akirby

X plan is nice but don't expect to save thousands - maybe a few hundred if you're lucky. It is a great way to buy though - no haggling and you're protected from dealer shenanigans. Be aware you have to own 100 shares for at least 6 months to get a X plan pin from shareholder services. If your company is a Ford partner you can get one that way (check with HR - you need a company code) or you can get one from a Ford Employee (sometimes employees give out PINs at blueovalforums.com but it's luck of the draw - each employee only gets 4 per year). The only way to know if you're getting a good deal is to shop around. Prices can vary greatly by location and model. Check autotrader.com for used car prices in your area. Given the high value of used cars right now your 08 is probably worth more than the buyout but you won't know for sure until you shop around.

That's what I thought but if you google it you'll see it does exist. It appears to be done more for convenience - there are no performance gains which is why it's called Wasted Spark. E.g. in a V6 it will send spark to 2 cylinders at the same time when both cylinders are at TDC - one is on the compression stroke and the other on the exhaust stroke. The one on the exhaust stroke is "wasted".

I was not suggesting that you shouldn't buy the vehicle. I was merely pointing out tricks the dealer was using so you don't get tricked into paying more than you thought you were paying.

I'm sorry you actually believe that a dealer would sell a popular vehicle like the Edge for less than they paid for it. The trade-in cash is just a ploy so they can make up the difference on the trade-in transaction. I bet there is also a hefty documentation fee. But it's your money. If you think it's a screaming deal go for it.

And what does the fine print say? I think I see something about a trade-in. Don't be fooled by sales gimmicks.

Why would it need to fire on the exhaust stroke? I would have thought the crankshaft sensor fed the PCM and the PCM decided when to fire each plug. Or are you saying it's programmed to fire on the exhaust stroke on purpose?

They wouldn't be selling warranties of any kind unless they made money on it, meaning that ON AVERAGE they pay out less than they charge. That is guaranteed or they wouldn't be in business. Just like a casino always makes more money than they pay out. Same for insurance companies. Check any large corporation and you'll find that they're self-insured for most things. Why? Because it's always cheaper in the long run. You only buy insurance for things that you can't afford to pay for out of pocket (new cars, houses, etc.). On any warranty or insurance policy you can come out way ahead. Maybe on several. But over a long period of time on multiple policies, etc. the odds are not in your favor. As an opposite example, I've had 5 vehicles that surpassed the original factory warranty by at least 2 years. I did not buy an extended warranty and I never had a repair. So I'm $7500 ahead at this point and even if I have to buy a new engine tomorrow I'm STILL ahead. I'm not saying don't gamble, but understand that it's a gamble and that on average you won't save money.

Was that an ADDITIONAL 3 yr/60K miles? Most Ford ESP plans go by total time and/or mileage, not incremental. You did get a Ford ESP, right? Let's say you went to Vegas, placed one bet at the roulette wheel and won $5K. Would you then be a big believer in the roulette wheel? Would you expect to win $5K every time you played? If you played the same bet 100 times do you think you would be winning or losing overall?

What rebates did you get? Maybe there are some hidden rebates that aren't showing up on the website.

With all due respect, what I'm telling you is you will never be able to actually buy one for that price. It will either already be sold or you won't qualify for the $6K discount or they'll add other fees and options that negate the $6K discount. If you can buy that Edge for $29,460 plus tax tag, title and a reasonable documentation fee and no other options I'll be totally shocked. TANSTAAFL

I don't believe that price for one minute. Here is a breakdown for a Tuxedo Black SEL Vin 2FMDK3JC0BBB21663 MSRP $35,460 X Plan $33,590 True Dealer Invoice (estimated) $33,440 True Dealer Cost (invoice minus 3% holdback) $32,440 (estimated) Frontier Ford "Special" Price $29,460 I don't see any incentives for that zip code so $29,460 would actually be $3K less than dealer COST. Even if there was a $1K or $1500 rebate it's still too high. What they typically do is they only have 1 vehicle at that price or they include ALL POSSIBLE incentives even though there is no way you could ever qualify or use all of them. Or you have to purchase other things and pay a huge documentation fee to make up the difference. You can call and get an "out the door" price on that Tux Black SEL just for giggles. But I wouldn't touch that dealership with a ten foot pole. Your best normal price for that Edge would be around $33,500 minus whatever Ford rebates you qualify for.

Yes, that's a common problem with all mfrs. The bumpers are plastic instead of metal with different primers and the bumpers are typically manufactured and painted off site. If it's really noticeable check with the dealer and they might be able to replace and/or repaint them to match better. But there's no guarantee they will match perfectly. It's just more noticeable on certain colors.

That's what happens when a car mfr tries to write complicated user interface software. The good news is it sounds like they know they messed up and they're getting outside help to fix it which includes ditching flash.

I said that Ford should make new version notifications on syncmyride.com. But the dealers know when a new software update is available and they can easily keep a list of their customers who are having problems to notify them.

Ford isn't going to release the type of info you want for competitive reasons. And don't forget that there are a lot of 2011 owners with no issues or only minor issues. By my count Ford has released at least 4 and possibly up to 6 new software updates since the 2011s were launched 8 months ago. While that shows they have a lot of problems to fix it also shows they're putting maximum effort into fixing them. If they weren't publishing frequent updates then I'd be a lot more critical. They're not going to publicly say that they're rewriting the software but that's what the insiders tell us and they're credible. And yes, I think owners who have had multiple problems should get some type of compensation.

I agree on both counts.

I do agree the updates should at least be noted on syncmyride.com. But the dealers are aware of the updates and all you have to do is call and ask - so how is that "leaving customers in the dark"? Could they do more? Yes. Did they screw up royally? Yes. Are they going all out to try and fix the problems? Yes, with new releases every month or so and a rumored total rewrite that is backwards compatible. Are customers with continuing problems upset? Yes. Are there customers who are happy with no problems? Yes. If Ford stops putting out software updates before the problems are fixed OR if they start refusing to fix problem vehicles THEN I'll be the first one to blast them. Until then I give them the benefit of the doubt that they're doing everything they can to try and fix the problems even if they aren't doing it perfectly. I've been where they're at on large software projects so I guess I have a little more empathy than most.

I agree they're not consistent and I don't think anybody is happy with the situation Ford included. But sending out letters to every 2011 owner every time a new version is released is not the answer.

Try the Volume button...... (while the voice is speaking)

But how does Ford know who is having problems and who isn't and why would they want to send multiple update notices to people like choff1138 who is perfectly happy? How is this any different than TSBs? Should Ford notify every owner every time a TSB comes out? Of course not (although I'm sure some people think that). If you're having problems report them to the dealer. The dealer knows when and if a new version is available and whether it's applicable to your symptoms. If yours is working then there is nothing to be done. Ford may still do a "service campaign" to notify owners once they get to a "final" version of the software but we're not anywhere close to that point yet.

You should be mad at your dealer, not Ford. They're the ones who didn't give you the updated software a month ago. Some people aren't having any problems so notifying every owner every time there is a minor software update would just cause unnecessary work for the dealers. If you're having problems then you work with the dealer to get the updates as needed.

Microsoft has nothing to do with the Sync/MFT software but they are helping Ford fix it now.

I heard that if you install a K&N filter you can bump that to 24.7........

You're welcome folks. Sorry it took so long. I really don't like banning members.

There is no pre-amp output on most Ford head units. The door speakers are all 5x7/6x8 . Crutchfield.com has all the details on what will fit and won't fit.