Over the past two years, Ford has produced some very different results in J.D. Power’s Mexico Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). In fact, the automaker ranked below the mass market segment average in 2022 with a score of 251 PP100 (problems per 100 vehicles), which ranked it 13th among 17 competitors. However, that changed drastically one year later when The Blue Oval moved all the way up to first place with a score of 137 problems per 100 vehicles. That didn’t carry over to 2024, but Ford did manage to post solid results in the latest Mexico VDS, regardless.
This time around, Ford ranked third in the Mexico VDS with a score of 177 PP100, placing it behind only Mitsubishi (159 PP100) and Fiat (176 PP100), as well as far above the mass market segment average of 215 PP100. This year’s study is based on the responses of 7,169 original owners of 2021 to 2023 model-year vehicles after 12-36 months of ownership. The Mexico VDS looks at 184 problem areas across nine categories to derive these results – exterior; driving experience; features/controls/displays (FCD); driving assistance; infotainment; seats; climate; interior; and powertrain.
Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles, with a lower score reflecting higher quality. This year, the overall industry posted a score of 214 PP100, which is unchanged from 2023. However, a few areas experienced increases in problems, including the sub-compact segment and its record-high 263 PP100, along with compact (222 PP100) and upper sub-compact (218 PP100) vehicles, which posted an elevated number of problems this time around.
“Despite more problems in some segments, the overall quality of vehicles manufactured in Mexico is now on par with North American levels of quality, as these vehicles require less frequent replacement of key components such as spark plugs and engine air filters,” said Gerardo Gomez, senior director and country manager at J.D. Power de Mexico. “Additionally, electrified vehicles are giving owners fewer problems this year, which should help ease consumer concerns about reliability.”
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