Category Archives: Uncategorized

How do I pick the right Ford truck?

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Our sales staff occasionally get asked questions like this, so we thought it might be time to answer it here.

11 Ford Superduty Towing

So, we understand you are out looking for a new truck. With all of the advancements Ford has introduced over the past couple of years, we can understand why it it is so hard to pick. Here are some of the questions we ask to help narrow down the choices.

1. Are you going to do any towing? If yes,
a. Is the trailer a gooseneck, fifth wheel or bumper pull?
b. How much weight will you be towing?
c. How often will you be towing and where?
These questions help us determine which size truck you need – F150, F250, F350 etc.

2. How many people does it need to seat (or pets)?
This one helps determine whether you need a regular cab, Super cab or Crew Cab.

3. Will this be your daily driver or just a tow/haul vehicle?
Or better yet – is fuel economy important

4. Do you drive anywhere you might need 4 Wheel Drive?

5. Will you be carrying anything in the bed?
This will help us determine if you need a full 8 foot bed or if a shorter bed will work.

6. Is this for business use or personal use?

We ask all of these to help you make the right choice when purchasing a truck. Since the introduction of the Ecoboost V6, we are finding more and more that people that previously needed a diesel F250, can now have all of their towing and hauling needs met by the F150.

So, if you find yourself truck shopping, we hope you find these questions helpful. If you would like us to help, just stop by and see us. Waldorf Ford is located on Route 301 North in Waldorf, just 15 minutes south of Washington DC. We are proud to be your local Ford dealer.

Penske returns home to Ford

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It seems like it wasn’t that long ago that we were all taking about Roger Penske changing his race teams from Ford to Dodge. The Penske teams had been racing in Fords from 1994 to 2002 when they switched in 2003. It was kind of strange to see Rusty Wallace driving a Dodge, I have to admit.

Well in 2013 they will debut in the Sprint Cup Series in the completely redesigned 2013 Ford Fusion and in the Nationwide series in the 2013 Mustang. Mr. Penske felt that it was the right time to make the switch where all of the manufacturers were coming out with new designs. This should be a great time for Ford and Ford Racing.


What we are looking forward to the most is seeing more of the gorgeous new Fusions in the spotlight. This car is really impressive and even though the race cars hardly resemble what are on the showroom floor, NASCAR fans are among the most loyal out there, so we know they will make the note of what they see on Sunday during race season.

We here at Waldorf Ford are expecting to see 2013 Fusions sometime in the fall. If you want to get a jump on things, come in and see us and we will set you up with the literature you need for your research. Sometime this summer we will have one here for a day of training, so “like” us on Facebook and stay tuned for the announcement.

The future is closer than you think

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Remember when you were a kid watching the Jetsons (ok well maybe some of you don’t) and their flying cars that just took them wherever – or Knight Rider when Kitt took over and just drove around itself? It all seemed so far out there, like it was too far out there to ever be a reality. Well, seems like self-driving cars isn’t that far out there afterall. We might just see the future sooner than we thought.

This all comes up in a presentation by Bill Ford Jr. the great-grandson of car pioneer Henry Ford. His points were made to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. He said that we could be putting our vehicles on auto pilot within the next 10 years. TEN YEARS! I don’t know whether to be excited or scared!

He believes that it will happen in three stages.

Near-term – In the next five years, he said vehicles will be equipped with car-to-car warning systems and will be able to drive themselves in slow traffic and even park themselves.

Mid-term – Between 2017 and 2025, Ford believes cars will have the technology to reduce the role of the driver markedly, and that many automobiles will be at least semi-autonomous. He also talked of “vehicle platooning” whereby vehicles proceed pretty much bumper to bumper through the use of car-mounted sensors. This will improve safety and save space on roads which will by that time be busier than ever.

Long-term – At some point from 2025, Ford said he expected that many vehicles will be fully autonomous.

Now there is no telling when these will actually roll out in Waldorf, or when they will be available in Ford vehicles. But if the push for technology by Bill Ford Jr and Alan Mulally is any indication of the future, Ford will be on the cutting edge and one of the first to put these into production.

Sources: Dailymail and Digital Trends

Importance of a Maintenance Schedule for your car

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There has recently been in the news a study that showed that people are keeping their vehicles for 6 years. Compare this to the 4 years people kept their vehicles just a short 8 years ago. What factored into this change? First, the economy. Even though things are looking better today, unemployment is still high and there is still a lack of confidence in the economy. Second, long loan terms. Now that you can finance a vehicle for 72 months it takes longer to gain equity in your vehicle. So people are hanging on to their cars until their are close to being paid off. Third, vehicle quality. The quality of most vehicles is better than it was. Build them better and they last longer.

underneath vehicle, oil change

You have a role to play in the quality of your vehicle too. If you follow a maintenance schedule, you will help your vehicle retain value longer. Which will help you keep it longer and help you get more for it when its time to trade it in. Here are some of the things that you should put on that schedule:

Oil and Filter Change
Regular oil changes are important because motor oil contains additives that have the ability to neutralize acids. Over time, these additives get used up and stop being effective.
Also, oil can absorb water, dust and combustion byproducts and holds them in suspension. Eventually, the oil gets saturated and can’t absorb any more. When the contaminated oil remains in the engine it can cause corrosion.

Ignition System Maintenance
In today’s vehicles, the bulk of the ignition system maintenance involves spark plugs and wires. Worn or misfiring sparkplugs will cost you fuel economy and emissions performance. Most recommendations are to check the performance of your spark plugs at 30,000 miles and plug wires at 60,000 miles. Your local dealer can check this for you, also refer to your owners manual for manufacturer recommendations.

Cooling System Maintenance
Most modern cooling systems and coolant only require replacement every 100,000 to 200,000 miles. When refilling however, it is important to use only distilled water with a concentrated coolant, in order to prevent corrosion and mineral blockage. Always make sure to properly bleed the system after replacing coolant, as air bubbles can dramatically reduce cooling system ability.

Air Filter/Fuel Filter Replacement
A dirty air or fuel filter can cause poor performance, poor fuel mileage and reduced engine life. Changing your air/fuel filter is easy and rule of thumb is to change the air filter 12 months/12,000 miles or fuel filter 24 months/24,000 miles. For the best information, again check your owner’s manual or ask your service advisor.

Brake Rotor and Pad Replacement:
We typically recommend you check the condition of your brake components anytime you rotate your tires. Make note of any unusual wear. Replace the pads when there is still a little of the pad left, wait any longer and you could damage the rotor. Especially check into those brakes if the brake pedal feels spongy when you use them, you hear unusual grinding or squealing, braking is hard or your brake light is continuously on.

Tire Pressure Check: Maintaining the correct air pressure in your tires will not only help improve fuel economy, it will help your tires wear more evenly. The manufacturers put the recommended tire pressure on a sticker on the door jam. All you need is a simple pressure gauge and you can check it yourself.

Tire Rotation: Our rule is to rotate the tires whenever you change the oil. This will help your tires last longer, saving you money in the long run.

Transmission Fluid Change: Most newer vehicles don’t require or recommend a transmission fluid change. It is a sealed system that has the same fluid in it for the life of the transmission. If you have an older vehicle the standard is to change the transmission fluid and filter at 40,000 miles. I will go to our old fall back and recommend if you have any questions, refer to your manufacturer’s owners manual or ask your service advisor for help.

Car Wash: The exterior of your car will not only look better, it will last longer if you wash your car regularly. Road grime and winter road treatments are hard on your vehicle, corroding whatever it touches. So give your car a good scrub – you will feel better once you do!

That about covers everything. Servicing your vehicle properly will help keep it running better for you and help you get more for it when you decide to replace it down the road. If you have any questions about the maintenance of your vehicle, feel free to contact one of our service advisors at Waldorf Ford. We are conveniently located on Route 301 North in Waldorf, just 15 minutes south of Washington DC.

Source: Carsdirect

Ford Presidents’ Day Sale – have you checked it out?

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We are half way through one of the biggest car sale days of the year. The offers that are out there are AMAZING if we do say so ourselves.

So, how did Presidents’ Day become as big of an event for car dealers as it has. Well the story is that a young man from Massachusetts named Alvan Fuller was one of the first people to put the idea into practice, starting with bicycles and then transitioning it to car sales when he opened a car dealership. of course there is some controversy about who really started the sale idea, but everyone agrees that it was Fuller who popularized the idea. His sales were bigger and more elaborate than that of his competition.

So back to present time. Ford and Waldorf Ford have some great deals to offer. How does 0% APR financing AND $3000 cash back sound? Well that is part of what is being offered on select vehicles in addition to the already low price that Waldorf Ford has to offer.

So if you are in the market for a new Ford vehicle, hurry in to take advantage of special rate financing AND cash back offers. The sale ends February 29th. Waldorf Ford is located on Route 301 North in Waldorf, just 15 minutes south of Washington DC.

Waldorf Ford Commercial Repair shop and the 2013 Ford Fusion

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http://www.waldorfford.com In this episode of our Video Blog we talk to our Commercial Service Manager Scott Stevenson, take a look at the all new 2013 Ford Fusion and put our peepers on the hot new 2013 Dodge Dart.

Make sure to stop by and see us at 2440 Crain highway in Waldorf Maryland or give us a call
Vodpod videos no longer available.

Something you might not know about Waldorf Ford

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(Trophy is the 2009 Trophy. The official announcement for 2011 will be made sometime in Mid March)

One of the accomplishments, we at Waldorf Ford, are most proud of, is that for the sixth year in a row, we are on track to win the Ford Triple Crown. The final results will be announced in the near future. Now, you might think “so what”. You shouldn’t. This means a lot for you as our loyal customer – or you as a potential customer. You see, the Triple Crown is awarded to 25 or less Ford and Lincoln dealers nationally every year. It requires that the dealer be in the top 100 dealers in the nation in sales volume, that the dealer win the President’s Award for excellent customer service and that they are in the top in the nation in parts and service sales or Extended Service Plan sales.

Waldorf Ford makes it into the top 100 dealers in sales (and many times in the top 50) because we sell a lot of vehicles. This gives us a bigger allocation of vehicles and ultimately a bigger selection of new vehicles for you to choose from when you are ready to purchase. Selling a lot of new vehicles also means that we have a bigger selection of preowned vehicles to choose from because of trade-ins. The next part though is where we are different from other volume dealers. We win the President’s Award.

The President’s Award was developed in 1998. Dealers become eligible through survey responses from customers related to their service, satisfaction and overall dealership experience. If we don’t do a good job taking care of you before, during and after the sale, then our scores reflect that. We have currently won the President’s Award six years in a row and 11 times in the last 15 years.

The final qualifier for the Triple Crown Award is to be in the top in the nation in parts and service sales or Extended Service Plan sales. Perennially we are one of the top dealers in the country in Extended Service Plan sales. We want to provide our customers the peace of mind that an extended service plan provides. When your new car’s factory warranty expires, or if you purchased a preowned vehicle, those unexpected repairs can cost you sometimes thousands of dollars. An extended service plan will cost you less and you can pay for it over time if you finance it with the car.

Now that we have gone through the details of the Triple Crown Award, want to know something about Waldorf Ford that you didn’t know? Waldorf Ford is the ONLY dealer in our region to ever win the Triple Crown Award from Ford. That’s right the ONLY ONE! It just proves that we are the only dealer in the region that has a large inventory of new Ford vehicles to choose from, that takes care of their customers before, during and after the sale and that cares about the peace of mind of their customers. You would have to drive to Boston or to Charlotte NC to find another dealer that is proven to provide the same service. Next time you are looking to buy a new Ford, or to have your current Ford vehicle serviced, do you think Waldorf Ford will be on your list? We hope so!

Waldorf Ford is located on Route 301 north in Waldorf, Maryland. Just 15 minutes south of Washington DC.

The 12 Days of Christmas Specials – Oops and Thank you

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We would like to start out by saying we had huge ambitions and good intentions when we came up with the plan to send out daily email specials to our customers. We wanted to bring you some great deals on service, parts and aftermarket. What we didn’t realize is the effect it would have on our email servers, our staff and most importantly you our customers. Though it was a fun thought – get an email with a special every day through Christmas – we realized that it might be a little bit too much. So, we decided to compile all of the specials into one email and send it out today. They are the same great specials, you just are getting them all at once.

To take advantage of the specials, print out this email and bring it with you. We suggest calling in advance to schedule for any service or aftermarket specials.

Thanks for your patience and we hope to see you soon!