The Consumer Reports’ annual reliability survey for 2023 was published this week, although there were few surprises. As Ford Authority previously outlined, Ford ranked below average in the survey, while Lincoln fared similarly. Overall, the results essentially confirmed that The Blue Oval continues to struggle with quality, with CEO Jim Farley saying that fixes will take years. Fortunately, there was some good news in the report, with the publication adding the Ford Mustang Mach-E back to its list of recommended vehicles after a 12 month absence.
In order to earn a recommendation from Consumer Reports, a vehicle must have a high enough Overall Score, which relies on a vehicle’s road test, reliability and owner satisfaction, crash test data, and availability of frontal crash prevention systems. The Mustang Mach-E regained its recommended rating due to an average reliability rating over the last three model years of production. The publication rated the 2021 and 2022 as below average due to problems with the powertrain and in-car electronics. By contrast, the 2023 boasts an above-average rating. A total of 15 vehicles were newly recommended for 2023, including competitors like the Audi Q4 E-Tron and Tesla Model Y. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 was among the six vehicles that lost the publication’s recommendation due to issues with its battery and charging system, along with issues with the climate system, electronics, and various noises and leaks.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E first joined the recommended list in 2021, only to be cast out in 2022. The publication named it their top EV pick of 2022 as well. Currently, The Blue Oval is tackling its quality issues with two overall goals in mind. It wants its body-on-frame vehicles to boast “best in class” quality by 2025, and all other vehicles to be in the top 25 percent of their respective segments by the same timeframe.
We’ll have more on the Mach-E soon, so subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Mustang Mach-E news, and for continuous Ford news coverage.
Comment
I recently read that the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E was rated the the must reliable EV in the UK with the lowest maintenance cost.