Anyone else unimpressed by the build quality? Some examples inside

[IwannaMav]

As material costs and supply issues increase the quality will continue to decline. That being said I am very happy with my Maverick.

I used to purchase equipment for my job. I bought an excessively expensive piece of equipment. It came with a sticker on it that said "The quality remains long after the price is forgotten". That applies to vehicles as well.

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[James K]

That’s pretty ridiculous. I would expect more out of an auto company. I would like to address leaks and weld issues before the truck ages. Do you think lining the undercarriage would help remedy this?

Yes its a 20-30k truck so i shouldn't expect luxury. these are some of the build quality issues ive come across not even gotten through my first tank of gas.

1. There is no insulation between the engine and the cab. When i open my drivers door i can see inside my engine bay. Ill elaborate more on this later on.

2. The fender liners dont align, mate, and cover the wheel well. tons of dirt, salt, etc gets up inside the engine bay from here and accelerates corrosion in hard to reach spaces, especially the pinch welds. Dirt and grime also easily migrates to the door seals, door wiring boot and can seep its way inside the frame.

3. The rear wheel well fender liner and splash guard doesnt cover or protect the rocker panel and the wheel constantly shoves water and dirt into it accelerating corrosion. i dont think there is a product that could even help this as theres just to much water flow.

4. this one is a little more specific to me, The steering wheel upholstery is torn and not fitted well, you can easily see inside the steering column into the engine bay.

besides the torn upholstery are these same issues on everyone else mavericks? or worth raising a warranty claim?. Anyone else have things they've noticed?

I'm impressed with the build quality on mine compared to the tracer, which my mother had and the last Mexican build Ford I inspected closely. As for gaps in body-fender liner, I'd prefer not closing them off as a good wash can clean the stuff out whereas if it was all closed off, you'd probably still get gunk in and it'd be there to wreak havoc till it did. If you're not a person that washes your vehicle very often get some waxoyl spray. I've been a British car guy for nearly 50 years and back in the 70s drove them as my daily driver up North and the stuff was great. I'd shoot it in all the crevices and then take Vaseline and used crankcase oil and spread it along the rockers (careful getting in and out) back then. I still use waxoyl in crevices, but the quality of steel and the prep used in modern cars has really improved. This is the first non-European car I've had in over 40 years and I believe the "build quality" compares well. I can't say the same for materials and level of refinement, but then this truck was half the price of the Audi I traded in.

 

[BuddyS]

If I went Target and bought the cheapest watch they had available I'd never think to complain about the quality of the band, or how easily the face scratches, or expect it to be something that I'd be passing down to my son in 40 years. Now if I bought a Rolex, sure, I'd be upset if parts of it seemed flimsy. Let's all be realistic here. And keep in mind that the average price of a new car in 2022 was $48,301 -- that's significantly more than the most loaded-up Maverick you could buy.

source: https://money.com/new-car-prices-average-50000/

 

[Burdy]

As far as what you should expect from a $22K truck... Go ahead and do a detailed comparison with ALL of the other trucks available new for $22K. I'll wait for your findings...

And for those of you who keep saying that at $XX price point, the value isn't there, I'd posit the same argument: Show me another new truck on the market that gets 40 mpg at even a $35K price point. I'll wait for your findings as well. (I'm getting pretty good at waiting, since I have a Maverick on order...)

I don't need or want a large truck, but I can definitely use a small, fuel efficient truck. I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool Ford fan (my last 3 trucks were Chevrolets). If any of the other automakers had anything remotely comparable (small truck that gets decent fuel mileage), I'd be interested. (The Santa Cruz fits the small part, but not the "fuel efficient" part. Styling is a whole 'nuther discussion...)

I wanted the price to be reflected in the lack of creature comforts, not the lack of quality. I wouldn't care if this truck had roll up windows, manual door locks and a manual transmission and still cost 22k, I would be ok with that, but I do expect decent build quality on ANY new vehicle at ANY price.

 

[MrCigar]

If I went Target and bought the cheapest watch they had available I'd never think to complain about the quality of the band, or how easily the face scratches, or expect it to be something that I'd be passing down to my son in 40 years. Now if I bought a Rolex, sure, I'd be upset if parts of it seemed flimsy. Let's all be realistic here. And keep in mind that the average price of a new car in 2022 was $48,301 -- that's significantly more than the most loaded-up Maverick you could buy.

source: https://money.com/new-car-prices-average-50000/

So far you are in the lead for the best response to the thread yet.

I love my Maverick, I am entering my fourth week of ownership and it's still got me smiling. I have a dash rattle, it's annoying, I will get it fixed under warranty even if it takes some time to figure out, not gonna let it steal my joy.

I also have an F-150, its build quality in most areas is superior, and it also costs twice the price.

Nobody wants "issues" or "poor quality", that's understandable, but I also scratch my head at what some folks complain about.

Happy Monday

 

[Burdy]

So far you are in the lead for the best response to the thread yet.

I love my Maverick, I am entering my fourth week of ownership and it's still got me smiling. I have a dash rattle, it's annoying, I will get it fixed under warranty even if it takes some time to figure out, not gonna let it steal my joy.

I also have an F-150, its build quality in most areas is superior, and it also costs twice the price.

Nobody wants "issues" or "poor quality", that's understandable, but I also scratch my head at what some folks complain about.

Happy Monday

Unfortunately its telling that the long time owners in this thread that are defending the Mav are not doing so by saying they feel like it has good build quality, they are doing so by saying "you get what you pay for." Unfortunately that speaks volumes because if current owners disagreed with the title of this post, they would be up in arms saying they are not experiencing the same thing, but that is not happening...is it? Trust me, as a guy who has one on order, I hope this is not the case but where there is smoke, there is fire.

 

[bgn]

I wanted the price to be reflected in the lack of creature comforts, not the lack of quality. I wouldn't care if this truck had roll up windows, manual door locks and a manual transmission and still cost 22k, I would be ok with that, but I do expect decent build quality on ANY new vehicle at ANY price.

Ding, ding, ding! Who cares about the features if the windshield is coming unglued? Who cares about the price of the hybrid if it's built in a way that leaves people stranded?

I have had less issues on my 20 year old Accord buying it used with 110k miles on the dash than I've had with Ford's Built Rough vehicle.

 

[MrCigar]

Unfortunately its telling that the long time owners in this thread that are defending the Mav are not doing so by saying they feel like it has good build quality, they are doing so by saying "you get what you pay for." Unfortunately that speaks volumes because if current owners disagreed with the title of this post, they would be up in arms saying they are not experiencing the same thing, but that is not happening...is it? Trust me, as a guy who has one on order, I hope this is not the case but where there is smoke, there is fire.

I am happy with mine is what I am saying.

As an example of what I was comparing in the two trucks I own; the inner door handles of my F-150 seem more durable or "sturdy", not that they function any better or that the MAVs are bad, they are just of a higher quality. Just an example, albeit a minor one.

I am very critical of anything I buy, the only complaint I have is my dash rattle, which any vehicle "could" have off the lot though not common, and I am confident it will get fixed under warranty.

I would hands down buy the MAV again, in fact recommend it to anyone I can.

 

[bgn]

I am confident it will get fixed under warranty.

I've been to two dealers since April, over a dozen times at this point, for this issue.

My windshield is not fixed. My last visit was "could not repro". When I drove it off the lot, it immediately started squeaking.

I wish I was as optimistic as you were about that warranty actually meaning something.

 

[MrCigar]

I've been to two dealers since April, over a dozen times at this point, for this issue.

My windshield is not fixed. My last visit was "could not repro". When I drove it off the lot, it immediately started squeaking.

I wish I was as optimistic as you were about that warranty actually meaning something.

Did you request to drive the tech and service advisor to replicate the issue?

When I worked at a dealership many moons ago we would often request the customer "show" us what was going on to get it replicated.

Sorry to hear you have had bad experiences at two dealerships. I am lucky to have a very good dealership by me and am confident it will not go unfixed.

 

[bgn]

Did you request to drive the tech and service advisor to replicate the issue?

When I worked at a dealership many moons ago we would often request the customer "show" us what was going on to get it replicated.

Sorry to hear you have had bad experiences at two dealerships. I am lucky to have a very good dealership by me and am confident it will not go unfixed.

I did. One time I couldn't repro it (was too warm) and the other is coming up hopefully soon. I've also provided them with videos.

It's just disappointing when it's been at the dealers for over half a month and they're still not able to fix the issues. I'm probably out $400-500 for a rental and Ubers because of this...

 

[MrCigar]

I did. One time I couldn't repro it (was too warm) and the other is coming up hopefully soon. I've also provided them with videos.

It's just disappointing when it's been at the dealers for over half a month and they're still not able to fix the issues. I'm probably out $400-500 for a rental and Ubers because of this...

I remember you posting about the out-of-pocket costs as well, not cool and FORD should be handling that for you.

I highly encourage you to find a section of roadway near the dealership where you can easily duplicate the issue, take the tech and service advisor directly to it, and don't let them out until they confirm they hear it haha.

This issue aside, do you feel the build quality of your MAV is below what you were anticipating?

 

[MLA62563]

Unfortunately its telling that the long time owners in this thread that are defending the Mav are not doing so by saying they feel like it has good build quality, they are doing so by saying "you get what you pay for." Unfortunately that speaks volumes because if current owners disagreed with the title of this post, they would be up in arms saying they are not experiencing the same thing, but that is not happening...is it? Trust me, as a guy who has one on order, I hope this is not the case but where there is smoke, there is fire.

I've had mine since February. I consider the build quality to be perfectly fine, and easily in line with my Honda Accord. No squeaks, rattles or leaks, and it drives like a dream.

 

[Burdy]

I am happy with mine is what I am saying.

As an example of what I was comparing in the two trucks I own; the inner door handles of my F-150 seem more durable or "sturdy", not that they function any better or that the MAVs are bad, they are just of a higher quality. Just an example, albeit a minor one.

I am very critical of anything I buy, the only complaint I have is my dash rattle, which any vehicle "could" have off the lot though not common, and I am confident it will get fixed under warranty.

I would hands down buy the MAV again, in fact recommend it to anyone I can.

With all due respect, you've had it 4 weeks.
I certainly hope you don't have problems and I really hope that a lot of this is just first year model blues and the 23's will be better sorted. Time will tell.

 

[bgn]

I remember you posting about the out-of-pocket costs as well, not cool and FORD should be handling that for you.

I highly encourage you to find a section of roadway near the dealership where you can easily duplicate the issue, take the tech and service advisor directly to it, and don't let them out until they confirm they hear it haha.

This issue aside, do you feel the build quality of your MAV is below what you were anticipating?

I knew the interior plastic was going to be of very, very poor quality, especially on the upper trims. So I can't whine about that, even though I have...

What I didn't expect was the windshield ticking, screens not working, etc. less than a year in and how bad the dealer experience has been.

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