Ford Ranked Below Average In 2024 U.S. APEAL Study

July 26, 2024 9:35 am

Among the many studies it releases each year, J.D. Power’s U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study is designed to specifically measure owner satisfaction with new-vehicle design and performance. In that particular study, Ford ranked above the mass market segment average in 2022, and managed to repeat that performance in 2023 – scoring an 838 out of a possible 1,000 points, which was down slightly from 2022’s 845 points. However, the automaker didn’t fare so well in the 2024 APEAL Study.

This year, Ford scored an 831 out of 1,000 possible points, which resulted in a big slide, all the way down to 13^th place among all mass market automotive brands, as well as below the industry average of 838. In fact, Ford only ranked ahead of three rivals this time around – it tied with Toyota, and edged out Jeep, Subaru, and Mitsubishi, all of which fell behind the rest of the pack. This slip also went against the overall grain, as the auto industry as a whole saw its score rise by two points year-over-year, to 847.

Each year, the APEAL Study measures owners’ emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicle by asking the owners of those vehicles to consider 37 attributes, ranging from the sense of comfort they feel when climbing into the driver’s seat to their exhilaration when they step on the accelerator. Afterward, the responses to queries about these attributes are aggregated to compute an overall APEAL Index score. This year, infotainment continued to be a thorn in the side of automakers in general, while traditional automakers made inroads in terms of EVs as well.

“Traditional manufacturers have listened to the Voice of the Customer,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. “They’re launching enhanced vehicles that are more in line with what customers want, including improved interior storage and higher quality materials, as well as ensuring features have ease of use. For BEVs, recent launches from traditional manufacturers have surpassed perennial leader Tesla when it comes to owners’ level of emotional attachment and excitement with their new vehicle.”

We’ll have more insights like this to share soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for around-the-clock Ford news coverage.

By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.