After Cutting 7,000 Jobs, Ford Is Now Paying For Experienced Hands

Ford has surged to the top of the 2026 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, rising from 23rd in 2023 by reinstating technical specialists to resolve manufacturing and quality issues.

The J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS) assesses early-stage vehicle reliability by analyzing owner-reported concerns and dealership repair data within the first 90 days of ownership. These results are compiled into a “Problems Per 100 Vehicles” (PP100) score, where lower figures reflect fewer defects or design flaws, thereby corresponding to a superior ranking.

Ford credits these gains to 350 “Grey Beard” technical experts, recruited from top talent and internal ranks to preemptively identify and resolve manufacturing defects.

In a candid discussion with Automotive News, Ford representatives acknowledged the company’s past shortcomings regarding vehicle quality. Charles Poon, Ford’s Vice President of Vehicle Hardware Engineering, stated, “There was a recognition as we were struggling through our quality performance several years ago that something needed to change. We were not effectively solving problems, and we were not effectively preventing problems.”

A Legacy From Layoffs

Ford’s recent quality gains follow a 2019 restructuring under Jim Hackett that cut 7,000 jobs, inadvertently fueling operational issues. Despite improved J.D. Power rankings, Ford still leads in recalls, highlighted by a 2023 Super Duty launch that cost $1 billion due to production delays and manual inspections.

While Ford leverages AI to analyze data, the company relies on human experts for critical quality assurance. By shifting from a reactive “find and fix” approach to proactive problem-solving—exemplified by teams catching defects like tailgate malfunctions before production—and implementing rigorous testing that simulates 225,000 miles of use, Ford is successfully reducing manufacturing issues.

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