WTF Ford?!!! $5,600 for taillight replacement?!!

[Samson16]

You're right, they don't, insulin can be made for as little as $5 a vial, but was constantly sold for $300 just a year ago.

Yes, but patented intellectual property often takes far more than $5 to create and test. I want my truck to have these features and I want it to look pretty, so I'm as much to blame as anyone.

The union rep thing is an easy target and I'm not inclined to have that discussion on my favorite forum lol.

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[JohnMcClane]

Yes, but patented intellectual property often takes far more than $5 to create and test. I want my truck to have these features and I want it to look pretty, so I'm as much to blame as anyone.

The union rep thing is an easy target and I'm not inclined to have that discussion on my favorite forum lol.

As someone who works in a field that specializes in Patented IP, yes, it often takes $5 for program managers coffee, the cost of the project is several orders of magnitude larger. The insulin example is based on the fact that it was first created and sold back in 1923, 100 years ago. I'm pretty sure the different pharmaceuticals that have passed around the license to create it have more than covered the cost to R&D it/license it.

Same way I'm quite confident Ford has more than covered the cost for R&D of the BLIS system. I'm getting old, but I think late 2000 Fusions had it available and Ford has been folding it into cost of vehicles ever since.

The union rep target is something spewed by media and elites and regurgitated by those who will call them "fake news' in the same breath, wild stuff.

Unions probably impact less than a percent of the actual cost of the assembly, but it's an easy punching bag for people who don't know or want to know better.

 

[Samson16]

Same way I'm quite confident Ford has more than covered the cost for R&D of the BLIS system. I'm getting old, but I think late 2000 Fusions had it available and Ford has been folding it into cost of vehicles ever since.

I agree with that and your other points certainly have merit.

However Ford determines the price of something (F-150), if we continue to purchase in numbers that make it a sales leader, then they haven't overpriced it yet.

We complain and we buy. We complain and we still buy. We bitch and complain and yet...Granger can't keep them on the lot.

 

[JohnMcClane]

I agree with that and your other points certainly have merit.

However Ford determines the price of something (F-150), if we continue to purchase in numbers that make it a sales leader, then they haven't overpriced it yet.

We complain and we buy. We complain and we still buy. We bitch and complain and yet...Granger can't keep them on the lot.

Supply and demand, probably the oldest pricing model in existence, I remember when the digital temperature clusters on eBay shot up in price when people realized they could retrofit them into 22s that didn’t have them.

 

[JJSnell]

How this should have gone down....
"You found what? Oh ok. Thanks for looking into it, if you could drain the water and put everything back together, Id appreciate it....."
"Hi Granger? Yah I need to go ahead and buy that extended warranty for my truck. Lets do the full bumper to bumper. Ok here is my CC."

Two weeks (or some time) later:
"Hey local Ford Dealership? Need to schedule an appt. My truck is all of a sudden acting weird...... Great see you then."

 

[JJSnell]

Honestly, what year truck is he working on and why was warranty not looked at? Light housing with a leak? 3/36 or extend the warranty before you make any noise... and at $5600. Would be better to file an insurance claim and eat the $100 deductible....

 

[gregs150xlt]

the guy in the video is exaggerating a bit.
probably found the most expensive one online and then threw the 5k price and doesn’t mention 2 tail lights. But a very quick search I found $1700 for one with all the tech. That’s blis, on board scales, leds, etc. considering you are buying it with a bunch of modules and a radar, it’s not that unrealistic of a price. Don’t want the tech? Don’t pay that price.

I don't think Brian (fordTech Makuloco - video) would exaggerate. He's a Ford Tech that works on his own now.

 

[gregs150xlt]

Honestly, what year truck is he working on and why was warranty not looked at? Light housing with a leak? 3/36 or extend the warranty before you make any noise... and at $5600. Would be better to file an insurance claim and takes the $100 deductible....

He clearly said a 2018 about 30 seconds into the video. Did you watch it at all?

 

[JJSnell]

He clearly said a 2018 about 30 seconds into the video. Did you watch it at all?

No, clearly I didn't or I wouldn't have asked the question.
Thanks for doing the research for me and letting me know the answer.
Saves me a lot of time.
I'll let you know when I need you to watch something else for me.

 

[gregs150xlt]

No, clearly I didn't or I wouldn't have asked the question.
Thanks for doing the research for me and letting me know the answer.
Saves me a lot of time.
I'll let you know when I need you to watch something else for me.

You're very welcome. Happy to help! :->

 

[Samson16]

No, clearly I didn't or I wouldn't have asked the question.

I actually thought the OP had an issue with his tail light assembly ?‍

 

[JJSnell]

I actually thought the OP had an issue with his tail light assembly ?‍

Did I say something to the contrary?

 

[Samson16]

Did I say something to the contrary?

Nope. I was just commenting that the OP found a dubious video, posted it here, and I took it seriously.

 

[gregs150xlt]

I actually thought the OP had an issue with his tail light assembly ?‍

Actually, the OP didn't even mention anything about a tail light in his original post.

The video did. and that's Brian from FordTechMakuloco.

 

[Snakebitten]

Yea, Brian is doing well, it appears.

He's recently acquired 3 very expensive F150's. (Gen14 Platinum and Lightning for himself. And a 2023 F150 for his son)

So I'm not too surprised that he's posting a bit sour on the list of combined issues that 3 trucks might be presenting him?

Add to that him discovering the ultra high costs that a consumer, out of warranty, can face on these modern electronics? (taillights/modules)
I think maybe he's catching up fast as he recently modernized himself?

I can't really disagree with his take.
But it seems like he just woke up.

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