Ford Drivers Connection

[adyaro77]

Okay so earlier this week I received a phone call from Ford. The lady on the other end was asking if I would be interested in joining the driver's connection. Shortly after they sent me an email. I had to answer some questions and see if I qualify. I went ahead and qualified. Yesterday they called me back and it sounds like we're going to do some zoom meetings and some online stuff.

Now just to give some of you that don't know me some insight. In June 24' I turned in a 23' Lariat that was basically a POS. Ford and the dealership came to some kind of agreement to take it back.

When I added tow mirrors to my 24' I had the stitching issue. And I was persistent and raised hell. So much so that the other day Ford emailed me a page from the service manual on how the dealership is supposed to calibrate my cameras. This after telling my dealership you cannot calibrate them. This is in response from them after once again advertising the Ford accessory tow mirrors w/ 360 cam for the 24s and 25s.... Anyways needless to say Ford knows who I am

I desperately want to give them a piece of my mind. And I don't mean go off like an idiot. I think the amount of time I spend on websites like this plus over 30 years of owning Ford vehicles. I think I can give them some pretty good insight.


I'm not looking to make this a bitch fest. I just would like to know if anybody has done this and honestly is it worthwhile?

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[Ford blue blood]

Only 30 years? Sit down rookie! I've been in the Ford family since 1960. Have owned, driven, raced, rebuilt, restored and wrecked any manner of a Ford. Been in the F series since 1973. Have owned too many to list as I used them up on a regular basis. Now on to the "Driver Connection" thing. Never heard of it. Not sure I would know how to do the zoom thing anyhow. Not sure it would do me any good anyhow as I love my new truck!

 

[Eighthtry]

I have not. But I would calmly compliment them on what you can, then mention what doesn't work or make sense. Particularly the lack of communication between dealers and manufacturers.

One thing that is particularly troubling to me and so many others on this forum is to have so many available updates, but having to purchase a wiring harness and software to do them myself OR pay $3,000 to have the dealer do them. I just received that quote on mine. I am within full factory warranty period and mileage. I applaud the concept of auto updates, but wonder about the implementation. Could it be that Ford is working on it and has a timeline when all should be cured?

I gave up on my ability to keep my home network updated. I now engage a professional software/hardware service to fully maintain my home network for $130/month. Hurts my feelings, but I now have no other options if I consistintly want things running smoothly.

I have an unobstructed robust late model wireless modem/router, or whatever is used, 15 feet from my truck, which also works flawlessy on my garage TV.

On occasion I tie in trickle chargers on all of my cars to make sure the batteries remain fully charged.

I have zero download problems with my 23 GMC Yukon Denali and 24 GMC Terrain.

Apple sends me notices that I need to update my phone. I press the screen button, it downloads, then restarts to install. It would seem to me that the F150 should not be that much different.

 

[adyaro77]

Well I just wanted to report back since I've been in this driver's connection for a little over a month now.

Here's a couple of the hot topics.
1. You guessed it. The keypad. This is overwhelmingly being discussed to death. unfortunately the dealerships are a face of this bad decision. They are overwhelmingly in support of bringing it back. And I'll give you one reason why they want the keypad back. Has your local dealership offered you the opportunity for them to pick up your truck at your home or work and bring it back? Well people lock their keys in their car and give them the keypad code. That's just one example of how the keypad will now be more useful. Again we all know you can still get it, but people don't want the version that is now offered and have to pay. It doesn't really matter whether you use it or not it was once a staple on not only the pickup trucks, but their other cars as well. not to mention you have to pay money for a lesser version. It was just good to see that this was making waves.

2. So when discussing the keypad several of us brought up why in the hell isn't the shifter in the column. This was a discussion of over engineering. My truck has the mobile office. I never use it. I also come from Super Duties where the column is in the shifter and you have more room for stuff in the console. We brought this up as to why are you spending the money to make the little shifter go down if you just can put it in the column?? Wouldn't that save you money for the keypad?

3. Heated steering wheel. It's very simple we looked at Chevy, GM, and Dodge. What I paid for my XLT you'd have it with any other brand. I had it in my 2019 XLT.

4. Four-wheel auto. Very similar to the heated steering wheel discussion.

5. Payload and towing capacity. This discussion basically is because these trucks are being built more as daily drivers than they are as trucks. Now you can sit here and discuss half tons verse 3/4 ton, but the reality is an F-150 is a pickup truck. It's a tool. With that being said there are a percentage of their customers that are currently being neglected. Currently Ford is trying to get the best of both worlds. We have suggested that you need to have some type of heavy payload package like you used to. Some type of upgraded suspension. We know they're making that heavy duty ranger in another country... well why not do something like that with the F-150 in America. I mean if it's all about better gas mileage and saving the environment why don't you build something that will keep people from jumping to a Super Duty. Looking at their surveys I'm not alone.

6. All tow mirror should be power fold and telescoping. I was with somebody that owns a car wash. They lose customers due to manual tow mirrors. People don't want to get out and screw around with their mirrors. I found this comical because I just did all that work on my XLT to have power fold and telescoping mirrors. Now I'm using a car wash more frequently. They are also damaged quite frequently.

What is great about these discussions is it doesn't matter if you are in favor of an option or not. It doesn't matter if you use it or not. As Ford is cutting back the options on these trucks and the price is going up this gives us an opportunity to tell them what the consumer wants. There's definitely a reason they are delaying a rebuild of the F-150 IMO.

So I figured I would share all of these topics are brought up from questioning from Ford. We don't get a lot of opportunity to start our own topics. But they give us more than enough opportunities to do like we did with the keypad and the example of over engineering. And I can tell you they listen to stuff like that. I mean think about it. I would love to know what costs to make the little shifter go up and down versus the keypad. What would it cost to put the shifter in the column? This is really the kind of discussions they want because ultimately it gives us what we want and saves them money.

And lastly, there isn't much love for the 2025 model year F-150. You are paying so much more for so much less. A guy at one of the meetings had all the figures. And it makes a 21-22' by far the best bang for your buck to date. And it also looks like Super Duties are keeping a lot more of their options. For example an XLT super duty has power fold mirrors. So somebody brought up that discussion as well.

Anyways it's good stuff they're definitely wasn't any Ford bashing. Just trying to think how us customers can keep getting what we want while costs stay down and profits up.

 

[mwf5888]

I am in favor of everything except the console shifter! I would HATE it being on the column! If it's on the column in 2028, I won't be leasing a new truck; I will be buying my 2024.

 

[adyaro77]

I am in favor of everything except the console shifter! I would HATE it being on the column! If it's on the column in 2028, I won't be leasing a new truck; I will be buying my 2024.

It does sound like the console shifter is more popular.

 

[mwf5888]

It does sound like the console shifter is more popular.

And NO CHANGING to a D@M* dial either...

 

[UGADawg96]

Hey @adyaro77, thank you for sharing this thread and details. It is encouraging. if you could get @HammaMan and @Snakebitten into this secret club, it would be very much appreciated.

 

[adyaro77]

Hey @adyaro77, thank you for sharing this thread and details. It is encouraging. if you could get @HammaMan and @Snakebitten into this secret club, it would be very much appreciated.

Lol... I just received a call one day. If they ever ask me to recruit I most definitely will.

 

[HammaMan]

My phone is whitelist only so if they're not in the book they don't get through. I was polled about the creation of this thing quite a while ago being part of EA

 

[Snakebitten]

Flattering to even see someone campaign for me to be accepted. So thanks!

But I gotta be honest. This is 2025 and if Ford was even a little bit savvy about such things, they'd easily be able to cultivate from social media platforms, including forums like this one.

They call the program "Ford Driver's connection", yet they are so disconnected from their customers, and it's 100% self inflicted!

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