Ford Focus Top Midsize In 2024 China Dependability Study

In China and select other parts of the world, there are quite a few Blue Oval models on sale that are no longer available in places like the U.S. – nameplates such as the Ford Mondeo, Ford Taurus, and Ford Focus. The Focus is still on sale in Europe, but production of that long-running model is slated to end in 2025. However, the Focus lives on in China after receiving a mid-cycle refresh in 2022, and now, that same model has scored a notable accolade in J.D. Power’s 2024 China Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), too.

The Ford Focus managed to top the mid-size car segment in the 2024 China VDS, beating out the second-place Volkswagen Lamando and third-place Geely Preface. While it’s considered a compact car in most parts of the world, the Ford Focus slots in as a mid-size in China, where the Ford Mondeo is classified as a “mid-size upper car.” Coincidentally, the Mondeo also ranked first in that segment on this year’s China VDS, while the Ford Edge L topped the large SUV segment as well. Even The Blue Oval’s joint-venture with Changan Automobile – Changan Ford – ranked third among all mass market manufacturers, too.

It wasn’t all good news for China’s automotive market in this year’s VDS, however, as overall, an increase in design-related problems resulted in an industry-wide decline in dependability – the problems reported per 100 vehicles (PP100) rose by 9.3 year-over-year, in fact, coming in at 190 PP100 this year. J.D. Power derives this data from feedback it gathers from the owners of 13- to 48-month-old vehicles over the past six months, with a lower PP100 score reflecting higher quality.

“The decline in China’s vehicle dependability performance in 2024 should serve as a wake-up call for automakers,” said Elvis Yang, general manager of auto product practice at J.D. Power China. “In recent years, the pace of new model launches in the Chinese market has accelerated and development cycles have continuously shortened. Balancing the speed of new model launches with high product reliability and durability will be a critical long-term challenge for automakers. Especially as Chinese brands gradually enter international markets, the long-term reliability of their products will also affect the resale value and new-vehicle sales in overseas markets. Additionally, the rapid iteration of technology features makes ‘timeless design’ in infotainment and driver assistance systems increasingly important. If owners’ experiences cannot be continually optimized through OTA updates, they are likely to experience dissatisfaction through comparison.”