl]

Maybe, check back in 10 years time or so. These things take time.

For the moment: no.

[mr3cho]

IMO their reputation is not going to get better anytime soon because they are not improving their customer service or training their employees well. Some of their competitors are employing an incentive-based reward system for good customer service. For example, I just received my mazda and each time that I stepped into the showroom and spoke with a sales rep, they reported it to HQ and the following day I received a call asking to rate my experience. It's very similar to my experience with BMW a few years back. (wow i went from a bmw to mazda )

I didn't get nearly the same quality service when I originally placed an order for a Ford, it was in fact bad. And I wanted to like Ford. I don't know how T and H's customer service rates. But if you're the dark horse trying to get into the lead, you better be trying twice as hard.

Good customer service goes a long way.

As far as product is concerned, if you look around the internets, they are having a few QC problems including one fiesta that burst into flames after a fender-bender. That worries me because Ford and Mazda share the same platform and factory.

But even with that I can see that fiestas have been selling like hotcakes. The Rangers would have too if they didn't royally-F that one up.

[stingray]

Rangers are excellent Picks, never had any troubles with them. Fieta gives you a lot more for your money than a Toyota in a similar pricerange, but suspensions are weak. After 30'k done the front suspensions get noisy on uneven roads. It shouln't be like that and i don't think they give any warrantie on suspension parts.

[kkerry]

Ford Fiesta, 14 months old, 5000km, looks brand new still. Got water logged in the flood last year. Still not finished being repaired under insurance. Used car dealer offered only 300K as used car market has dropped due to flood and new car rebate. Comment from my wife... I love my car but very unhappy with Ford service.

[Jitar]

Ford could certianly improve on their car reputation and resale. With the current popularity and shortage of the new Ranger, it will be interesting to see how its used value holds up. The Fiesta fire may not make too much difference. Toyota had big problems with Camrys in the US, Early Fortuners brakes in Thailand and roll overs in South Africa but their reputation survived OK.

Ford and Mazda are an interesting comparison as they share a lot of models and Mazda certianly does not have the reputation of Toyota or Honda in Thailand. My wife has a Mazda 3 and I had a Ford escape before my current car. Our experience was good with the Ford dealer and not so good with Mazda. Niether dealer made follow up calls but at least Ford could fit simple parts with out screwing it up. The Escape was a good car and resale value was about average for Thailand. The Mazda is OK but seems to have retained it's value better, if advertised asking prices are anything to go by. Mazda 3s are asking similar money to similar prices to Toyota Corollas while similar age Ford Focus are about 20% lower.

Does anyone know where the used car guys get the value from? Is there a dealer guide like in Western countries or is it all seat of the pants stuff?

[rixalex]

But even with that I can see that fiestas have been selling like hotcakes.

Where are they selling like hot cakes? Here in Bangkok you see them about, but not in the numbers i expected. I really thought the Fiesta had it all. Only weakness seems to be legroom in the back. Certainly deserves to do really well and to crack the market. Not sure it has, not to the extent Ford would have wished. I may be wrong. I haven't see the sales figures.

[culicine]

Ford Fiesta, 14 months old, 5000km, looks brand new still. Got water logged in the flood last year. Still not finished being repaired under insurance. Used car dealer offered only 300K as used car market has dropped due to flood and new car rebate. Comment from my wife... I love my car but very unhappy with Ford service.

That's pretty disastrous. Our neighbour had his camry repaired, I think, in less than 2 months. Why such a long hold up??

[mr3cho]

But even with that I can see that fiestas have been selling like hotcakes.

Where are they selling like hot cakes? Here in Bangkok you see them about, but not in the numbers i expected. I really thought the Fiesta had it all. Only weakness seems to be legroom in the back. Certainly deserves to do really well and to crack the market. Not sure it has, not to the extent Ford would have wished. I may be wrong. I haven't see the sales figures.

I've seen a lot of them in Bangkok as well.

And found this in the nation from March.

"The record in February was led by continued strong demand for the class-leading Ford Fiesta and class-defining All-New Ford Ranger pickup, the company said.

Retail sales of the Fiesta surged 61 per cent in February to 2,048 units, with the five-door Fiesta finishing the month as the best-selling hatchback in its highly competitive segment."

[kkerry]

Ford Fiesta, 14 months old, 5000km, looks brand new still. Got water logged in the flood last year. Still not finished being repaired under insurance. Used car dealer offered only 300K as used car market has dropped due to flood and new car rebate. Comment from my wife... I love my car but very unhappy with Ford service.

That's pretty disastrous. Our neighbour had his camry repaired, I think, in less than 2 months. Why such a long hold up??

Car got flooded in what we and many others thought would be a secure location. Water got in to about seat cushion height so not as bad as I saw other cars flooded to window level. Our car was never driven in flood water.

Car was taken to our original Ford dealer at our request by the insurer (car paid for in cash, insurance paid by us in cash via Ford dealer) as I felt this was the best way to ensure we didn't get any dodgy third part replacement parts and it was only a six months old car with maybe 4000 kms, in as new condition. Up until this time we had been a happy Ford customer.

Car sat at the dealer untouched for a month. Sure they were busy but we had to suggest that maybe it was a good idea if they drained the remaining water and lifted up carpets etc.

After a month car looked worse than after sitting outside in the flood.

Seats to my mind needed replacing but insurance were only paying for cleaning, I've heard the same from other people with different insurers.

By the time they started seeing what needed repairing the auto trans was history, may well have been from the moment it was flooded, I don't know.

Spent two weeks trying to repair before insurance told them to replace (100,000+ baht).

Took a few weeks before parts were delivered.

Took another two weeks before they gave up trying to get the new transmission to work.

Ordered another transmission, a month before that was properly installed however... I don't know what it is called but look down around your feet and there is one solid connecting rod or something that was coated in thick rust.

They could spend all that time replacing the transmission but ignore that... a photo to the insurer and a quick order to the dealer to replace which apparently meant taking out the transmission again after waiting a week or two for another part...

Various other minor problems like losing mats, fittings etc. and every time they pull something apart they seem to break some plastic fixture and just leave as is until we bring it to their attention.

When they take something apart they can't put it back properly so things rattle which we then have to tell them so they can install again properly.

The service department are in a word, unprofessional.

My wife is polite and calm but even she lost it last week when they rang her and told her to come and collect the car as it was now ready, only to ring again two hours later when she was almost there (how many taxi fares) to say it wasn't ready yet... she wanted the car back so had to wait another two hours for it to be ready to drive (still things left to be fixed).

Since end of November last year we have had the car for a bit over a month, the rest of the time it has been at the dealer.

The car still drives nice, looks good so when we have it no real complaints about the actual car apart from the two weeks it took after we bought it to replace a faulty electric window motor.

Current situation is this.

We have the car back but it still requires more minor work (insurer is agreeable) but as usual the parts are never in stock. Ford HQ rang us at random last week to ask about our experience with Ford so my wife told them our story. We had rung them previously to complain but got nowhere. Dealer later contacted us (they rarely return calls normally) to ask what we thought was the problem, who needs to be fired... why they are asking us I have no idea, they have service records so they can see where the fault lies surely.

Had a meeting with the insurance rep this week so now we are arranging to complete the repairs elsewhere as even my wife has no patience left with the original dealer and now they have Ford HQ on their case my wife feels we will be put at the back of the line, loss of face thing. We have been told there are some vehicles still at the dealer since the flood, and this is what I would call a major dealer, not some upcountry car tent where the owner is a home mechanic. She told the insurance guy she doesn't want me to go back with her to the original dealer again as she is scared I'm going to really let them have it

and this is just the condensed version...

[rixalex]

Ford Fiesta, 14 months old, 5000km, looks brand new still. Got water logged in the flood last year. Still not finished being repaired under insurance. Used car dealer offered only 300K as used car market has dropped due to flood and new car rebate. Comment from my wife... I love my car but very unhappy with Ford service.

That's pretty disastrous. Our neighbour had his camry repaired, I think, in less than 2 months. Why such a long hold up??

Car got flooded in what we and many others thought would be a secure location. Water got in to about seat cushion height so not as bad as I saw other cars flooded to window level. Our car was never driven in flood water.

Car was taken to our original Ford dealer at our request by the insurer (car paid for in cash, insurance paid by us in cash via Ford dealer) as I felt this was the best way to ensure we didn't get any dodgy third part replacement parts and it was only a six months old car with maybe 4000 kms, in as new condition. Up until this time we had been a happy Ford customer.

Car sat at the dealer untouched for a month. Sure they were busy but we had to suggest that maybe it was a good idea if they drained the remaining water and lifted up carpets etc.

After a month car looked worse than after sitting outside in the flood.

Seats to my mind needed replacing but insurance were only paying for cleaning, I've heard the same from other people with different insurers.

By the time they started seeing what needed repairing the auto trans was history, may well have been from the moment it was flooded, I don't know.

Spent two weeks trying to repair before insurance told them to replace (100,000+ baht).

Took a few weeks before parts were delivered.

Took another two weeks before they gave up trying to get the new transmission to work.

Ordered another transmission, a month before that was properly installed however... I don't know what it is called but look down around your feet and there is one solid connecting rod or something that was coated in thick rust.

They could spend all that time replacing the transmission but ignore that... a photo to the insurer and a quick order to the dealer to replace which apparently meant taking out the transmission again after waiting a week or two for another part...

Various other minor problems like losing mats, fittings etc. and every time they pull something apart they seem to break some plastic fixture and just leave as is until we bring it to their attention.

When they take something apart they can't put it back properly so things rattle which we then have to tell them so they can install again properly.

The service department are in a word, unprofessional.

My wife is polite and calm but even she lost it last week when they rang her and told her to come and collect the car as it was now ready, only to ring again two hours later when she was almost there (how many taxi fares) to say it wasn't ready yet... she wanted the car back so had to wait another two hours for it to be ready to drive (still things left to be fixed).

Since end of November last year we have had the car for a bit over a month, the rest of the time it has been at the dealer.

The car still drives nice, looks good so when we have it no real complaints about the actual car apart from the two weeks it took after we bought it to replace a faulty electric window motor.

Current situation is this.

We have the car back but it still requires more minor work (insurer is agreeable) but as usual the parts are never in stock. Ford HQ rang us at random last week to ask about our experience with Ford so my wife told them our story. We had rung them previously to complain but got nowhere. Dealer later contacted us (they rarely return calls normally) to ask what we thought was the problem, who needs to be fired... why they are asking us I have no idea, they have service records so they can see where the fault lies surely.

Had a meeting with the insurance rep this week so now we are arranging to complete the repairs elsewhere as even my wife has no patience left with the original dealer and now they have Ford HQ on their case my wife feels we will be put at the back of the line, loss of face thing. We have been told there are some vehicles still at the dealer since the flood, and this is what I would call a major dealer, not some upcountry car tent where the owner is a home mechanic. She told the insurance guy she doesn't want me to go back with her to the original dealer again as she is scared I'm going to really let them have it

and this is just the condensed version...

Truth is any car that has been flooded to the extent yours was, should be written off by the insurance company. Repairing and changing some parts is still going to leave you with a car that continually has problems of one sort or another. I guess the insurance company had a clause in the contract to say it was not liable in the case of flooding, and therefore in picking up the repair bill as they have done, they feel they are doing you a favour as it is.

[Gary A]

I bought a new top of the line Ford Focus in 2008. The Loei dealership has been nothing short of excellent. I guess it depends on the dealer. Other than some very minor things the car has been trouble free.