You are right. That seems to be the attitude of many.

I will also add that there is an element to the problem that comes from corporate America. In the days where more components were made in-house, by well paid workers who could provide for a home and a family with the fruits of their labor, quality issues were less prevalent, things lasted longer, and workers took more pride in their craft. I worked for a large, UAW factory for a good portion of my life, and have witnessed the "garbage in, garbage out" way of doing things first hand. Supplier contracts went to the lowest bidder, and those suppliers were REQUIRED, CONTRACTUALLY, to decrease the cost of the part(s) they provide by a set percentage EACH YEAR for the life of the contract. Imagine how that could be possible? Cutting corners. All the while, the workers producing them are paid little to nothing. Then, they get sent to folks at Ford, GM, Deere, wherever. It's a great way to line pockets of executives, and is also super efficient at giving workers the *****-its. I watched it happen. And one employee can only do so much, even when you care. It's a top-down problem and it isn't going anywhere because the shot callers get rich running things that way.

I watched many a good worker give in to keep their sanity. I really believe that, if set up for success, most humans want to do a good job each day. But I do agree that if you keep your focus on the individual, it's hard to find workers that work, with effort.

 

This, and it's been caused within the last couple years. Obviously it's all anecdotal but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed how bad any kind of customer service has gotten, when you go in a restaurant for example. Even working with people within my own company it has become very hard to get anything out of anyone.

 

The fit/finish of my 65k truck can't hold a candle to the 38k Mazda also in the garage. I keep telling myself "I bought a truck" but ....

FWIW I do so very much enjoy driving it though. It's badass looking in the driveway, etc. I have to force myself to ignore the paint defects. Then I pass the Mazda on the way into the house; damned near perfectly executed vehicle. Panel alignment, paint, interior, etc.

I bought a truck. I bought a truck.

 

"if you want it done right, do it yourself" is a statement that rings more true everyday. I guess I consider myself lucky or maybe just too dumb to notice or too busy too look for anything wrong with my new truck. I'm approaching 1,000 miles and have no "major" complaints. Just nitpicks, some of which I caulk up to being spoiled with BMW's for the past decade (who's quality has also declined greatly! F150 owners are not alone!).

-Occasionally hear a rattle/squeak by the front passenger area. While wiping down the interior last weekend, I put pressure on the trim near the American flag and it made a noise. I'm hoping this is the source as it's probably an easy fix once I can pop off the trim to investigate (DIY to do it right!)
-There is a loose bolt or something behind a black trim panel on the front bumper. I just happened to touch/tap that area with my finger when looking at the shape and thinking (mental exercise, really) if I wanted to install laser jammers, it would be the perfect space to cut open and mount the head.

Good to know reading this thread that I should check ALL fluids in the truck. I only checked the engine oil level (slightly overfilled), coolant (easy to see) and washer fluid. I suppose I technically checked the brake fluid level too since that's open for viewing. Not to derail the thread, but do these transmissions even have a dipstick or are they a procedure involving the engine running with trans oil at a certain temp range and removing a fill plug on the side?

 

Things like this are why I bought a pre-COVID truck. It seems like everything I've bought over $500 the past two years has had problems right out of the gate:

• $25k - two new commercial zero turn mowers - 1 with a crack in the hydraulic tank that never should have made it out of the factory. The other burned so much oil, Kawasaki replaced it with a new engine
• $68k - new 2022 tracked skid steer - 6 hours of run time and a hydraulic fitting blew apart making a gigantic mess. This dealer at least picked it up and delivered it for warranty work.
• $35k - new standalone freezer that was delivered missing parts, had incorrect schematics for assembly, and the colors did not match the paperwork.

And these are all big name companies which have been around for decades. I thought I was playing it safe by purchasing higher quality across the board, but it seems to make no difference. I see so many issues with the new F150s on here (granted it's a forum, so more complaints than praises by nature) that I wouldn't even consider another one right now. If my 2019 is wrecked or stolen, I may just drive an OBS for a few years.

 

My truck rolled off the line at the end of March. It's not a COVID truck; I just expected a little better for the money spent. That being said, I love my truck (so far).

 

Since you bought it used IMO that looks like it has had work done on it looks like Gravel Guard has been sprayed on it an the clear ran !!

 

That's a good observation...now that I check, it is a little soft. The only way to know for sure would be to start chiseling it off. Don't want to open that can of worms right now, as I'm stripping the e-coat and re-painting much of the exterior frame. The previous owner left rail dust on it and it's already eaten through, spreading underneath the paint. It appears to be a pretty thin coating in comparison to other vehicles I've owned. Really didn't expect to be doing this on such a new vehicle.

 

I’ll join the club. Multiple paint defects, both front doors have scratches down to aluminum in the exact area, broken pedal adjustment button, warped dash trim, and one light rattle.

 

I guess I feel pretty fortunate with my Covid truck. I ordered it November 29th, 2021 and picked it up February 5th, 2022 and other than the annoyances of Sync functionality failures and the brake controller recall it has been flawless.