The past year or so has produced some mighty upsets. The Knicks winning the NBA Championship. South Africa beating South Korea in the World Cup. The incredible streak of Kimi Antonelli this year in F1. Now there’s been another one: Ford has beat Lexus in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Survey.
Yes, the 2026 J.D. Power Initial Quality survey is out, and it contains some surprises and some not-so-surprises. Porsche at the top of the podium? That’s roughly to be expected. Porsche has consistently led other J.D. Power rankings, such as consumer appeal and customer service, and it’s had time to iron out initial kinks on recent models like the Macan Electric. Genesis in second also sounds about right, as the marque’s models feature a huge array of physical buttons and great fit-and-finish. From there though, things get weird.
Third place in the entire survey goes to Ford. That’s one slot above Lexus for a brand that led the industry in recall count as recently as 2025 and might do the same this year. What’s the deal with that? Firstly, it’s worth noting that the extent to which J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Survey studies actual quality is debatable. Covering the first 90 days of ownership, the survey’s definition of a problem isn’t exclusively a manufacturing or assembly flaw. It’s anything a consumer deems a problem in a wide range of categories. Furthermore, all problems are scored equally, which means an annoying infotainment menu is weighted the same as complete engine failure.
That being said, the 2026 results represent a huge improvement for Ford over last year. In 2025, the brand ranked 14th with 193 problems per 100 vehicles. This year, third overall with 152 problems per 100 vehicles. That sort of result requires some real effort, and Ford seems to have done some substantial legwork on that front.
Some of this improvement comes from the carmaker clawing its way back from using AI to trod on its own scrotum. Ford decided to start using AI for quality control purposes several years ago, and ran into a big problem: It just wasn’t that good out of the box. Since then, it’s hired on a platoon of engineers to actually train the systems with real expertise, as Bloomberg reports:
“Mistakenly we thought that by just introducing artificial intelligence and ingesting the design requirements that we had, that that would produce a high-quality product,” [VP of vehicle hardware engineering Charles] Poon said. But “we recognized that for us to enhance some of our automation and machine learning and artificial intelligence tools we needed to ensure that they were trained by the most experienced individuals.”
Yeah, it turns out actual intelligence is often a bit more on-the-ball than artificial intelligence. Is using human expertise as training data a good thing in the long run? Not if the intention is to replace workers, but if this was used as an extra eye, it could help on the odd occasion when the coffee’s not quite kicked in yet. Happens to the best of us.
At the same time, Ford seems to be making significant cultural changes since the debacle that was the 2019 launch of the Explorer and Lincoln Aviator. I actually had an early Lincoln Aviator press car’s electronic door release button fall into the door. Enough said. Since then, Ford’s tied bonus structures to quality metrics and changed the way it’s worked with suppliers, as Automotive News reports:
Liz Door, Ford’s chief supply chain officer hired from Whirlpool in 2023, recently began placing suppliers with quality issues on a “no bid” list for future contracts and requiring many parts makers to implement three-year cost savings plans or risk the same outcome.
Ford started giving suppliers more access to see how vehicles are built, Door said, citing the 2025 Expedition and Navigator launch, when the automaker brought parts makers onto the plant floor before production started. Ford said that has driven a 30 percent reduction in launch issues year over year.
Anecdotally, from the ground, the changes seem to be working. Over the years, I’ve tested some Ford press cars that have seen some rough spots. A Ranger Tremor with a switch pod that looked like it was attacked by Wolverine. An Explorer with panels that didn’t line up. Perhaps the worst was an early Escape PHEV with an improperly-fitted headliner, taillights that shook, incredibly poor upholstery, and debris in the actual paint. However, recent Ford press cars I’ve tested have been surprisingly well-screwed-together, regardless of assembly plant.
Did Ford get any help in the rankings from Lexus slipping? Hardly. The Japanese marque’s actually improved year-over-year from 166 problems-per-100 vehicles to 156. If I were to hazard a guess, wider use of the brand’s new simpler touchscreen infotainment system probably helped at least a bit here. Still, the firm known for reliability is riding high as ever, which makes Ford’s progress that much more noteworthy.
At the end of the day, we all want the same thing: better cars. While J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Survey has its own problems, Ford’s improvement is good news. Now for the next big hurdle: how it holds up in the long run. While recent recalls might be a bad sign, they’re also a sign that problems are actually getting fixed. Let’s see which side the coin falls on in five years’ time.
Top graphic images: Thomas Hundal; J.D. Power
Well, ‘Quality is Job 1!’
They fired everyone from that division years ago.
Was in a 2025 F150 rental today with under 30k miles and I have only one word it… disappointing.
Hey at least it didn’t break down during your drive.
Buick has been in the top 3 spots in various quality surveys for well over a decade.
Charles Poon sounds like a goddamned idiot. I’m not even going to make a low blow joke on his name. He sounds like he fell into the exact same trap people have been thinking they can cheat and cheap their way out of since folks first got caught selling counterfeit goods: you cannot fake quality.
Mr. Poon, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you managed to fail up so fucking high with such a shortsighted, selfish, time-disproven perspective on what it means to do right by your customers and your workers. You suck, your attitude sucks. There are 10 quality engineers that should be working for the salary you collect and Ford would be better for it.
I’m so fucking sick of companies – software, hardware, automotive, food processing, you name it – behaving like the very act of trying to do good work is a cost center to be cut by any means necessary. Databases get deleted, vehicles get recalled and crash, people get sick or die because of this “whoopsie! quality, amirite?” attitude.
Am I the only one to realize one manufacturer of quality cars could beat another manufacturer who made lousy cars based on offering a preference of color options?
Let’s be honest any car manufacturer can improve their performance by buying more ads. That’s why the measurements are so screwed my cruise control was wonky vs my engine threw a rod is equivalent. The whole JD MEASURED results are nothing that helps consumers
Now if it was an Austin Powers award….
Yeah Baby Yeah!
I’m laughing that Ford decided that using AI for QC was a great idea.
“Hey Alexa, does this door fit correctly?”
“Playing The Doors, on I Heart Radio”
“No, Alexa – The Door – does it fit?”
“Door – Noun – A movable barrier—usually made of wood, glass, or metal—used to cover, open, and close…”
“Alexa – Stop! Alexa – Does The Fucking Door Fit?”
“Playing The Fix – on Amazon Music”
“Alexa – Stop! Ugh – Just send this one out…”
*Three Weeks later*
“Who the hell sent us this Explorer with doors that don’t fit right?!?”
*Four Years Later*
“Ford issues a recall of all Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviators built between 2019 and 2023 for doors that don’t fit and allow exhaust gasses into the vehicle…”
“Explorer – Dora the Explora – Explora Cruises”
Who filled the engine on this Explorer with water?!
“Fjord Explorer – a Norwegian expedition vessel…”
“Stop! Alexa – Why is my Ford Explorer full of water?”
“Fjord Explorer – A Roller Coaster in Le Pal, an amusement park in France”
“No, No No! Foorrrd Ex-ploorr-er!”
“Would you like me to recommend a cruise line to take to Norway to explore the Fjords?”
*smashes Echo Dot with a hammer*
Yeah, but is the door…a jar or ajar? Ha ha
I re-ask every time I read one of these – what on %$%# Earth is initial quality? And most important – how has it managed to remain relevant as a metric for decades?
I mean, one would expect a car to be at its peak performance early on, wouldn’t they? I think it’s fair to not cast as much judgment on the manufacturer for problems faced when you’re at 250,000 miles. (Yeah, still some judgment, for sure, but there’s a bazillion other factors that could have come into play by that point that wouldn’t have had time or distance to play out in the first 5,000.)
A car not falling apart the first 90 days with the same weight given to a broken dome light and to a blown engine or a wheel falling off is not very relevant metric in my book.
Any hot V turbo BMW V8 from the early 2000s would look brand new at 100k miles and not squeak or rattle for the first five years, yet be a ticking timebomb with a low survivability rate
F*rd best in Initial quality?
They must wait until the 91st day until they start sending out the recall notices.
“Furthermore, all problems are scored equally, which means an annoying infotainment menu is weighted the same as complete engine failure.”
That says it all right there. Moving on!
I mean, that’s certainly an important caveat, but I think it’s still broadly useful to have an idea of what cars or brands have more noticed problems out of the gate?
Yes, you’re correct. There is some value in trying to quantify new vehicle reliability.
While initial quality is certainly a data point, it says a lot more about how well someone knows how to pair their phone with the radio rather than if the transmission will drop out after 5-10 years. Bad on you JD Power…
However, good on you Ford for improving perceived shipped quality.
Final nail in the coffin to prove JD Power awards are useless.
I always wonder if they have an internal “JD Power award for most ridiculous corporate financed survey we did this year”.
Gosh, when did Lexus get so bad?
I consider myself an open minded person who relies on logical reasoning and empirical data, but I simple refuse to believe this is true.
(I’m now folding my arms and turning my head away dismissively)
Okjan.gif
I know Ford gets a lot of crap regarding recalls, but FWIW, our 25 Mav hybrid AWD’s recalls have (4 or 5 so far) either been fixed by over-the-air updates while I slept , or the local Ford dealer (who did NOT sell me the Mav) happily sends a mobile tech over and gets the work done in my garage.
So far, only one recall was hardware related (a possible loose backlight for the passenger airbag warning that took 5 minutes to fix). All my other house call recalls were software related with the tech just plugging into the truck for 10 minutes with his service laptop.
I don’t like that Ford has had so many recalls, but on the other hand I give them credit for fixing what needs to be fixed, and making it painless for me.
Is issuing an over-the-air update to a control module the same as a recall for a deadly airbag or fire risk? I guess they count the same, but I don’t loose any sleep over the Ford recalls (yet).
P.S. As far as I can tell. I wasn’t suffering any problems that the recalls fixed, but perhaps I just don’t drive the truck enough to notice any before/after difference. Truck has been great so far.
Same as my experience with my ’22, except for the mobile tech. It’s almost all software and a quick update when I go to get my oil changed and a free carwash. I haven’t been affected by any of the recall issues personally, either.
“updates while I slept”
Fix Or Recall (while) Dreaming…ha ha. Hopefully no nightmares…at least you don’t need to “add your own replacement smoke” like w/ Lucas Electrics (Prince of Darkness)
Seriously, really glad that you love the Mav! It’s so great that small trucks are making a comeback
JDPower?
The ones who count “failed glovebox light” as 1 issue, yet also count “engine exploded” as 1 issue?
Ford: one oil fire resulting in the demise of the car and passengers.
Lexus: One infotainment system reboot during operation, one carpet hook improperly fastened
Verdict: Ford has superior quality.
““Mistakenly we thought that by just introducing artificial intelligence and ingesting the design requirements that we had, that that would produce a high-quality product,” [VP of vehicle hardware engineering Charles] Poon said.”
Whoever decided to use AI for managing product quality should be fired. Anyone with half a brain should have known, seen and observed the garbage AI puts out.
Please tell that to my manager and the entire C suite where I work (in the QA dept). When I do use it, the amount of stuff it spits back that is flat out wrong is stunning.
Here’s a crazy photo list of “remarkable iconic cars of the ’70s.” I don’t remember how I came upon this website, but I bookmarked this page as soon as I saw the images. Clearly someone instructed AI to conjure photos of real cars instead of using actual photos. It’s the screwiest set of mistakes I’ve ever seen.
https://www.miramarspeedcircuit.com/remarkable-cars-1970s/
The Firebird image is amazing. The right rear wheel is going forward, but the right front wheel must be going in reverse somehow.
That is wretched…
More Dystopian news on the Autopian.
The decision to use AI for managing product quality was made by AI.
I wish. AI makes better decisions than our upper management at this point.
“I actually had an early Lincoln Aviator press car’s electronic door release button fall into the door.”
(…)
“Liz Door, Ford’s chief supply chain officer hired from Whirlpool in 2023, recently began placing suppliers with quality issues on a “no bid” list (…)”
Never an executive has been so aptly named.
Suppliers hate when they see Liz Door hitting them on the way out.
COTD
But she also places a vendor on the no bid list of they do not achieve a set cost reduction, which is handed over to Ford, within three years. While true that increased quality and cost reductions are not mutually exclusive, it does make it quite difficult to achieve one or the other. And what of those vendors that have managed themselves so well that their quality and cost controls are already superb?
If I was Lexus, I would demand a Recall.
“It’s Rigged!”
I thought recalls were more of a Ford thing.
Oh, reCOUNT, reCOUNT. I knew that sounded off.
JD Power’s initial quality ranking is skewed. They just count warranty claims and any customer trips to the dealership. Someone who doesn’t understand how to pair their phone is ranked the same as someone who had a transmission grenade itself a block from the lot. Ford has been gaming this system by getting customers to signup for classes in how to use the infotainment screens and other features. I’m not saying this is a bad policy, but these numbers are likely not a reflection of improved Ford quality, just fewer trips back to show customers what a bluetooth symbol is.
I get that…AND wouldn’t all OEMs have customers coming in for tech support, thereby making it a wash?
JD Power needs to redo their rankings to use a “customer annoyance ranking”. Replaced engine: disaster. Unhappy with the coffee at the dealership or an annoying salesman: should not register at all.
What if you really like the coffee at the dealership, so you repeatedly go back for good service?
There are much cheaper ways to get a decent cup of coffee than a $1,000 for some new wiper blades.
Dunno. The delta between Starbucks and wiper blades is closer than it has any right to be.
I mean, it worked on DT for the Lexus.
I can’t say I’ve taken JD Power seriously ever, but, goddamn lol. This is like giving Alex Jones a Pulitzer. You know, if the Pulitzer was a joke award.
Can’t wait for Mahk to comment on this revelation in JD Powa awards
Anyone else’s take is meaningless to me.
I loved his videos, then I found out more about who he is.
FDLE – Sexual Offender and Predator Search –
Yeah, Not going to support a child molester.
Oh, and to make it worse, look at what he drives…. It’s a Chevy.
Oh no, well that’s fucking terrible
Yeah someone else pointed it out and I sort of died inside. His stuff for “Frank can’t poop” and “Come-here little talking box..” still crack me up, but I’m not clicking on any of stuff any more.
Oof.
Oh… No.