Quality and possible plant closings

[vaderv]

I responded to a couple posts that with the lack of quality in the MM GM and CV all built in St. Thomas Canada, that is was ironic to me that Ford was thinking of closing the Wixom Assembly Plant In the good old U.S. of A. even though the quality at the Wixom plant was much better. Some of you seem to have gotten the opposite impression. The Wixom plant currently builds the Town Car, Lincoln LS, Thunderbird and is supposed to build the GT 40 also. That they would consider closing this plant for the St. Thomas plant is not only unjustifiable by any means, since the quality of the work is light years ahead of the Canadian plant. But is more proof the the damned bean counters are still trying to kill Ford Motor Company. Politics asside this is stupid... and if there are international politics involved the Ford boys should bring the latest quality and warranty numbers to the table and do whats right not whats pc.

[RCSignals]

I haven't been privileged to any quality statistics from these plants, but I was told by a dealership service technician that they see more problems with Town Cars than Crown Victorias and Grand Marquis.

From what I've read on BON by Ford employees, I get the impression that Wixom isn't closing, and nothing is confirmed of a move for the Town Car to St Thomas. I suspect from reading that the reason the Town Car would be moved is because STAP is a Body on Frame plant, and Wixom production may be changing to concentrate on unibody "flexible" production.

[bchapman]

Sometimes it has nothing to do with the quality of production but rather the cost of production. The Edison, NJ plant makes the Ranger - a very high quality truck. That plant is closing because the cost of doing business in NJ, coupled with the cost of modernizing the plant, is prohibitive.