Is "Fix Or Repair Daily" Accurate For Ford?
Lisa Steuer McArdle
· 3 min read
Many people are biased towards a car company for one reason or another. Often, this opinion stems from a bad personal experience. Perhaps it was a lemon that always broke down or a vehicle that left them stranded somewhere.
For those who don't like
Ford
, it's said that the automaker's name is an acronym for "Fix Or Repair Daily." But are Fords really prone to more car repairs than other makes of vehicles? Or is it all just hearsay?
Don't forget that Ford makes the best-selling truck in the U.S.
We shouldn't forget one not so minor detail about Ford. Their F-150 is the best-selling truck in the U.S. According to
The Detroit News
, the F-150 has outsold Chevrolet, Ram, and other makes for the last 44 years. The truck has stood the test of time, and is now in its 14th generation. But
Popular Mechanics
reminds us that Ford also brought us the Pinto. The 1971 through 1976 models had one serious structural flaw. The placement of the gas tank meant that even slow-speed rear-end crashes resulted in dangerous fires. What didn't help the automaker's reputation is that Ford allegedly knew about the safety hazard, but chose not to fix it during production. After an expensive court case and an expose in Mother Jones, Ford recalled and upgraded the faulty cars. However, the public never forgot the debacle.
Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
Both the Focus and the Fiesta were plagued with problems
MORE: Don't Get Overcharged for Car Repairs
According to
Motor-Vision
, in recent years, both the Fiesta and the Focus have caused headaches for Ford. Fiestas have reportedly had issues such as water leaks, rattling doors, and gearbox problems. Meanwhile, Focuses have had faulty door locks and electric windows, as well as engine and transmission problems. And it turns out that "Fix Or Repair Daily" is not the only nickname for Ford. Other monikers include "Found On Rubbish Dumps," "Failure Of Research & Development," and, of course, "Found on Road Dead."
Certainly, all automakers have had their fair share of recalls and problems. Perhaps Ford's detractors are a little louder than others. There's no hard data that proves that Ford vehicles are more likely to break down than other automobiles.
Not to mention, the letters F-O-R-D are just asking for an acronym. Can you imagine trying to make up a similar saying for Chevrolet? It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
The Ford Motor Company has a rich history
Perhaps it's easy to pick on Ford because of the company's rich history. Henry Ford made cars affordable to the middle class. He did this, in part, with his streamlined manufacturing processes. His company developed the modern day assembly line.
When workers didn't have to walk around the factory to accomplish tasks, production increased greatly. In 1914, Ford's Highland Park, Michigan plant produced an impressive 300,000 cars.
In the end, vehicles are just like any other consumer product. Bad reviews will always attract more attention and be more memorable than positive ones. People develop brand biases and loyalty over time, and that's hard to shake.
Motor-Vision points out that other vehicle makes have nicknames, too. "Fix It Again Tomorrow" for Fiat, "The One You Ought To Avoid" for Toyota, and "Had One, Never Did Again" for Honda.
Are you looking to save money on insurance for your Ford? Compare car insurance premiums on
Jerry
. No long forms and no hassle, just savings. See why the app has over one million happy users. 
