If you haven’t noticed, Ford has been having a bit of a problem with the recall and overall quality lately. Maverick? Recalled for side airbag defect. Mustangs? Recalled for wiring problems. The Broncos? Investigated for engine failure. In fact, in September, Ford has issued 52 safety recalls 2022 alone. Unfortunately for Ford, though, improving ride quality isn’t as simple as flipping a switch.
The Ford Administration report that Ford CEO Jim Farley acknowledged that it would take time to get quality issues under control at a meeting for Ford’s retired engineering executives team. He said: “The quality of bug fixes is my number one priority. “It is the most important initiative in the entire company. And it will take several years. We haven’t lost it in just a year or two. Until we fix the quality, nothing else matters.
It’s a strong statement, but it’s also not surprising to hear. This early yearFarley calls Josh Halliburton the company’s “quality magnate” and vows to reduce the amount Ford spends on recalls and warranty work. And as you might have guessed based on the frequent recalls, Ford spent a lot of money on those two. According to Eric Arnum, editor of Warranty weekFord’s warranty payments last year were the highest in the U.S. Not the highest for an automaker.
In addition to the upfront costs of all those recalls and warranties, Ford’s quality problems also threaten to damage the brand’s reputation to the point that even former loyal customers can’t afford it. decided to buy from another brand. You don’t have to have an MBA to realize that reducing future sales while spending more money than your competitors fixing quality problems isn’t exactly the recipe for business success.
Considering the number of amazing cars Ford has sold, we hope Farley and Halliburton can turn things around so we can feel better about recommending them to friends and family. But for now, it seems likely that a higher recall will affect any Ford buying decisions.
