Ford Should Give Back Its J.D Power Quality Award

Ford faces calls to return its J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study award for best mass-market brand, after scoring 152 on a scale measuring problems per 100 vehicles. The award is based on 10 quality yardsticks derived from the first 90 days of ownership for surveyed owners, while the average across all brands was 175. The criticism also points to Ford’s recall history, saying the company set a record last year with 152 recalls. The article adds that Ford’s pace this year includes a recall of 43,000 Mach-E electric vehicles and multiple gas-powered Mustangs totaling about 110,000 units, plus a separate recall of 741,000 SUVs and pickups reported recently. It also notes May sales fell 13.6% year over year to 190,828 and full-year sales declined 11.2% to 826,810.