Random Thoughts Thread

[ccap41]

On 7/14/2025 at 5:23 PM, G. David Felt said:

Any update from Ford on fixing this right rather than taking away a feature you paid for?

Seems Ford (Found on Road Dead) or (Fix and Repair Daily) is becoming the leading recall company.

https://driving.ca/features/safety/ford-recalls-2025-issue-problem-fix

Unfortunately, no.

I don't even really know who to reach out to anymore. I've reached out to Lincoln and the NHTSA. The NHTSA just says "This is what Lincoln and the NHTSA have agreed upon as a fix". Lincoln just makes a note and claims to have filed a report with the NHTSA over this issue. 

@Drew Dowdell, by chance, do you have a Lincoln rep I could reach out to over this matter? 

[G. David Felt]

35 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Unfortunately, no.

I don't even really know who to reach out to anymore. I've reached out to Lincoln and the NHTSA. The NHTSA just says "This is what Lincoln and the NHTSA have agreed upon as a fix". Lincoln just makes a note and claims to have filed a report with the NHTSA over this issue. 

@Drew Dowdell, by chance, do you have a Lincoln rep I could reach out to over this matter? 

That just sucks in so many ways and is another reason that I would not buy from them. Like GM which has choosen to go against customer choice, I have left another American Company for one that supports choice. 

I hope Lincoln wakes up to the fact that unplugging a feature is not a fix. Long term it will cost them imho.

Thank you for the update on this.

[A Horse With No Name]

On 7/17/2025 at 10:17 AM, ccap41 said:

Almost my entire friend group(5/8 closest male friends) has had a GTI at some point. From Mk3 to Mk7's. They've all loved them. One recently bought and still owns his mk7 and the other swapped it out got a Jetta GLI. They aren't bulletproof though. I believe they all had some issues at some point. I believe two had DSG transmission issues that were quiet expensive to repair, though not catastrophic. This was, ironically, after VW's recommended trans service interval.  

I really have a sot spot for hot hatches. In another life, I would have bought a Focus RS. 

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Unfortunately, no.

I don't even really know who to reach out to anymore. I've reached out to Lincoln and the NHTSA. The NHTSA just says "This is what Lincoln and the NHTSA have agreed upon as a fix". Lincoln just makes a note and claims to have filed a report with the NHTSA over this issue. 

@Drew Dowdell, by chance, do you have a Lincoln rep I could reach out to over this matter? 

This is sad. Maverick is on my short list, want to see how this is resolved. 

[ccap41]

29 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I really have a sot spot for hot hatches. In another life, I would have bought a Focus RS.

You and I both, brother. I just love that class of vehicle. They're sporty, fun, practical, and not (typically) all that expensive to own/operate. They're just all around great vehicles. 

I'd like to say that one day I'll own a Focus RS, too. But, I know damn well I likely won't buy one. By the time I'm in a position to buy an extra car or I no longer need the extra space for a family of 4, I'd be getting something with 2 doors and a V8 anyway. 

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

You and I both, brother. I just love that class of vehicle. They're sporty, fun, practical, and not (typically) all that expensive to own/operate. They're just all around great vehicles. 

I'd like to say that one day I'll own a Focus RS, too. But, I know damn well I likely won't buy one. By the time I'm in a position to buy an extra car or I no longer need the extra space for a family of 4, I'd be getting something with 2 doors and a V8 anyway. 

Or my friend, like me, you will have to spend that money on your kids education! That is why my conversion of my 1994 GMC Suburban never happened and I eventually sold it as I am past the project phase and now into the Grandkids phase.

Good luck, the future is going to be an interesting mixture I think over the next two decades.

@A Horse With No Name @ccap41 Mazda might have a card that you both will like. The CEO is quoted in this story that they are assessing the return of the Mazda midsize pickup.

2025 Mazda B-Series Unofficially Comes Back to Life to Make America Proud, Again - autoevolution

[Drew Dowdell]

On 6/13/2025 at 5:25 PM, ccap41 said:

I had a recall done yesterday on my Navigator. The recall was to eliminate the risk of something catching fire due to the under-mirror lighting. The fix was to simply unplug the lights and I lose the feature. 

This seems pretty ridiculous, right? Like, there wasn't an actual fix. I just lost something I paid for. 

I had a loaner new Escape for the day though. It was..uhhh...okay... 

 

On 6/16/2025 at 9:07 AM, ccap41 said:

i believe something causes a possible short, which causes the fire. It already was an LED bulb under the mirror. I'm actively reaching out to Lincoln/Ford about it though, because I think it's ridiculous to just lose a feature due to a recall. I though recalls FIXED problems. 

Right?!? I'm hoping it's just a temp fix until they have an actual fix. Losing something on a vehicle for a recall is absurd, IMO. 

So, unfortunately no, especially on a vehicle that age... and there is precedent for it. The most you can hope for is some sort of Visa gift card for a very modest amount IF you kick up enough stink with Lincoln Customer Service. 

Back in the mid-2000s, the Buick Lucerne and the Cadillac DTS had heated washer fluid. There was an initial fix to move the system to a larger fuse, but the systems still were shorting out and causing fires. The supplier ended up going into bankruptcy over it.  The recall was to disconnect the system and owners received a $100 gift card. 

That's while the cars were still in production, so I can't imagine Lincoln doing much for yours now.