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J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

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#1 ·
Kia tops J.D. Power quality rankings amid shake-up
Automotive News
- Michael Wayland - June 21, 2017/UPdated

DETROIT -- Kia took the top spot in J.D. Power's annual report card on vehicle quality for a second consecutive year, as industry ratings reached a new record and domestic brands maintained their edge over foreign rivals.

Kia, with 72 problems reported per 100 vehicles, was able to retain its No. 1 position despite a shake-up in the 2017 U.S. Initial Quality Study rankings that included significant shifts with the German and Japanese brands -- most notably, Toyota and Lexus -- falling behind many U.S. and Korean brands.

"This is without question the best quality the world has ever seen," Dave Sargent, vice president, global automotive at J.D. Power, said when releasing the results at an Automotive Press Association meeting in Detroit. "The industry is picking up steam and really improving the quality of their vehicles."

In its first year as a standalone brand, Hyundai’s luxury Genesis brand debuting at No. 2, with 77 problems reported per 100 vehicles. Porsche, with 78 problems, dropped to third -- its lowest ranking since 2015.

Ford and Ram, both with 86, rounded out the top five brand positions -- marking the highest positions in the study for both brands and the first time since 2011 that two Detroit brands have ranked that high.

Sargent said Ford's improvement, up from 11th in 2016, was largely because of its new Sync 3 infotainment system, a replacement for its previous Sync and MyFord Touch system that plagued the brand's rankings in recent years.

Japanese fall
Improvements to infotainment systems greatly helped brands from the Detroit automakers outperform import brands for the second year in a row, according to Sargent. In 2017, domestic brands received a score of 93 compared with 99 for import brands. It’s just the third time since the study was first published in 1987 that domestic brands outperformed their foreign counterparts.

"The domestics have done a pretty good job of wrestling the infotainment issue," Sargent said. "They have a significant advantage of the imports."

Toyota’s brands, which for years led or were ranked near the top of the study, had mediocre performances this year, with Lexus ranking one position below the industry average and Toyota ranking one above it. This was the first time in the history of the survey that Lexus scored below average.

Nissan, with a score of 93, was the top-ranked Japanese brand at No. 10 -- level in the rankings from a year ago.

At the very bottom of this year’s rankings were Mazda, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Volvo, Jaguar and Fiat -- all with between 125 and 163 problems reported per 100 vehicles.

Many of the low rankings, according to Sargent, are due to the brands launching all-new products, which tend to have more quality issues than older, more refined models.

Record quality
New-vehicle quality overall for the industry reached a new record, improving a significant 8 percent from last year’s previous record-setting year. The industry average for the 2017 study is 97 problems reported per 100 vehicles, down from 105 a year ago.

“For the most part, the industry as a whole has got their arms around this,” Sargent said. “This is the third-straight year of improvement. It’s an accelerating rate of improvement.”

The only category to worsen this year was features, controls and displays. The largest increases in problems were for cruise control (primarily adaptive cruise); lane-departure warning; collision-avoidance/alert systems; and blind-spot warning.

The study was based on nearly 80,000 responses from owners and lessees of 2017 model-year vehicles after 90 days of ownership. Consumers were surveyed from February through May.

Awards
Hyundai Motor Co., which includes Kia, was awarded the most model-level awards. They included the Kia Cadenza; Kia Forte; Kia Niro; Kia Sorento; and Kia Soul.

Following the South Korean's five awards were General Motors Co. (Chevrolet Silverado; Chevrolet Silverado HD; Chevrolet Sonic; and GMC Terrain) and BMW Group (BMW 2 Series; BMW 4 Series; BMW X6; and MINI Cooper) both with four awards...

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#3 ·
Ford Becomes No. 2 Non-Premium Brand in J.D. Power's 2017 Initial Quality Study
Ford's Best Ranking in Report's 31-Year History

- Ford has earned the No. 2 ranking of all non-premium brands in this year’s J.D. Power Initial Quality Study – the brand’s best ranking in the report’s 31-year history

- Expedition and Mustang earn segment quality awards, with seven Ford and Lincoln models leading the top three of their segments

- Ford’s has been improving the capability and quality of new technologies, including SYNC 3 equipped on 70 percent of vehicles


DEARBORN, Mich., June 21, 2017 – Ford has jumped to No. 2 of all non-premium brands in J.D. Power’s 2017 Initial Quality Study – the brand’s best-ever ranking in the annual study now in its 31st year.

The Ford brand improved to 86 problems per 100 vehicles from 102 in 2016. This improvement helped Ford tie for fourth among all brands from 11th in 2016.

“As Ford accelerates the pace of innovation, we believe this best-ever quality ranking demonstrates our new technologies are reliable and easy to use,” said Bennie Fowler, group vice president, Quality. “The rapid improvements rated by third-party quality experts such as J.D. Power motivate us to improve our fitness even more as quality is a race that’s never finished.”

Seven Ford and Lincoln vehicles are in the top three in their respective segments. Ford Expedition and Mustang took top quality honors in their segments.

Ford is delivering new innovations with better quality than average as the industry has faced challenges rolling out new advancements such as connectivity and driver-assist features. Specifically, Ford is:

Equipping approximately 70 percent of vehicles with advanced SYNC 3 technology with significant quality improvements

Offering more models in the United States with popular driver-assist features such as adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning than any other full-line manufacturer.

Continuing the rapid rollout of advanced EcoBoost engine technology and light weighting innovations such as aluminum-bodied F-Series trucks – combining to deliver improved performance, capability, and efficiency.

“We are moving into an exciting new period of innovation in transportation, so it is very important to keep the human experience at the center of all we do, including delivering any new technology with quality,” said Fowler.
 
#13 ·
This chart convinced me that is stupid to pay 10000€ more for a Focus sized Mercedes-Benz A-Class/BMW 1-Series/Audi A3/Volvo C-40. And what about Lexus? If you buy some of those "predator" ugly atrocities , you will pay 15000€ more than a similarly equipped mainstream car and the quality will be dismal!

Congratulations to Ford/Lincoln !
 
#16 ·
^ good point, Biker :thumb:

&
Quote: akirby, Moderator @ BON, Posted Today, 10:44 AM
Initial quality has a large dealer component here - the more diligent the dealer is pre-delivery the less problems the customer will encounter and vice versa.

I suspect Kia dealers are simply trying harder.

Keep in mind that the range here is .7 - 1.3 problems per vehicle which both round to 1 problem/1 dealer visit. Not a huge difference between first and last.

 
#19 ·
It seems easy these days to produce consistently good vehicles, at least in terms of smooth and quiet ride, NVH, style, features, power, etc. I think customers will even tolerate a few things, often not knowing if there is an actual issue or at least, barely recognizing it as such. But they clearly will not abide by a infotainment system that at best causes them to wait, and at worst, crashes. That gets their immediate attention. So yeah, if you are leading the pack with the most technological advances in infotainment, you reap the risks and rewards.

Kia has never impressed me with advancements, only mirroring what is already out there. Not much risk there. Or respect. At least from me. And let’s face it, it’s not like they produce any performance cars or trucks capable of towing a house. Those can be a bit more complicated.
 
#22 ·
Kia has never impressed me with advancements, only mirroring what is already out there. Not much risk there. Or respect. At least from me. And let’s face it, it’s not like they produce any performance cars or trucks capable of towing a house. Those can be a bit more complicated.
...which is pretty much what I said earlier here. However, it'd be foolish not to respect how far and fast Kia is progressing. I'm astounded by how stylish and desirable their vehicles have become in a few short years. I wouldn't dismiss kia's potential engineering ability just yet.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Considering the huge variety of products at Ford, I think it's amazing to rank this high.

Regarding infotainment, the only significant problems I've had with any Ford or Lincoln in the past 10 years is Sync 2 (MFT/MLT). However, it was mostly fixed by my 2016 MKX. The only quality issue I might fault is just assembly quality, I don't think I've ever had a Ford or Lincoln that didn't have some pretty obvious and numerous assembly flaws. My Dad's 2015 Edge is a great car but the entire roof panel is actually warped at the back along with other inconsistencies in the paint (not to mention the joint in the roof is cracking at the edges, apparently the entire panel is welded to the sides and the process must be faulty). My MKX has uneven gaps in the front fascia and window trim, nothing I worry about because I lease and it doesn't cause me any problems (another reason I'm glad I lease). My Dad had an F-150 and the front bumper was so misaligned it looked like it was in an accident but ALL the trucks had the same issue. I think Ford engineering is doing their work well but the hands putting the stuff together aren't as careful and maybe they just need better processes in place, especially for Lincoln.
 
#24 ·
Considering the huge variety of products at Ford, I think it's amazing to rank this high...

...I think Ford engineering is doing their work well but the hands putting the stuff together aren't as careful and maybe they just need better processes in place, especially for Lincoln.
here ^ I really believe
- there's at least some disconnect between engineering and production
- upstream has to get/appreciate feedback to know how downstream operates
- if things are well-designed, they go together: easily & in a way that prevents alignment difficulties
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#23 · (Edited)
Ford got an early start on cabin tech and faltered at a pretty big scale, but today they have worked out the kinks and are really no more advanced than any other full-line company, it's amazing how similar GM, Ford, and FCA products are feature for feature (right down to capless fuel doors, kick to open doors, automated park assist and perimeter alerts, and just about everything you can name that Ford brought out first). When it comes to infotainment I think Ford has the best interface with Sync 3, one of the advantages of getting an early start is that you can also iterate on your mistakes sooner.
 
#28 ·
How Ford pulled up its quality score
Hands-on checks, quick changes made difference
Automotive News
- Michael Martinez - June 25, 2017


DETROIT — Earlier this decade, Ford Motor Co. suffered a series of bungled product launches, small-car transmission issues and infotainment nightmares that put its J.D. Power Initial Quality Study scores near the bottom of the pack.

Although it still faces problems, including a massive door-latch recall that was expanded in March and dented profits, the automaker last week hit an important milestone: The Ford brand achieved its highest mark since the study started 30 years ago, placing fourth overall and second among nonluxury makes. It tied for fourth with Ram and trailed Porsche, Genesis and Kia, which again grabbed the top spot.

"They really rolled up their sleeves and improved things across the board," Dave Sargent, vice president, global automotive at J.D. Power, said in an interview. "A lot of things sort of came together this year."

Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president of global operations, credits the turnaround to a series of moves the company made in the first quarter of 2013, a few months after he took over as president of the Americas.

That year, Ford placed 27th overall in the annual study, with a troubling 131 problems reported per 100 vehicles. The company was facing a host of launches the following year — including the redesigned F-150, Mustang, Edge and Transit — and was eager to get things right, he said.

"It really was about total leadership engagement and commitment to being best in class and allowing people the opportunity to tell us what it takes to get there, and then supporting them to do that," Hinrichs told Automotive News. "Quality progress doesn't happen without direct leadership engagement and creating an environment where we can talk about the issues and work to solve them."

Monday meetings
Hinrichs instituted a weekly leadership meeting to do just that. Every Monday at 4 p.m., roughly 15 members of Ford's North American leadership team would gather for a deep dive into each nameplate's status.

The weekly meetings paid off quickly when executives learned of complaints with the interior and center console of the recently redesigned Fusion sedan and Escape crossover.

Ford hadn't planned significant interior updates for those products' midcycle freshenings, but after feedback in the Monday quality meeting, it decided to make significant changes. Those included adding a rotary knob shifter in the Fusion and updating the interior and shifter position of the Escape.

"It was a very important message to the collective organization: We're going to make changes based on the feedback we're getting from our customers, and we're going to do it as quickly as we can," Hinrichs said.

He also reorganized a once-a-year fall gathering of the entire leadership team for a half-day quality summit to go over that year's plans for each vehicle. It was a meeting Ford had instituted in the past but had discarded.

"It was about creating an environment where people could ask for help," he said.

To help catch issues before they became major problems, a group of three people — Hinrichs, Ford's North American head of engineering Frank Davis and the product launch manager — began bringing a vehicle to Dearborn, Mich., at each stage of that vehicle's build process so they could sit in it and observe progress.

"All the launches we've had have gone much better, and a lot of that had to do with us just having a small team come together and go through the latest builds and see the progress physically, as opposed to seeing data on paper," Hinrichs said.

The company also listened to its suppliers, who complained Ford was releasing final designs too late in a launch process, creating production issues. To remedy that, Ford began finalizing designs sooner, and it offered suppliers additional engineering and technical resources.

Hinrichs has said there's added pressure to have the right design from the start because Ford has been consolidating the number of platforms it uses to build vehicles, meaning that a recall could affect much higher numbers of vehicles than in the past.

Sync 3 investment
One of the biggest changes Ford made was to its much-maligned infotainment system. The previous MyFord Touch had been lambasted by independent studies and gave customers, including Ford's top executives, trouble when it would freeze or crash mid-drive.

In early 2013, executives gathered to approve the spending plan for Ford's next-gen system: Sync 3. Hinrichs said there was talk about scaling back the number of vehicles in which they offered the system to avoid more dents in Ford's quality scores, although the company ultimately chose to forge ahead.

"The data was very strong: The customers wanted the technology; they just wanted it to work," he said last week. "Instead of backing off on the penetration rates, we decided to spend our money, energy and time on developing an even better system."

That included moving much of the work in-house and switching partners from Microsoft to QNX, although Hinrichs noted that Microsoft was a big part of making progress in fixing the MyFord Touch system "in areas that really were not their fault."

The resulting Sync 3 system has scored well. Sargent said last week that infotainment is now a competitive advantage for Ford.

"They've also made a lot of other strong improvements in terms of powertrain and other features on the vehicle," he said. "Honestly, I would say Ford was probably the strongest improvement because it's across such a wide product line." Ford's Lincoln brand, meanwhile, ranked ninth, ahead of most of its luxury rivals.

Ford has the opportunity to improve again next year, Sargent said, because it doesn't have many vehicle introductions. According to the annual Bank of America Merrill Lynch "Car Wars" report, only 4 percent of its volume will be replaced. But a 50 percent volume​ replacement looms in 2020, according to "Car Wars."

"When you launch that much of your volume, there are always inherent risks," Sargent said. "There's no doubt that will be a real test for them."

Ford believes it can meet that challenge.

"We're working hard to make sure we keep improving," Hinrichs said. "The competition is not stopping, and we won't stop either. We want to be best in class."

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#29 · (Edited)
I have had 7 new Fords since 1997, all on 3 or 4 year leases. The 1998 F-150 had a pinion gear whine at certain speeds. The dealer adjusted the gears and later replaced the entire rear axle. They gave me a free extended warranty on the rear axle. It did not seem to fix the problem immediately. However, the noise later just went away on its own. This really was not a problem and I never had another issue with any Ford product.
I bought out the lease on my 2006 Mercury Milan and still have it today, along with a 2016 Escape. The Milan only has 76,000 miles on it. In all those years I replaced a thermostat in 2013 and put a new battery on every 3 years, even if it was still working. In this Texas heat they do not last much longer anyway.
 
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