Ford Motor Company Quality: Driving Continuous Improvement

Oct. 17, 2007 (Fact Sheet) -- Ford Motor Company is on a quality roll. Changes to the company’s product development, manufacturing and quality processes have further boosted vehicle quality, putting Ford on par with the best in the business.

Specifically, Ford is:

* Designing quality into our future models using customer feedback.
* Building quality into our current models by examining warranty claims daily and feeding the information back to the plant so quality teams can eliminate issues where they originate.
* Launching with discipline. Ford has raised the bar on our launch quality standards and vehicles are not released until they meet these stringent standards.

It’s working. Here’s a sampling of the third-party awards and acknowledgments for Ford’s improved quality since June:

Global Quality Research System study, Q3 2007 (Oct. 17)

* Ford Motor Company quality continues its dramatic improvement, reducing Things Gone Wrong (TGW) levels for third straight year and further closing the gap with the best in class.
* Ford quality jumps 11 percent, soaring above the industry’s 2 percent improvement.
* Five vehicles ranked best in their segment: Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, Ford E-Series, Mercury Milan, Ford Crown Victoria, Lincoln Mark LT, Mazda MX-5 Miata.
* A total of 16 vehicles rank in the top three for either TGW performance or customer satisfaction.
* GQRS third quarter study measures customer feedback on their three-month-old vehicles. The survey is conducted by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., for Ford Motor Company.

U.S. News & World ReportBest Cars and Trucks (Oct. 10)
Nine Ford Motor Company models are ranked among the top three in their respective segments in this list of 2007 Best Cars and Trucks. They include:

* First place: Mazda MX-5 Miata (double winner: Sports Cars, Two-Seat Convertibles);
* Second place: Ford Mustang Convertible (Four-Seat Convertibles); Mazda MAZDA5 (Compact Wagons);
* Third place: Ford Fusion (Midsize Cars); Mazda MAZDA3 (Small Cars); Volvo V50 (Full Size Wagons); Land Rover LR2 (Luxury Compact SUVs); Land Rover Range Rover (Luxury Large SUVs); Ford Escape Hybrid (Hybrid SUVs)

University of Michigan American Customer Satisfaction Index (Aug. 15)

* Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands posts striking gains in the annual survey.
* Lincoln and Mercury satisfaction reach 86 percent, just one point behind Lexus.
* Ford brand scores the largest improvement of any brand, climbing 3.9 points to 80 percent satisfaction.
* The survey measured customers’ satisfaction with their three-year-old vehicles.

J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (June 28)

* Ford Edge is ranked the industry’s top performing all-new vehicle, and Ford Mustang wins its segment for the third straight year in the APEAL study, in which customers assess product design, content and performance of their three month old vehicles.

GQRS Durability Study (June 18)

* Ford vehicle long-term durability improves by 5 percent and cuts by 50 percent the gap with best-in-class vehicles, industry-wide.
* GQRS annual durability study measures customer feedback on three-year-old vehicles. The survey is conducted by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., for Ford Motor Company.

J. D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (June 6)

* Ford has 14 total vehicles ranked in the top three in their respective segments, more than any other automaker.
* Five vehicles received highest ranking in their segments including Ford Mustang, Lincoln MIKZ, Lincoln Mark LT, Mercury Milan and Mazda MX-5.

Strategic Vision’s 2007 Total Quality Index (June 4)

* Consumers rate four Ford SUVs and pickup trucks top in their segments: Ford Expedition EL; Ford F-150; Ford F-250; Ford F-350.
* The annual survey asks customers to rate their entire ownership experience on their three-month-old vehicles.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 260,000 employees and about 100 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.

Source: Ford Motor Company