Ford's quality culture more consistent outside U.S., Farley says

Ford’s quality culture is becoming a focal point beyond the United States, CEO Jim Farley said, pointing to manufacturing sites in China and Mexico as leaders in consistent vehicle-quality practices. Farley told The Detroit News that union-represented U.S. plants are “the fastest to catch up,” while the foreign plants, often without independent labor unions, post some of the highest results in key metrics. The company is also evaluating artificial intelligence use, according to executives, as part of assessing whether a long-term, sustainable culture can prioritize quality. The report ties the strategy to Ford’s history of high repair costs, record annual recalls, and reputation damage. In the prior two weeks, Ford recalled close to 1 million vehicles, mostly SUVs and pickups from model years 2018 to 2021, though three of five recalls included 2026 and 2027 models. Farley and COO Kumar Galhotra cited improving initial quality from internal and third-party metrics.