FORD'S DOMESTIC BRAND QUALITY IN STATISTICAL DEAD HEAT WITH TOYOTA AND HONDA FOR 2008 MODEL YEAR
* Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles continue their impressive quality gains, collectively improving for the fourth straight year and moving into avirtual tie with Honda-Acura and Toyota-Lexus-Scion for the 2008 model year,according to the latest U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study.
* Ford F-Series Super Duty and Lincoln Mark LT rank atop their respective segments with fewest "things gone wrong" (TGW) and in customer satisfaction. Ford Mustang GT500 had the least number of TGW among sportscars.
* Overall, 18 of 24 Ford domestic brand vehicles posted TGW improvements, including the hot-selling Ford Focus, which matched the Toyota Corolla.
DEARBORN, Oct. 10, 2008 - Ford Motor Company's surging domestic quality is now equal to the best in the industry for the 2008 model year, according tothe latest U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles collectively reduced "things gone wrong"(TGW) by 7.7 percent compared to last year and are now statistically equivalent with Honda (including Acura) and Toyota (including Lexus andScion) atop the list of seven major automakers in the survey.>From 2004 to 2008, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle quality, as measured bya reduction in TGW, has improved by 33 percent. "This is One Ford at its best. It's taken thousands of people continuouslyworking together with laser-like focus every day to boost vehicle qualityfor our customers to the top of the pack," said Bennie Fowler, Ford groupvice president, Global Quality. "But this is a never-ending journey. Thegoal now is to distance ourselves from our top competitors. We want to bethe sole quality leader." The 2008-launched Ford F-Series Super Duty and the Lincoln Mark LT rankedfirst in their respective segments in both TGW and customer satisfaction.Ford Mustang GT 500 topped the sports car category in TGW. Overall, 18 of 24 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles recorded TGWimprovements. Ford's newly launched Focus improved significantly in TGW andcustomer satisfaction, now equaling the Toyota Corolla in both categories.The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan are significantly better in TGW than theToyota Camry, which they tied in customer satisfaction. "We are consistently delivering improved quality by following standardized,disciplined processes throughout Ford," said Fowler. "This is particularly impressive considering the difficult challenges we've had to overcome."
Ford also ranked best in class for TGW performance in the functional areas of Vehicle Engineering and Electrical among major manufacturers. Ford,Lincoln and Mercury vehicles averaged 1,287 TGW per 1,000 vehicles, a reduction of 108 versus a year ago. Customer satisfaction with the company'svehicles reached its highest level ever, improving one point to 77 percent. The 2008 model-year GQRS survey, conducted for Ford by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., solicits feedback on vehicle trouble and customer satisfaction from owners of all major makes and models after three months in service.