Things may not exactly be working for Ford. Sales aren’t what they used to be, two prestige brands, Jaguar and Land Rover are up for sale and apparently, Volvo will follow too. But it would be imprudent to say Ford is past its prime. Profits are increasing and some Ford vehicles are selling fast. Finally, when you buy a Ford, you get one of the best in quality and consumer satisfaction.
Ford may have taken a beating in sales and profits, but an area it wins in is quality and consumer satisfaction. I point to Global Quality Research System (GQRS) conducted in July for Ford by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich as a proof of what I say.
The 2007 second quarter GQRS study asked customers of all major makes and models to rate their overall satisfaction with their three-month-old vehicles. Ford showed an improvement of 10% while the report’s average improvement stood at 4% as compared to last year. Some folks must’ve been pretty down on the list, while Ford has walked away with the title for the third consecutive year. Here are some highlights from the report:
It’s all about quality: Brands Ford, Lincoln and Mercury improved by 144 for ‘Things Gone Wrong’ (TGWs) per thousand vehicles to 1,419 or 1.419 defects per vehicle. The customer satisfaction rating of these brands climbed two points to 75%.
Ford Edge has established itself in the market and this crossover leads the segment in customer satisfaction. J.D. Power and Associates as well as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have given a good grade to this vehicle.
Newly launched models have fared well; Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX and Lincoln Navigator L have considerably low TGWs when we look at the industry average.
Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ have lived up to their standards and delivered well on the quality front once again. Up against formidable rivals like Lexus ES350, Cadillac CTS, BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, models from Ford have displayed commendable results.
Shelby GT500’s steering, drivetrain, and idle quality ensure good grades for this powerful factory built Mustang. Owners of the Shelby GT 500 had very few complaints to voice after three months of ownership.
Trucks vote for Ford too! Lincoln Mark LT leads the light duty full-size pickup segment in having the fewest troubles. TGWs have been eliminated from the speed control, exhaust system function and interior trim and this helped the truck take top honors.
The E-series is not far behind, improvements in security features, temperature control and audio system for this longest lasting van have brought accolades in the form of increased customer satisfaction.
Full sized SUV Ford Expedition came in second in the GQRS and was followed by the Lincoln Navigator. Navigator also holds AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award as the top luxury sport utility vehicle. Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer also rank high in their segment.
Ford and Lincoln Mercury charted best-in-class results in electrical functions according to the study.
Ford may have done well in the study, but Toyota was never far behind. The Japanese automaker too has a good view in quality and customer satisfaction. Hopefully, good scores in consumer satisfaction for Ford will translate into increased sales.
[Courtesy: Ford]
