Five Things Ford Got Right In 2024: Opinion

Following years of struggles with production, the supply chain, and the pandemic, the automotive industry looked poised to bounce right back this year, but instead, has faced even more problems through the course of 2024. From slowing EV demand to looming regulations and macroeconomic pressures, automakers are altering plans, partnering up, shifting investments, and changing strategies to compensate. This includes Ford, of course, which made some moves over the past year that clearly help its mission – but also, a few that seem like less than ideal decisions in hindsight. Here are the five things we think Ford got right in 2024, and the five things that it also got wrong.

Things Ford Got Right In 2024 – Improving Quality

Initial quality has been a thorn in Ford’s side for some time now, leading to the automaker issuing more recalls than its peers over the past couple of years. However, with CEO Jim Farley focusing on that particular area, there are clear signs that quality has improved over the course of 2024. In fact, the automaker ranked above the mass market segment average in J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), while the Ford Super Duty and Ford Explorer both ranked second in their respective segments. Additionally, pre-delivery quality checks prevented a dozen recalls from being issued for the refreshed 2024 Ford F-150, too.

Smart Refreshes and Redesigns

At the same time, The Blue Oval rolled out a host of refreshed and redesigned products over the course of 2024, too – all of which aim to keep the lineup fresh amid heavy competition. That list includes the redesigned 2025 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, the refreshed 2025 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, the refreshed 2024 Ford Puma, the refreshed 2025 Ford Bronco Sport, and the refreshed 2025 Ford Maverick.

Introducing the new Lobo Sub-Brand

The 2025 Ford Maverick lineup marked the launch of the new Lobo sub-brand in Ford’s U.S. lineup, though that name has been used as an F-150 alternative nameplate in Mexico – standing for “wolf” – for some time. The Maverick Lobo, however, is solely focused on road performance and sporty style, with unique bodywork, a lower ride height, 19-inch black wheels, and some unique mechanicals.

Low-Cost EV Platform

Back in February, Ford CEO Jim Farley revealed that the automaker has a secret skunkworks team that’s been developing a low-cost EV platform for the past couple of years, which is designed to underpin a variety of future models – starting with a mid-size pickup. With BYD quickly gaining market share across the globe largely thanks to its cheap EVs, such a pivot was clearly needed to help The Blue Oval stay competitive in that space. In the meantime, Ford will pivot to hybrids in a big way, adding that type of powertrain option to its entire Blue lineup by 2030.

Ford Super Duty Production at Oakville

Following the end of Edge production at the Oakville Assembly plant in Canada earlier this year, Ford was slated to build a pair of all-electric crossovers at the facility following a retooling. However, with EV demand waning, the automaker pivoted and will now expand Super Duty production to that plant starting in 2026 – making three locations where the popular pickup will be built in total. This move makes a ton of sense given how profitable and popular the Super Duty remains, as it will help Ford better meet strong demand for that model.

Things Ford Got Wrong in 2024 – European Woes

Ford has struggled mightily in Europe this past year, and though it isn’t alone in that regard, the automaker is making some big changes to right that proverbial ship. Along with cutting 4,000 positions across that region, Ford is also scaling back production of the Explorer and Capri EV models amid weak demand for both – as well as its passenger vehicle lineup, in general. To compensate, The Blue Oval plans to focus on its successful and profitable Ford Pro business in Europe instead.

Lack of Direction For Lincoln

Lincoln has lagged behind its luxurious rivals for some time now in terms of sales, and the brand ditched plans to launch a bevy of new EV models this past year as well – a move that seemingly leaves it without a clear path for the future. However, there is at least one bright spot in the Lincoln lineup – the redesigned Nautilus, which has thus far proven to be a hit both in the salesroom and with critics.

Delayed and Canceled Projects Show a Lack of Solid Planning

Ford has delayed or canceled its fair share of projects over the past year, which is not exactly a glowing sign for its planning skills. These moves include the aforementioned scrapping of Lincoln’s EV ambitions, canceling two three-row EV crossovers, and shifting its Oakville plans, along with delaying or canceling a low-cost EV crossover, and delaying the next-generation F-150 EV. However, on the flip side, pretty much all of these moves were made amid waning demand for all-electric vehicles, prompting Ford to take action.

Continued Quality Woes, In Spite of Improvements

Though Ford has made inroads in terms of improving quality, there are still lingering headaches to deal with. Ford CEO Jim Farley recently noted that the automaker’s excessive warranty costs stem largely from SYNC issues, and even though many of them date back to the 2021 model year, they’re still impacting the bottom line. On top of that, Ford will replace Jim Baumbick – the company’s current head of quality – with an as-of-now-unnamed individual in early 2025 as a result of these lingering quality woes.

Controversial 2025 Maverick Front End

Though the 2025 Ford Maverick introduces a number of improvements and new features to the popular compact pickup, one thing that people seem to be in agreement over is the fact that the revised front end is, well, a bit unsightly. Ford Authority conducted a pair of polls asking our readers what they think about the new style, and 74 percent admit they like the look of the outgoing model more, while 70 percent prefer the pre-refresh pickup’s looks in general.