The Quality Question
Ford is known for leading an unwanted list of recalls in the U.S. In the Blue Oval’s defense, the record-setting number of recalls reflects a more proactive approach to identifying quality issues for Ford owners, including hiring more technical specialists to help carry out that work. Unfortunately, it has also hurt the brand’s reputation.
Whether that strategy is reasonable, or whether it simply points to deeper quality issues, is up for interpretation. But if we’re talking numbers, Ford is showing signs of improvement after ranking as the top mass-market brand in the 2026 J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study. For context, the study tracks owner-reported problems within the first 90 days of ownership.
Despite that win, Ford CEO Jim Farley is still not satisfied.
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Hungry For More
Speaking with CNBC, Farley said he was proud of the achievement, but made it clear there is still work to do. “I’m very proud that an American car company can beat the world in initial quality, but obviously none of us are satisfied,” he said. “We have so much left to do to be the No. 1 quality brand in all attributes.”
Because of its proactive recall strategy, Ford set an infamous record in 2025 with 153 recalls covering nearly 13 million vehicles. The bright side is that the company reduced warranty and material costs by $1.5 billion that year, a major improvement from the $4.8 billion it spent in 2023.
Perhaps the catch here is that not everyone will notice Ford’s recent J.D. Power win, while many will continue to hear about the brand’s countless recalls, especially the millions of owners asked to bring their vehicles to dealerships each year. The best-case scenario now is for the automaker to significantly reduce its recall count, which could eventually help rebuild trust in its quality.
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The Tally So Far
This year, however, Ford has already issued 53 recalls, well ahead of the next closest automakers. Stellantis and General Motors have 19 each, followed by Hyundai and Toyota with 15 each, Volkswagen with 10, and Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Honda with nine each.
Some of Ford’s latest safety campaigns include more than 66,000 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Nautilus vehicles over a faulty pedestrian alert system, about 36,000 Bronco Raptors over loose fender flares, and more than 740,000 vehicles over a transmission issue that could increase rollaway risk.
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