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Lincoln to pay dealers for MKZ delays

12K views 28 replies 13 participants last post by  nruggiero 
#1 ·
Lincoln to pay dealers for MKZ delays
Automotive News
February 4, 2013
by Bradford Wernle

DETROIT -- Lincoln will offer its dealers cash assistance to help them keep customers who have been frustrated by delays in receiving their MKZ sedans.

The payments will help dealers compensate customers who had to extend their leases while they waited or who rented cars after their leases expired.

"We know there are a lot of customers who have ordered vehicles who have been waiting," including some "who have extended their existing lease multiple months," said Kevin Cour, Lincoln sales and service manager. "This allows dealers the financial flexibility to take care of customers in a personal way.

"We're going to assess how big of a share of the dealers' total new vehicle business is attributable to the MKZ. Then we will provide a payment relative to that."

Ford Motor Co. builds the MKZ in Hermosillo, Mexico. Ken Czubay, Ford vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service, told dealers last week that Lincoln had shipped batches of MKZs to Ford's Flat Rock, Mich., assembly plant for quality inspections to keep up with the volume of cars coming out of Hermosillo -- and would do so for all of Hermosillo's Lincoln output from Jan. 28 through the week of Feb. 25.

Full article at link.
 
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#2 ·
Disaster. The MK Z launch is a disaster. Delay in production, bad ( maybe the worst super bowl commercial) advertising campaing, customers waiting for the car..... The worst nigthmare in a decade.... Who is the responsable, Mr Mullaly???
 
#3 ·
I finally got to see a new MKZ. In Ginger Ale Green. The only thing missing was a Green or Plum interior.
Forget the commercial - that's history.
Wait for the right car - plus and minus. In the long run: it's the RIGHT approach.
For the next intro: BOYS, you better get it right.
Pay the dealers for the delay: Quality approach at all levels.
It's a harder start, not as smooth, but each NEWNESS brings its own teething.
Learn, move forward.
Everyone will get the LINCOLN they want and deserve, EVERYONE.
 
#6 ·
Disaster. The MK Z launch is a disaster. Delay in production, bad ( maybe the worst super bowl commercial) advertising campaing, customers waiting for the car..... The worst nigthmare in a decade.... Who is the responsable, Mr Mullaly???
They better not let this happen again when its the MKC's turn to reach the dealerships.
If this utter debacle continues the MKC may be a moot point, and Lincoln can ill afford such a debacle during such an important launch.
 
#7 ·
Ford Motor Co. builds the MKZ in Hermosillo, Mexico. Ken Czubay, Ford vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service, told dealers last week that Lincoln had shipped batches of MKZs to Ford's Flat Rock, Mich., assembly plant for quality inspections to keep up with the volume of cars coming out of Hermosillo -- and would do so for all of Hermosillo's Lincoln output from Jan. 28 through the week of Feb. 25.
Since the MKZ and Fusion come from the same plant, perhaps they're trying sort out the bugs and maybe avoid quality issues similar to the ones found in this Fusion?
Fusion Hybrid review:
Build quality issues were found throughout our tester, even at just 1,600 miles young. Plastic interior bits were loose and rattled; the sunglasses holder was stuck up and needed extra encouragement to fold down; and a plastic panel behind one of the rear door handles popped off with no provocation. Even the hood prop was found to not be attached to anything.
- http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/ford/2013-ford-fusion-hybrid-review-2397.html
 
#8 ·
Why send cars from Hermosillo to Flat Rock for inspection? Send inspectors to Hermosillo to fix quality problems in the Fusion and MK Z production!!!!!!!! Both cars are important... This 2 cars are too much critical for Ford and Lincoln brands. No oportunity for another fail
 
#9 ·
If this utter debacle continues the MKC may be a moot point, and Lincoln can ill afford such a debacle during such an important launch.
Who is thinking in to produce the MK C , when Ford is unable to launch the MK Z, that is already finishied since one year ago????? I think Lincoln could launch ( if Mr M dont kill it before) the MK C in a year and a half... with luck
 
#10 ·
How funny is it? People at Ford trying to make Lincoln image as a luxury car. Where is it built? In Mexico! Cheap labor! Should be made in the states! I'm sure there's people that will disagree with this. The cars have to be sent up to Michigan to be check out? Something wrong with this picture! It starts at the Ford HQ.
 
#12 ·
they are also footing the bill on dinners for 1000 MKZ buyers I wonder if that'll cover a visit with 2b2 to Vinsettas Garage with the cost of burgers and beer these days....:)
 
#15 ·

I've heard about the dinners but had to google Vinsetta Garage (still loading)
&
dunno about FLincMoCo flying me to Michigan


I'd *much* rather a (roundtrip) roadtrip in a new Z




[more-or-less RE-Vergent]

Ford to Match Up to $750,000 of Investments by Dealers in Stores - Bloomberg
By Craig Trudell - Feb 10, 2013

Ford Motor Co., targeting increased U.S. market share this year, told dealers yesterday that the company will match investments in their stores to improve the customer experience.

Ford will match dollar-for-dollar, up to $750,000 per dealership, investments in the exterior and interior of their facilities, Ken Czubay, Ford’s vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service, told reporters yesterday. All of Ford’s roughly 3,100 dealers that reach agreements with the company this year will be eligible, he said....

‘All Frustrated’
Ford met separately yesterday with dealers for its Lincoln brand, which had its worst U.S. sales month in 32 years in January. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker has blamed a shortage of its recently introduced Lincoln MKZ sedan. Lincoln will have “commensurate” inventory by the end of the first quarter, said Matt VanDyke, director of global Lincoln.

“You’ve got customers that want the cars and they haven’t flowed as freely as we would like,” Don Chalmers, an owner of Ford and Lincoln franchises in New Mexico, said after the meetings. “Dealers are frustrated with that, no more frustrated than Ford Motor Co. We’re all frustrated.”

Dealers are aggravated because there is demand for Lincoln product that isn’t being met, Farley said. Almost 250,000 visitors to Lincoln’s website have configured an MKZ as part of the brand’s campaign tied to this month’s Super Bowl, he said.

“We’d love to have year-over-year sales gains, and that’s great for our dealers and great for us, but that’s not the priority,” Farley said. “We’re building a brand. That’s why we are taking so much time to get the quality just right.”...
 
#19 ·
Will Lincoln KILL Mark Fields?

^ imho they just have to get the MKC to dealers when they SAY it'll be there

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/12/lincoln-dealers-frustrated-over-slow-mkz-production-ramp-up/
here it says that the car will be in showrooms in early april u.u thats so bad! Lincoln really needs to sell vehicles, I hope this won´t happen to the MKC
THANKS for that article, Jose


it's starting to sound like the Powers That Be have been asleep at the wheel since...Labor Day?
OR
that some feifdoms continue - like the advertising people being UNAWARE that the manufacturing people were heading for a cliff.
Makes me
- worry about the Thursday morning meetings in the Thunderbird Room
&
- start a new Poll...
Will(the)Lincoln(Z fiasco)KILL Mark Fields?
...nah, just add this here
Mark Fields
Was promoted from Ford America's operations executive V.P. to COO, positioning him to take over from Mulally when he retires.
Why he's rated higher than his boss: Detroit buzz is he's already doing Mulally's job on a daily basis....
 
#20 ·
Re: Will Lincoln KILL Mark Fields?

^ imho they just have to get the MKC to dealers when they SAY it'll be there


THANKS for that article, Jose :thumb:

it's starting to sound like the Powers That Be have been asleep at the wheel since...Labor Day?
OR
that some feifdoms continue - like the advertising people being UNAWARE that the manufacturing people were heading for a cliff.
Makes me
- worry about the Thursday morning meetings in the Thunderbird Room
&
- start a new Poll...
Will (the) Lincoln (Z fiasco) Kill Mark Fields?
...nah, just add this here
Mark Fields
Was promoted from Ford America's operations executive V.P. to COO, positioning him to take over from Mulally when he retires.
Why he's rated higher than his boss: Detroit buzz is he's already doing Mulally's job on a daily basis....
This has nothing to do with leadership. The factories are slammed. Flat Rock will resolve this issue. BUT in the long run, Lincoln does need its own plant.
 
#22 ·
Re: Will Lincoln KILL Mark Fields?

it's starting to sound like the Powers That Be have been asleep at the wheel since...Labor Day?
OR
that some feifdoms continue - like the advertising people being UNAWARE that the manufacturing people were heading for a cliff.
Makes me
- worry about the Thursday morning meetings in the Thunderbird Room
&
- start a new Poll...
Will(the)Lincoln(Z fiasco)KILL Mark Fields?
...nah, just add this here
Mark Fields
Was promoted from Ford America's operations executive V.P. to COO, positioning him to take over from Mulally when he retires.
Why he's rated higher than his boss: Detroit buzz is he's already doing Mulally's job on a daily basis....
This has nothing to do with leadership. The factories are slammed. Flat Rock will resolve this issue. BUT in the long run, Lincoln does need its own plant.
imho it's more/worse than that
 
#24 ·
• they blow the superbowl ad - 1/2 saved by using Phoenix to split the spot
• they blow the intro of the Z - after OKing such a late start for it that only uncommonly good luck would get any in the dealers before it coulda/shoulda been a 2014my
• apparently they still plan an equally late start for the MKC
^these^ really make me wonder if they're TRYing to kill off more dealers
&
(personal peeves)
• (the ridiculous trim levels of the Z)
• (along with stupid trim names that CAN'T continue so are a waste of time/opportunity)
&
older stuff
• mentioning "Bespoke" for Lincoln and not (yet) following thru with ANYthing about it
• MyTouch
• the MKS & MKT MCE'd while preparing the Z-Concept but with grilles that resemble nothing that came before OR after
• not-Lincoln but the recalls/TSBs they had esp the 1.6 and the PowerShift's programming


...I just don't see a "laser focus" or a cohesive Team in any of that
 
#25 ·
Re: Will Lincoln KILL Mark Fields?

^ imho they just have to get the MKC to dealers when they SAY it'll be there


THANKS for that article, Jose


it's starting to sound like the Powers That Be have been asleep at the wheel since...Labor Day?
OR
that some feifdoms continue - like the advertising people being UNAWARE that the manufacturing people were heading for a cliff.
Makes me
- worry about the Thursday morning meetings in the Thunderbird Room
&
- start a new Poll...
Will(the)Lincoln(Z fiasco)KILL Mark Fields?
...nah, just add this here
Mark Fields
Was promoted from Ford America's operations executive V.P. to COO, positioning him to take over from Mulally when he retires.
Why he's rated higher than his boss: Detroit buzz is he's already doing Mulally's job on a daily basis....
If the MK Z is responsability of Mark Fields, this big dissaster must hurt his image and prestige as a top FoMoCo executive. Some one at FoMoCo must take the responsability and must resigne or be fired . The MK Z is the most important Lincoln launch in 20 years, and everything is happening wrong... Why Ford launch a car that is unable to produce??? Why the horrible marketing campaing??? Why not to wait until the Flat Rock plant can produce the car, with the quality expected for this product?? Why to show the car at Detroit 2012 if the car will ready to produce at april 2013????

I hope Lincoln could survive to this debacle... Lincoln and the dealers, that invest a lot of money to sell nothing during 4 or 5 months since november 2012 to april 2013. And i hope that the MK C launch, if this occur, will be well planed and executed .
 
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