reliability?

[S592R]

I have been researching the GT and the Gallardo trying to get a better understanding before I spend my dollars.

I have read the Jeremy Clarkson from Topgear has one and has been having huge reliability problems with his. With someone as vocal and in the media as that it seems Ford would want to fix the problems for good PR. Is that an abnormal car or does the GT have alot of "problems".

Thanks
Steve

 

[Big Carrot]

I have been researching the GT and the Gallardo trying to get a better understanding before I spend my dollars.

I have read the Jeremy Clarkson from Topgear has one and has been having huge reliability problems with his. With someone as vocal and in the media as that it seems Ford would want to fix the problems for good PR. Is that an abnormal car or does the GT have alot of "problems".

Thanks
Steve

My Gallardo was in the shop almost exactly half the time I owned it. The GT has been in too, but when they got done changing the oil I took it home. VERY solid car!

 

[B O N Y]

I have been researching the GT and the Gallardo trying to get a better understanding before I spend my dollars.

I have read the Jeremy Clarkson from Topgear has one and has been having huge reliability problems with his. With someone as vocal and in the media as that it seems Ford would want to fix the problems for good PR. Is that an abnormal car or does the GT have alot of "problems".

Thanks
Steve

Clarkson kicked his car back because the alarm and locator were not functioning. While they worked on it they gave him an Aston to drive.
Received a ton of press coverage, he wound up taking the car back.

So far, my car has never had one warranty claim. Spend some time researching on this site and you will become an owner and hopefully
a member.

 

[SYCO GT]

I think Jeremy can tend to exaggerate. One episode he made these wild exaggerations about how poor the gas mileage is, which were pretty much flat out wrong, or based on performance testing, which would not be indicative of general use.

Personally, I think EPA ratings of 13/21 are superb. Out of my three V8's the GT gets the best mileage in my household.

I've only had my car since October, but no issues at 1,400 miles. My passenger door needs to be shut hard, but I'll have that adjusted when I do my second oil change - it wasn't a big deal, so I forgot to mention it at the first. Seems to be a fairly soild and well designed and built machine.

 

[TEXAS GT]

My car is an early 2005 production model, #298, and the common perception is that the first cars were the most problem prone. If that's true, you can buy your GT with total peace of mind because I have had absolutely no issues or problems and I have the utmost confidence that if I do have a problem, my local Ford dealer can handle it. Lambo dealers are little scarcer than Ford dealers which is something you should take into account when comparing cars.

 

[w. mitty]

I had two Gallardos, both great cars, but required regular service to update ongoing development issues. The 06 was delivered with a major trim rattle and also required service update for other issues. Scheduled maintenance/first service, which provided very little beyond an inspection, was nearly $600. Had a pretty significant fluid leak in the 05 after about 500 miles. The 06 had a paint issue worse than anything I've seen on a GT. Am I complaining? No. Just comes with the territory.

My GT has the "rattlesnake" noise that I have yet to resolve, but after 2500 miles, no other issues. I can live with the noise until I solve it -- I won't let the dealer touch it.

I love Lamborghini, and they were super willing to keep the Gallardo updated with the latest changes through the service system. However, when you are dealing with a limited production, exotic high performance car, there will ALWAYS be some development issues. My Ford F-150 has been bullet proof, but one would expect that to be the case after 22 trillion of them have been on the road.

So far, I am MORE than impressed with both of the GTs I have owned.

As to the honorable Mr. Clarkson, if I were Ford, or any other manufacturer out there, I would simply ban him from buying, testing, looking at, writing about or thinking about my cars. :wink Let him critique mopeds. He's an ineresting guy and I usually read/listen to his opinions, but as a journalist, he seems like a world class whiner to me. Like the movie critic who hates movies in general. Like the medical malpractice attorney who has sued all the doctors in town, then wonders why none of them will treat him.

 

[Gulf GT]

I've had mine since April 2006. Not a single warranty issue. Have had everything Ferrari & Lambo. This car is definitely built better than my Lambos and comparable to the new Ferrari's. Solid car. If I was making a decision just on reliability, Lambo would be my last choice. But then, I would not base decision on that one subject.

 

[fjpikul]

Clarkson complained about the gas mileage BECAUSE he was running flat out at a closed track and ran out of gas. Mileage at flat out is probably about 8 mpg or less. A Veryon at flat out runs out in 12 minutes (Motor Trend). There are other posts about this. He just whined but kept the car.

 

[dbk]

On balance the car is extremely reliable. Like any other exotic there are issues that some get. That said, you can beat the snot out of a GT far harder than you would any Lambo or Ferrari without worrying. I've got 4,000 hardcore miles without a peep. If I treated a G this way, I'd expect it to be broken many times over by now.

Clarkson is a clown. The two "major issues" he's had have nothing to do with the GT. The alarm joke is well documented. The battery issue has more to do with understanding how batteries work. No, you can't leave a deep cycle battery in a garage for a month without a trickle, then try and get it to start, and connecting the trickle thereafter won't recharge it :rolleyes Ford simply appeases him because he has a big mouth and anything he says gets taken as gospel.

 

[Ripper 02]

As to the honorable Mr. Clarkson, if I were Ford, or any other manufacturer out there, I would simply ban him from buying, testing, looking at, writing about or thinking about my cars. :wink Let him critique mopeds. He's an ineresting guy and I usually read/listen to his opinions, but as a journalist, he seems like a world class whiner to me. Like the movie critic who hates movies in general. Like the medical malpractice attorney who has sued all the doctors in town, then wonders why none of them will treat him.

HAHAHA

Cannot agree more ...

Issues:

Reliability ..
Driveability ..
Squeaks ..
Rattles ..
Funky Smells ..

NONE!!!!!

Car is pretty much Bullet Proof in all aspects.....
And it lays down 800hp to the wheels... :cheers

 

[FORDGT001]

If your worried about Quality buy a Toyota. The GT is a Exotic Car and may as time goes on have some issues depending on how it is driven and maintained. I have had zero issues with mine. Most exotics can give you trouble its part of the ownership process.

 

[fjpikul]

Mine's been a dream at 4500 miles. About the door closing as mentioned earlier, my car is soooo airtight, I need to open the window a crack for the other door to close. At speed, when I open the window and then close it, my ears pop (no funny jokes about this boys!)

 

[SYCO GT]

Mine's been a dream at 4500 miles. About the door closing as mentioned earlier, my car is soooo airtight, I need to open the window a crack for the other door to close. At speed, when I open the window and then close it, my ears pop (no funny jokes about this boys!)

I think this may be the solution. No other car I've owned has that feeling of "airtightness" when I close a single remaining open door. Thanks for the tip.

 

[S592R]

future owner?

Thanks for the information I really appreciate it. I currently own an elise, 996 turbo, and few mercedes. This is my first trip in what I would consider "exotic" territory (read that as 200k total in one car) so I really want feedback from owners.

Also the feedback on the GT TT would be helpful as it seems if I am going exotic I might as well go "insane" :wink

Thanks again

 

[Gierkink]

Last summer I had my GT on the Euro Tunnel train traveling from England to France when a guy in his early twenties approached me and started talking to me about my car. As it turned out he worked for McLaren and worked on a team that disassembled supercars as part of their R&D for the SLR and other future products (I was skeptical until he showed me pictures on his mobile phone of SLRs being assembled inside the factory). He told me that the cars they had disassembled included a F430, G-car and a Ford GT (he said they also closely inspected an Enzo but didn’t take it apart). Of all the cars they looked at he felt the GT had by far the best build quality and he felt it was close to the quality of the SLR.

Steve592, buy a GT. I really believe the quality is as good as it gets for a hand-made car. You won’t look back - nor will you need to given the RWHP the car has!

Cheers,

Rob

 

[Gulf GT]

...Of all the cars they looked at he felt the GT had by far the best build quality and he felt it was close to the quality of the SLR.

Amazing post.

 

[SYCO GT]

Thanks for the information I really appreciate it. I currently own an elise, 996 turbo, and few mercedes. This is my first trip in what I would consider "exotic" territory (read that as 200k total in one car) so I really want feedback from owners.

I'd consider your Elise pretty "exotic." I was a passenger in an auto-X by a skilled Lotus driver, and it was pretty amazing handling. Saw an Exige S the other day at the Irvine Cars and Coffee. Beauty.

Amazingly, the GT is probably much easier to live with on a daily basis.

The GT is my first exotic. Might be my only. It took a lot of thinking to make the jump, but I have not regretted it. If it weren't for the doors, it could easily be a daily driver for me.

 

[ChipBeck]

8 months and 1700 miles....

.....and not a single issue with anything. No squeeks, no rattles, no repairs, nothing broke, alignment is perfect, this car is a joy. Mine is a 2006, #0589. It's yellow/black stripes, not only the fastest color, but the most reliable color. This is why the first GT displayed at an auto show was yellow, the car on the Wixom Plant roof that GTJOEY doesn't have the balls to step up and buy which is going to result in Bony's selling it on ebay is yellow, and the first Cobra, when it was finally painted was painted yellow. Ford knows what they're doing. :biggrin :cheers

Chip

 

[centerpunch]

Last summer I had my GT on the Euro Tunnel train traveling from England to France when a guy in his early twenties approached me and started talking to me about my car. As it turned out he worked for McLaren and worked on a team that disassembled supercars as part of their R&D for the SLR and other future products (I was skeptical until he showed me pictures on his mobile phone of SLRs being assembled inside the factory). He told me that the cars they had disassembled included a F430, G-car and a Ford GT (he said they also closely inspected an Enzo but didn’t take it apart). Of all the cars they looked at he felt the GT had by far the best build quality and he felt it was close to the quality of the SLR.

Neil Hannemann was the Chief Program Engineer on the Ford GT project, but then went to McLaren in the UK. Maybe you were talking to one of his buddies!

 

[TEXAS GT]

Neil Hannemann was the Chief Program Engineer on the Ford GT project, but then went to McLaren in the UK. Maybe you were talking to one of his buddies!

Maybe McLaren's opinion of the build quality is the reason they hired Hannemann.