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In Solidarity,
Steven M. Stone
Ford Quality Now Top Full-line Brand in Initial Quality Study
The 2010 Ford Taurus moves from No. 8 in the large car segment in the 2009 IQS
to highest-ranked in 2010.
Related Material
Message from Bennie Fowler: Ford Noted for Significant Progress in Key Quality
Survey
2010 Initial Quality Study Results:
www.jdpower.com/autos/articles/2010-Initial-Quality-Study-ResultsBy John Fossen
DETROIT— Ford now leads all full-line brands in quality, according to the 2010
J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study SM (IQS) released Thursday.
Steadily improving quality for years, the Ford brand jumped up three spots to
fifth in this year's study, passing such notable Asian brands as Honda and
Toyota.
“These results are remarkable in many ways,” said Bennie Fowler, Ford group
vice president, Global Quality. “Our products continue to improve overall in
initial quality, despite operating in a tough financial environment, and we are
also seeing these improvements on our new or redesigned model launches. This is
a true testament to the strength of the One Ford plan.”
Lincoln, 26th in last year's survey, rocketed to eighth. The climb up the
ladder for the company's Blue Oval brand is particularly noteworthy, considering
it ranked just 23rd in 2004. Ford's fifth-place position is also the brand's
highest ranking ever in the 24 years of the IQS.
"(Ford has) a number of award recipients, and a lot of their high-volume
vehicles performed extremely well. Every vehicle they produce is massively
better than it was two or three years ago," said J.D. Power and Associates
Vice President of Global Vehicle Research David Sargent, who announced the
results Thursday afternoon at the Automotive Press Association luncheon in
Detroit. "It is a really extraordinary performance from a brand that has a
huge number of vehicles. What they've done in the last few years is pretty
impressive."
Ford had three individual segment winners: Focus, Mustang and Taurus.
Fusion, Edge, Ranger, Explorer Sport Trac and F-150 were also among the top
three vehicles in their respective categories.
Sargent said Taurus' top ranking in the Large Car segment was another impressive
feat for Ford.
"It's not often that a mainstream vehicle launches and wins its segment, but the
Taurus managed to do that," he said.
When asked by a media member how much of Ford's quality performance was
attributed to its refusal of government aid, positive financial results or any
other image-related factors, Sargent replied, "none."
"If you take Ford's scores back a few years, it’s almost a straight line (of
improvement). I don't think Ford is being given any kind of free pass by
consumers," Sargent said.
The Ford brand registered 93 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). Lincoln stands
at 106 PP100. Porsche was the top brand in the survey, recording 83 PP100.
Mercury was 17th (113 PP100), Toyota was 21st (117 PP100) and Land Rover (170
PP100) brought up the rear.
Ford's Hermosillo (Mexico) Assembly Plant was awarded a runnerup silver award
for quality in the North/South America region.
The IQS captures problems experienced by owners of 2010 models after 90 days of
ownership. This year's study includes feedback from more than 82,000 owners of
vehicles purchased from November 2009 to February 2010.
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