A mechanic says that someone brought their 4-year-old Ford Edge into his shop. He couldn’t believe it had such major problems, like a busted engine, and came to the conclusion that Fords aren’t “made to last.”
Recent data suggests that car quality in the U.S. has gone down.
The Initial Quality Survey by J.D. Power revealed that the number of reported problems per 100 vehicles has gone up by 30 in just two years. This brings the total number of reported issues in 2023 to 192 per 100 vehicles.
J.D. Power attributes this ongoing decline to factors such as more extensive use of technology, integration of known problematic audio systems, and other seemingly basic features that keep failing.
For example, car owners have been complaining about door handles not working properly, car horns having a mind of their own, or newer vehicles being built with low-quality material—all issues also mentioned in the J.D. Power report as the most common.
Why one mechanic says Ford cars aren’t built to last
Auto mechanic Victor Shack (@victorshack) has previously sparked discussion after posting a video about changing a Lexus vs. Nissan engine.
In a more recent TikTok, Shask sarcastically urges his audience to “keep buying them Fords,” and that he, as an auto mechanic, “loves it.”
According to Shack, modern Fords aren’t built to last. In the video, he walks around what appears to be a nearly new 2020 Ford Edge, saying it already needs an engine replacement.
“Isn’t this unreal,” he begins. “2020 Ford Edge. A little 2.0 [engine] on this [expletive].”
Shack continues to list all the issues it already has, saying, “It’s been extremely overheated. The turbo took a [expletive], blew every drop of coolant on the muffler, and now it’s [expletive].”
According to the auto mechanic, other than a few dents, there were no other visible issues with the car that would cause these malfunctions.
“It’s a 2020. You wouldn’t expect a 4-year-old car to be here with a [expletive]-up engine already,” he says.
Trying to find another factor that would explain the issues, Shack goes to check the mileage, which turns out to be relatively low: 64,499.6 miles.
“It ain’t made the last 60,000 miles and it [expletive] breaks,” he states. “It’s just engineered, I think, to fail. It’s already done.”
Shack then addresses Ford directly, saying “Ford. You guys outdid yourself on these things, man. I’m doing more Fords now than anything.”
@victorshack Just keep buying them, Fords I love it
♬ original sound – Victor Shack
The 2020 Ford Edge actually has a “great” quality and reliability rating, per J.D. Power. However, there are reported engine problems with this make and model.
Ford is not the only brand with problems
According to Shack, aside from Ford, he gets a substantial number of Kia repair requests in his auto mechanic shop. He recommends Toyota as a brand he rarely needs to repair, though he regularly sees vehicles from almost every other manufacturer.
According to the 2023 J.D. Power report mentioned above, out of 37 evaluated brands, Ford was listed in 23rd place, with 201 problems reported per 100 vehicles.
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, users mostly agree with the TikToker’s assessment.
“At this point with the track record and the internet, I’m convinced the people who buy these cars are to blame,” wrote one commenter. “Just buy a Honda/Toyota.”
“Probably still making car payments…,” stated another.
“Us automakers need to copy Toyota and Honda or start from scratch,” said a third.
The Daily Dot team has reached out to Victor via TikTok comment and Ford via email.
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