Lincoln News: Lincoln MKZs Are Coming To Dealers

[William Maley]

By William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

March 24, 2013

More MKZs are coming! That's what in essence Ford's president of the Americas, Joe Hinrichs said last Thursday after a supplier event at Ford's Dearborn campus.

"We expect to have a rather large amount of vehicles in the delivery process … in the last 10 days of the month," Hinrichs said.

Hinrichs explained that Lincoln MKZs aren't being shipped no longer being shipped from Ford's Hermosillo, Mexico plant, to another plant in Flat Rock for additional inspection and repairs. The reason for the additional inspection and repairs is due to Ford's recent track record of new vehicles not having a smooth introduction (see the Escape and Fusion as examples).

When asked about problems Lincoln were addressing with the MKZ, Hinrichs didn't go into detail.

"I don't want to blame the supply base. We've had our own internal issues as well."

Even with the delay, Hinrichs said Lincoln has minimized the number of customers going to another brand by offering extended leases until MKZs reach dealers.

We're not quite how many customers Lincoln has kept since sales in last two months have dropped by 25%, mostly in part of the small number of MKZs on dealer lots.

Source: The Detroit News

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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[vonVeezelsnider]

Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y

I hope for their sake they've fixed all that's wrong. At the local auto show last week, the MKZ there had front seats where the bottom of the seatback (where people's shoes slide under) that were essentially fraying away to nothing just from people hopping in and out at the show. Mind you that is a lot of people but in all the time that I have attended these shows I've NEVER seen a car with that kind of an obvious issue. Maybe they were hoping people would get distracted by the giant roof.

[Robert Hall]

Let's see, they are building them at a plant in a crime-ridden third world country. You can't expect high quality from an environment like that.

[ocnblu]

Well, a lot of vehicles sold in the US are built in Mexico. Besides Ford, I think Chrysler and GM have plants down there. In addition to Volkswagen, and others I can't think of right now.

I support Mexican plants because they employ Mexicans... so they don't have to cross the Rio Grande, set up ramps at the wall to try to drive a Cherokee over, and cross into our country illegally.

If the plant is run correctly, I see no reason why vehicles can't be turned out down there of high quality. Suburbans and Ram pickups have been built down there for decades, IIRC.

BUT... why this is publicized is beyond me. This is like advertising that your brand new car meant to save a storied brand... is junk, fixed with band-aids. SAD.

Edited March 24, 2013 by ocnblu

[regfootball]

Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y

I hope for their sake they've fixed all that's wrong. At the local auto show last week, the MKZ there had front seats where the bottom of the seatback (where people's shoes slide under) that were essentially fraying away to nothing just from people hopping in and out at the show. Mind you that is a lot of people but in all the time that I have attended these shows I've NEVER seen a car with that kind of an obvious issue. Maybe they were hoping people would get distracted by the giant roof.

The MKz at out auto show was hashed inside by the end also. The MKz is a Mercury Milan inside, not a luxury car. Ford really dropped the ball on the interior of this thing.

[vonVeezelsnider]

I had an opportunity to see the first saleable MKZ in town a few weeks ago and I was not impressed... Sure it was cool looking and I like the glass roof but the switchgear was cheap for the price and the push buttons for the transmission especially felt low grade-flimsy. Dash and door panel materials were not a significant enough improvement over the Ford Fusion and easily outclassed by the Lexus ES, Acura TL, Volvo S60, the new Cadillac interiors and even their own MKS. This is not the car that will save Lincoln, in fact it might put them out of their misery.