Ford has been called out for issues with vehicle quality in the past, prompting the automaker to take steps toward ensuring the excellence of its products. These efforts have included appointing former J.D. Power Vice President Josh Halliburton as its new director of quality, a decision that was made by Ford CEO Jim Farley to bring a new set of eyes to improve product quality. The Blue Oval remains optimistic that these quality issues will soon subside, and it will certainly remain a top priority at the company, even if that means slowing down the delivery of its vehicles during a historic vehicle shortage.
“Quality is my number one objective so we’re not going to release anything until it’s right,” Farley told media on the sidelines of the 2023 Ford Super Duty reveal, attended by Ford Authority. “We’ve had a lot of supply chain problems that are changing from chips, like badges and emblems, and those are pretty easy to fit. So once we get them we will send them out once they meet our quality requirements. The supply chain problems are changing now, not just chips.”
In fact, many trucks and SUVs made by The Blue Oval are stuck at plants due to a lack of components. These unfinished vehicles, which are referred to by the automaker as “vehicles on wheels,” will likely remained parked on storage lots until the supply chain issues ease. Many of these “vehicles on wheels” include F-Series pickups that are parked for things like a lack of Blue Oval badges, preventing the vehicles from being completed and shipped to dealers.
Despite Farley’s attempts to remain optimistic about the supply chain issues, he recently acknowledged that they might be here to stay, particularly the semiconductor shortage. “I have stopped forecasting,” he said. “I mean, bottom line is we think it’s going to happen continuing in the foreseeable future. I think we’re very good at dealing with these now.”
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Hope he didnt hire a former JD Power…exec….to dress up and pr quaility….Quailty is grassroots…they need to bring in mechanics…warranty people…the design team….before they sign off a new vechicle..someone to look over design….that is where most issues are….like installing a water pump inside the timing chain area…and turned by the chain….leaking water..and goes directly in drain pan….destroys engine in seconds….making the small diameter rear brakes on Transit t 250 and 350..and having to pull axles out just to replace brake rotors….design is where most of problems are
I agree with you Greg. Farley does see himself as something of a god. He makes a lot of important sounding snippets,says the trendy things the stockholders want to hear but does he get into the nuts and bolts and nitty gritty of correcting things? The answer is no. As a former Ford worker and supporter I will probably NEVER buy another one. The more you dig into the issues with the quality of the recent crop of vehicles the more you would not want to own one. For example all the poor bastards who bought 1.0, 1.6 and 2.0 ecoboost powered vehicles consuming coolant. Do you know what the fix is ? REPLACING THE ENGINE AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. Yeah I guess there are quality issues. It makes me sick to see how they are ruining the company.
You know so much but don’t seem to realize that some of today’s problems were created 5+ years ago, and many are a result of corporate culture instilled over an even longer timeframe.
If Farley were to extensively get into the nuts and bolts of things this would be a display of incompetence.
A CEO’s job is developing strategic goals and plans, clearly articulating these to the team and stakeholders, putting the best people in the right seats to deliver this (high level hiring and firing), giving them the resources to deliver, rallying the troops (repetition and over communication of both goals and praise), monitoring how things are progressing both with formal review processes handled by designates (with authorization to take action and to escalate for support from above) and an informal open door policy (obviously within limits) and to make adjustments to all of the above to ensure the targets are met.
A CEO is the organization’s frontman and chief salesman that job demands a very public face to deliver the repeated messaging necessary to ensure all hear where the journey leads and how the team is going to get there.
A CEO that has to constantly get into the nuts and bolts doesn’t have a good organization beneath him.
You guys seem to not realize that the guy who is a step closer to all the nuts and bolts issues (but still with CEO like responsibilities) is the COO.
While the CEO is more (but not exclusively) long- and mid-term oriented, the COO is more near- and mid-term oriented.
It’s rather pathetic how you guys are irrationally fixated on blaming Farley for competently doing his job.
How much does Farley pay you to make these comments?
Nothing.
If in your experience, should you have it, you think there is something wrong in what I wrote, try a productive refutation, if you are intellectually up to it.
As past is often prologue, I’ve set my hopes low, but I welcome you to prove this impression wrong.
Robert appears to like to create his own job descriptions to suit his needs and also doesn’t seem to understand some basic facts, like a CEO is capable of making decisions to change direction. Even by his own logic he makes little sense. He blames decisions from 5 years ago (according to his best wild guess about decisions he doesn’t know) as if there’s nothing they can do but maintain the status quo. All while calling everyone else stupid as he defends a company’s right to make less reliable cars. Seems like a great guy.
I agree with your last sentence. Thank you.
The rest is silly nonsense but I will add a clarifying coda.
A CEO can certainly make decisions, but the best CEO builds a solid team, sets the target and the tone, then delegates the daily business, while monitoring, and making course corrections as necessary (even at that level basic PDCA cycle is a thing).
And if you have been paying attention you would see that has been happening for the past few years.
As for timing, the problems we see at new vehicle launch are a culmination of things set in motion well before the launch.
This offered rule of thumb applies to architectural things (like body, chassis, E/E, are shorter) and as for powertrain longer, the 5 year figure is just to give a basic idea as to lead times involved.
I’m not saying mid-cycle changes don’t have their effects both positive and negative but there are limitations as to how fast and much can be done.
Loyal Ford owner for over 40 years.. Current stable includes an 06 350 with 600k miles (yep on a never touched 6.0), a 12 350, and 2021 F150 (which took 7 months to get, a SINGLE cab for crying out loud!!)
Test drove a GMC (I know) the other day.. 10 to choose from and more in transit..
Ford built the first one ever, will they build the last one..?? Doubtful.. what a fn joke.. (maybe they should have took the buyout years back!!!)
Fair weather loyalty is not true loyalty my man.
That said, as ex-Ford guy Iacocca put it: “If you can find a better car, buy it!,” as that’s the essence of a vibrant competitive market.
Ford used to say quality is Job 1 but that does not seem to apply these days. They must have more recalls than any other mfg.
I work at one of the plants, if you could see the crap we are and have been building you would understand why quality is so poor.
Anybody could write what you wrote.
Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof.
So do tell or rightfully be doubted.
My dealership will not replace the leaky headlights on my Ford Escape 2022 with 8000 miles They say they have to see the condensation. The cloudy water stains won’t do. I am going back to Subaru.
Find a different dealer.
Going to Subaru is a good idea, not buying their autos is the best way to punish them.
how many passes does this guy get ? First the supply chain was his main concern, but we couldn’t get a straight answer from him about that, and now quality is his main concern. Tell the truth and if you don’t have an answer say so, don’t make it up as you go along like on the supply chain issue. The consumer is a lot smarter than they think
Except when they do their best prove the opposite with comments that show little understanding of complexity amplified by events.
LOL…. I have heard this statement from him before. Sorry, don’t believe him.