Wifey and I recently decided that the windshield wipers on our Ford Freestyle, which we are quite fond of, were due for replacement. Wal-Mart did not carry blades that would fit, the brackets on the Freeztyle's wiper arms are not a standard size. So, off goes I Tell You What to Autozone, only to discover that these wiper blades are only carried by the car dealers. This is beyond retarded. I have now wasted two stops and will apparently have to get to the dealer when THEY are open to pick up these simple items.
Being from Michigan, I am loyal to American auto manufacturers. But by selecting proprietary windshield wiper blades in a car design, it is clear how out of touch the Big 3 is with the American consumer. After all, one of the biggest arguments against foreign cars when I was young was how hard or expensive it could be to obtain replacement parts. Here I am, as an adult, jumping through hoops to get Ford proprietary windshield wiper blades. No wonder foreign auto manufacturers are doing so well. Wifey's Nissan Sentra was compatible with the El Cheapo brand blades one can buy at Wal-Mart.
Henry Ford, Mr. Interchangeable Parts himself, must be rolling in his grave.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
yeah I get yelled at on a daily basis because you can not get G6 wiper blades but at the dealer only!!!! :)
I feel your pain.
I can identify with the pain and logic of "What were you thinking, Ford?" I have had more frustration than that, upon learning what theses replacements cost. However, there is a reality that these are the best blades I've ever had, and have never had problems with snow sticking or wind lifting them that they don't scrape cleanly (until they eventually wear down).
I don't know who posted the last comment, but isn't that logic the equivalent to saying we should all disregard price and just buy luxury cars or original Humvees because they are very high quality?
Anyway, worse than the price is the inconvenience of heading to the dealership.
Post a Comment