Ford Tops J.D. Power Initial Quality Study Among Mainstream Brands for First Time Since 2010
Ford ranked as the top mainstream brand in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study, its first first-place finish in 16 years.
- 1st (up from 15th in 2023)
- 41 fewer problems per 100 vehicles
- 7 out of 10
- 16
What Happened
Ford Motor Company achieved the top spot among mainstream brands in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), marking its best performance since 2010. The company climbed from 15th place in 2023 to 1st, surpassing traditional mass market leaders. Seven of Ford's ten tested models placed in the top three of their respective segments, the highest percentage of any automaker.
Ford ranked 15th among mainstream brands in IQS.
Ford created a unified industrial system merging Vehicle Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality teams under COO Kumar Galhotra.
Ford evolved the industrial system into the end-to-end Product Creation and Industrialization organization.
Ford ranked 1st among mainstream brands in IQS for the first time since 2010.
“This is a proud day for everyone at Ford, and the result of years of intensive work across our company. Many doubted that an American company with a huge American workforce could compete with the world’s best on quality, let alone reach the top. But we put our heads down and worked together every day to deliver for our customers. Today, Ford is not only the most American automaker but also the gol”
- Ford F-150, Mustang, and Super Duty ranked highest in their segments for the second consecutive year.
- Ford Escape, Explorer, Expedition, and Maverick ranked among the top three in their segments.
- Seven of Ford's ten models tested placed in the top three, the highest percentage of any automaker.
41 fewer problems per 100 vehiclesproblems per 100 vehicles
The largest improvement among mainstream brands.
Ford's quality gains were driven by structural changes including closer collaboration between engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing teams. The company replaced about two-thirds of senior leaders in its industrial system and hired roughly 300 veteran engineers to review designs early. In software, Ford stress-tests code through hundreds of thousands of automated scenarios to catch bugs before vehicles are built, and a 30% reduction in launch issues year-over-year was achieved through earlier supplier integration.
“Are we proud? You bet. Satisfied? Not even close. This is a milestone, not a finish line. We will celebrate this moment today, but tomorrow we are back at it: chasing perfection, driving continuous improvement and getting better every single day.”
Why this matters
The ranking signals a major quality turnaround for Ford, which climbed from 15th to 1st among mainstream brands in three years. For car buyers, it means Ford vehicles like the F-150, Mustang, and Super Duty are now among the most reliable in their segments. The improvement, driven by closer collaboration and software upgrades, shows how traditional automakers can compete with newer rivals on quality.
Terms in This Story
- J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS)
- An annual survey that measures problems experienced by new vehicle owners during the first 90 days of ownership, reported as problems per 100 vehicles (PP100).
- Mainstream brand
- A brand that targets the mass market, as opposed to luxury or premium brands.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.