Lincoln is in the midst of trying to turn itself around, and parent company Ford is looking at introducing new models to the Lincoln lineup to help the brand out of its current slump.

As a hint towards what is to come, Ford presented a chart at a recent investor’s meeting that suggests the premium small car and crossover segments will grow rapidly by 2015.

Lincoln already has the MKC compact crossover (seen above) which is set to launch in 2014, based on the Ford Escape. As for a premium small car, inside sources at Ford let slip to Reuters that the brand is working on a compact sedan that is set to launch in 2016 or later. If it reaches production, the small sedan will target the Cadillac ATS and the Mercedes CLA, and will be sold in the United States and China.

SEE ALSO: Lincoln MKC Concept Details

In 1998, Lincoln was the best selling luxury brand in the U.S. and was routinely selling over 100,000 vehicles a year. In 2012, the brand only moved 82,150 units, making it the eighth best-selling luxury automaker.

As part of its overhaul, Lincoln recently launched the MKZ sedan, though supply and quality issues got the MKZ off to a rocky start. Lincoln sales were down 24 percent during the first quarter, though sales picked up through April and May, putting them only 10.5 percent down through the first five months of 2013 compared to last year.

[Source: Automotive News]

Starting with its 2014 model years, Lincoln will be cutting its free maintenance program from four years and 50,000 miles to two years and 24,000 miles.

A memo was sent last month to dealers explaining the change with the American automaker stating that the revised program “complements short-term 24-month leases.” Lincoln also reinforced the change by saying that it is “competitive with other luxury brands.” Dealerships on the other hand, feel that the American automaker is sending the wrong message in a competitive luxury market.

Competing automakers Jaguar and Volvo also recently cut their complimentary maintenance programs.

[Source: Automotive News]

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Six of the Top 10 Least Reliable Cars and Trucks on the road are Ford products. At least, that’s according to data provided by Consumer Reports, a non-profit organization that tests everything from toasters to homeowner’s insurance. This lopsided result has raised a lot of questions, like: Are Blue-Oval vehicles really that troublesome or is Consumer Reports’ survey methodology flawed?

As many AutoGuide readers commented on our Top 10 Unreliable Cars and Trucks post, the company’s MyFord Touch infotainment system was a major reason for their poor performance. “The reliability problems are overwhelming,” said Jake Fisher, Director of Auto Testing at Consumer Reports.

To be clear this has nothing to do with how easy or hard the system is to use. “We’re not talking about difficult to operate” Fisher said, adding, “We’re talking about failures,” outright problems that require a customer to go back to the dealer. MyFord Touch has had, “a serious impact [on] brand reliability.”

Fisher said “I think they were trying to be out front [with MyFord Touch].” He noted that Japanese automakers tend to be conservative when it comes to new features. Toyota for instance is rarely in a leadership position when it comes to technology because, “That’s the higher risk,” Fisher said.

Another issue that took wind right out of the Blue Oval’s reliability sails is their PowerShift dual-clutch automatic transmission; it’s offered on the Focus and Fiesta small cars. Fisher said customers weren’t just complaining about shift-quality issues, gearboxes have actually been failing. This has resulted in a “high problem rate,” he said.

According to Fisher, MyFord Touch and PowerShift are the “Two issues you can really pinpoint” for the company’s quality troubles. But there could be another reason as well.

Over the last couple years Ford has introduced a dizzying number of redesigned vehicles, new engines and other cutting-edge features. “I really think that’s what’s behind these reliability missteps,” Fisher said, “It’s very difficult for any manufacturer to maintain reliability when you change everything.”

For a little perspective the company launched 25 new vehicles and 31 different powertrains in 2012. That’s a monumental push for an automaker but, “We plan to keep this aggressive product cadence up,” said Wes Sherwood, quality communications manager at Ford. He also mentioned that going forward they’re going to, “double down on quality.”

And their efforts are already paying off. According to Sherwood, Ford has, “Significantly reduced issues with the new systems,” a change that has not been reflected in Consumer Reports findings at this time.

Coming to the company’s defense Fisher said, “It’s not like Ford has had a history of bad quality,” in recent years they’ve distanced themselves from their domestic competition. The previous generation Fusion sedan for instance was a leader in quality. “I don’t think it’s something they have wrong in their processes,” he said, noting that they’ve probably just been trying to do too much. “Looking at Ford’s history I would expect over the next few years the reliability would drastically improve.”

Despite issues with PowerShift and MyFord Touch the current crop of Blue Oval cars and trucks is actually extremely competitive. Fisher said, “These Fords have the fundamentals right,” with nice packaging, good ride quality and competent handling.

Consumer Reports is a valuable resource not just for new-vehicle shoppers but for automakers as well. “We constantly take in all points of input and look at that as we continue development of our vehicles,” said Sherwood. When it comes to the company’s cantankerous MyFord Touch system, they’ve already shipped a number of updates. Complaints have actually dropped 50 percent since the system launched a couple years ago.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Least Reliable Cars and Trucks

In spite of its widely publicized issues, customers are drawn to MyFord Touch. Talk about a paradox! Sherwood said, “Last year the mix was around 12 percent,” meaning a little more than one out of every 10 buyers purchased the infotainment system. But today he said a whopping 50 percent of customers opt for the technology. “People are buying more feature-rich vehicles [from us]” he said, which is good for the company’s bottom line.

Sherwood said buyers of F-150 pickups equipped with MyFord Touch are the company’s most satisfied customers. Additionally, drivers with MyFord Touch-equipped vehicles are more satisfied than motorists that don’t have it.

Technologies like MyFord Touch, inflatable seat belts and active park assist are all part of the company’s efforts to lead the industry instead of following the competition. “It’s been just a huge push for us to innovate… to have the freshest product on the market,” Sherwood said.

With all of the problems it’s faced in recent years one might expect the company to slow things down a little bit, but surprisingly that’s not the case. Ford will remain just as aggressive with its new vehicle and technology launches, but it’s going to focus on quality like never before. “I think overall it’s just really balancing the pace of innovation and product freshness” said Sherwood, adding, “We really did stretch ourselves [thin] and learned important lessons.”

The key to growth in the automotive industry is product freshness. Companies can no longer launch a vehicle and then leave it on the market for a decade without any updates. In years past Ford had a bad habit of introducing cars and trucks and then practically forgetting about them, but no more said Sherwood.

Citing Bank of America’s recently released Car Wars report he said the company is expected to have the best product-replacement rate in the industry. That means it will have one of the freshest lineups in the business, something that should attract buyers to the Blue Oval brand. Because of its aggressiveness and appealing new vehicles Bank of America projects Ford will gain one point of market share by 2017, a significant improvement in today’s highly competitive market. Hopefully they can get past the issues plaguing them right now and make Quality Job 1.

The popularity of the Ford Fusion Hybrid, C-Max Hybrid, as well as the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is translating into solid sales for the blue oval, as the brand has just beat its previous full-year record of hybrid sales in the first five months of 2013.

Selling approximately 37,000 hybrid models this year through May, the American automaker has bested it’s past full year record of 35,496 hybrid vehicles, accomplished in 2010.

Ford is selling several hybrid models now, including new plug-in hybrids called the Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi. Ford is now second to only Toyota in terms of hybrid sales in the US.

The company boasts that hybrids are flying off dealer lots, with turnaround times of 10 days in some key markets. Ford is also saying many of its sales are from buyers who have previously owned Toyota and Honda vehicles.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Cheapest 40 MPG Cars

Indeed, both the C-Max and Fusion Hybrids were named to our top 10 cheapest cars which get more than 40 mpg, proving that the cars are aggressively priced. For more information on the Ford Fusion Hybrid, be sure to check out our review, where we found the EPA’s fuel economy rating of 47 mpg to be quite optimistic. For those looking for a bit more space than the Fusion, there’s also the C-Max hybrid, which starts at $25,995 after destination charges. Read our review of the C-Max Hybrid. For those more interested in the plug-in hybrid, our review of the C-Max Energi will tell you all you need to know about the high-tech hybrid.

Since its founding in 1936, Consumer Reports has become the go-to source for shoppers. From new refrigerators to bottles of wine, Blue-ray players to homeowner’s insurance, if it’s on the market it’s likely the non-profit organization has scientifically tested it. Of course the consumer watchdog is probably most famous for its vehicle reliability ratings.

Conscientious shoppers in the market for a new ride turn to the magazine’s pages for advice. They search out cars and trucks with most the red dots, and shun ones that get black marks. The group’s survey methodology, while controversial, paints a broad and easily understood picture for buyers.

To earn a coveted “Recommended” rating, vehicles must perform well in the organization’s testing and have a reliability score of average or better. But what about cars and trucks that fail to make the grade? Here’s a list of the Top 10 Least Reliable Vehicles according to Consumer Reports. If you’re familiar with their ratings you’ll know products from the Detroit Three typically don’t score as well as their Japanese competitors. Needless to say there’s trouble brewing in Dearborn. Team America… oh no.

There comes a time when apologizing isn’t enough, and for Ford that time is now.

The brand is rethinking it’s launch strategy after problems with cars including the new Ford Escape required early recalls and qualiy-related delays crippled the Lincoln MKZ launch schedule.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Ford Escape, Fusion Recalled for Engine Fire Risk

On the consumer side, Lincoln was left trying to pacify unhappy customers with pre-orders in place for the new MKZ sedan including offering $100 dinner gift cards.

“We’ve done a complete analysis,” Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of the Americas, told Automotive News, “on lessons learned in the last couple of years, including the recent MKZ launch, and are now incorporating a number of changes in our development and new-model launch process.”

While the changes will affect dealers more directly than consumers, the end result will presumably translate to an improved customer experience.

SEE ALSO: Lincoln MKZ Delays Spur Ford to Buy Customers Dinner

Among the changes, Ford says it will conduct monthly launch reviews including quality comparisons against competing vehicles. The maker is also hiring engineers and assigning them to supplier plants to keep track of them and monitor their ability to keep pace with vehicle launches. Finally, technology including 3D computer simulations will be used more to find potential problems earlier.

Ford’s ambitious launch schedule crowded the market, and while the new product array is serving to boost sales numbers, it overwhelmed production.

“We’ve gone through some growing pains getting those new processes and plants launched, and we’ve learned a lot from that,” Hinrichs said.

[Source: Automotive News]

Discuss this story at FordInsideNews.com

It’s been four months since the Lincoln MKZ midsize sedan was supposed to arrive at dealerships around the country.

That’s finally the case according to Ford marketing executive Jim Farley, who made the statement today during a conference call with reporters. Ford said it has shipped 11,000 units of the MKZ to dealers since production began in December, 2012 and that it expects to have sold over 4,000 in April.

The failed launch turned nightmarish saga began in the maker’s Hermosillo, Mexico manufacturing plant where MKZs leaving the assembly line were met with quality concerns.

Those models were then diverted to another plant in Flat Rock Mich. where the flaws were addressed, but it was too late to save the car’s planned launch. Required fixes created an accordion effect and before long, customers who placed pre-orders were left banging their forks and knives on the dinner table — literally.

SEE ALSO: Lincoln MKZ Delays Spur Ford to Buy Customers Dinner

In an attempt to salvage customer relationships, Lincoln offered to buy irked consumers a night out on the town in the form of $100 gift certificates.

With all that past, the brand is hoping things will smooth over.

“Although we’re encouraged, we’re far from victory,” Farley said.

To discuss the Lincoln MKZ, please visit our Lincoln MKZ Forum

[Source: The Detroit News]

Who is to say that luxury car buyers aren’t affected by high gas prices? If you want to drive in comfort, style, and have the latest high tech goodies in a car, you shouldn’t have to pay more at the pump for it. Here are our picks for the top 10 most fuel friendly luxury cars, ranked in order of their combined city/highway mpg numbers.

Quite a few luxury cars hit the 29 mpg mark combined. The most impressive of the bunch is the Buick LaCrosse, which manage to get solid fuel economy, despite its bigger size. The Infiniti, Mercedes and BMW vehicles make do with a high-power pairing of a six-cylinder engine and an electric motor, which gives the end result of over 300-hp.

The Buicks use a mild hybrid system called eAssist which pairs a 2.4L four-cylinder engine with a conventional automatic, and a compact lithium ion battery to get its impressive fuel economy numbers.

Yet again, Ford’s all-new 2013 Escape is the subject of a recall campaign because of a flaw that could lead to a fire.

It isn’t alone, though. Along with the Escape, Ford is also recalling certain 2012 Taurus and Lincoln MKS sedans, all for having a marginally sealed seam in their fuel tanks manufactured between July 19, 2012 and March 15, 2012. In total, there are 3,037 units potentially affected by the recall.

SEE ALSO: Ford Escape Owners Get Special Treatment During Recall

Ford says it will notify affected owners and replace the fuel tanks free of charge. The recall will begin on April 22 and owners with additional questions can contact Ford at (866) 436-7332.

Ford has issued a recall for 2012 model year Taurus and Lincoln MKS models along with the 2013 model year Explorer for a fuel tank issue.

The recall affects vehicles manufactured between July 29, 2011 and March 15, 2012 and in those vehicles, the fuel tanks may have a marginally sealed seam on the side of the tank. This could potentially cause a leak in the tank, as well as not providing the expected strength in the case of an impact.

SEE ALSO: 2012 Ford Taurus SHO Review

Ford will begin notifying customers and dealers will inspect the fuel tank and replace it free of charge if necessary. The recall is expected to begin on April 22, 2013. The total number of potential vehicles affected is 3,037.

Discuss this story at FordInsideNews.com

Lincoln might almost be out of the weeds with its bungled attempt to launch the MKZ.

Concerns over quality caused a back log of products at the company’s Hermosillo, Mexico plant that quickly became overwhelming. The MKZ is the first car in a product line meant to revive the brand and was supposed to be at dealers last October. Now cars are slowly starting to arrive at exasperated dealers hoping to retain customers.

The failure didn’t stop Lincoln’s costly ad campaign that included an ad during the Grammys and a 7.4-million-dollar Super Bowl campaign.

SEE ALSO: Lincoln MKZ Delays Spur Ford to Buy Customers Dinner

Dealers were left empty-handed and unable to answer customer questions as Lincoln tried to fix its problems by sending the overflow from Mexico to its  Flat Rock, Mich. plant for quality inspections and approval before being sent to dealers. Since late December, Automotive News reports the brand shipping 6,000 MKZs from Mexico to Michigan.

Meanwhile, buyers grew understandably impatient and many have started looking elsewhere for their new cars.

Now, Lincoln is left hoping to save crucial sales through a new advertising campaign meant to draw customers back to the company. While some might applaud Ford for holding off on launching the car to assure quality, that delay will be even more bitter if the car still proves to have problems.

Please visit our Lincoln MKZ Forum for discussions on the Lincoln MKZ.

[Source: Automotive News]

The Lincoln Navigator SUV will live on, with the upcoming model featuring an EcoBoost V6 engine while the V8 could be on its way out.

The word of an EcoBoost V6 Navigator comes from Lincoln Global Director Matt VanDyke, and will be Ford’s popular 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost offering. It will likely have 365 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque, which is a respectable increase from the current model’s 310 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque. According to VanDyke, Lincoln is going all-EcoBoost, so a V8 is unlikely to make a return in the Navigator. A potential base engine is a 3.7-liter V6 with 302 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque.

The Expedition on the other hand, will retain a V8 option for its next generation with the American automaker’s new 5.0-liter V8 with 360 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque finding its way under the SUV’s hood. The base model engine should be similar to the Navigator’s 3.7-liter V6, while the EcoBoost V6 is also a possibility for the Expedition, though it could be reserved just for the Navigator.

[Source: Motor Trend]

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