Archive for October, 2008

27
Oct
08

A Special Message from Bennie Fowler of Ford!

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Public Affairs, Quality and production line
Tags: , , , , ,

Today, Ford employees should take collective pride in the quality of the cars and trucks we build that resulted in the latest headlines on Consumer Reports Annual Car Reliability Survey.  Among those headlines: “Ford Reliability Gains on Honda, Toyota,” from Bloomberg News, and “Ford Builds Most Reliable American Cars,” from The Detroit News. 

The results from Consumer Reports further validate the quality story we at Ford have been telling for some time.  Our efforts to design, build and launch with quality are paying off. As  David Champion, director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, noted, “This has been a systematic, structural change within Ford.” 

That structural change shows in the dedicated work by teams in manufacturing, product development, purchasing, marketing, sales and quality using disciplined, standardized processes to deliver significant quality gains. Despite the challenges of the current automotive climate, our Ford and UAW teams have remained focused on the goal, to become the highest quality automotive manufacturer.  We are well on our way to achieving that goal.

A total of 44 FLM vehicles / configurations earned average or better reliability ratings compared to 41 FLM vehicles / configurations in last year’s survey.

Some highlights from the Consumer Reports auto issue, which features the Ford Fusion on the cover with the caption, “Ford Fusion, top rating in Reliability.” 

 ·         Ford was singled out as on par with the Japanese automakers and the best of the domestics.  The magazine writes: “Ford’s three nameplates – Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury – lead the domestic automakers and continue to pull away from the rest of Detroit.”   

·         Almost all Ford products now carry average or better than average reliability ratings.   The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan continue to rank among the most reliable family cars.  The freshened Ford Focus sedan rated above average, with the magazine citing a vast improvement. The Ford F-150 2WD versions with V6 and V8 are rated better than average.  The 2009 model has not yet been tested.

·         Volvo, which also is utilizing our disciplined quality processes, continued to make progress as well, with almost all of its vehicles now ranking average or above. 

We are genuinely pleased with the survey results, but not surprised.  We have set a high standard for ourselves and our customers and we are making progress every day to deliver on that standard. 

Thank you for all of your continued dedication to our quality efforts.

Bennie Fowler

Group Vice President, Quality

21
Oct
08

F-150 NAMED ONE AND ONLY TRUCK OF TEXAS; NEW TRUCK OFFERS BEST CAPABILITY, UNSURPASSED FUEL ECONOMY

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Quality, fuel efficiency and production line
Tags: , , ,

DALLAS, Oct. 19, 2008 – The new 2009 F-150 has been recognized as the one and only “Truck of Texas” by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) – the sixth consecutive year a Ford truck has won top honors.

Ford’s lineup of trucks also was named Truck Line of Texas, while the Ford Flex and Expedition King Ranch received top honors as CUV and SUV of Texas, respectively. Sweeping all four vehicle-centered top honors, Ford emerged the clear winner at this year’s TAWA Texas Truck Rodeo.

“This is high praise, especially the coveted ‘Truck of Texas’ top prize,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the Americas. “Texas Auto Writers are the toughest truck critics because they know firsthand and truly appreciate how core truck customers really use their pickups.

“We’re honored that TAWA recognizes that the new F-150 offers consumers class-leading capability, unsurpassed fuel economy and durability that shows how closely we’ve been listening to our customers for the 31 years Ford trucks have been America’s favorite,” he added.

According to Harold Gunn, President of TAWA, this year’s competition was tighter than ever because all of the manufacturers are delivering outstanding trucks.

“‘Truck of Texas’ is really the most important award of its type in the industry,” said Gunn. “We love trucks down here, and we really use these vehicles everyday. And since we spend so much time in our vehicles, for us it’s not just about how the horse feels being towed, but how your butt feels sitting in the truck, too.”

On sale now, the new F-150 offers fuel economy that has improved an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup as a result of a wide-range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume three-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. At the same time, the new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds – a combination no other competitor can match.

“Earning the trust of so many truck customers during the past 31 years has taught us a lot about what they want and value from their F-150,” said Matt O’Leary, Ford F-150 chief engineer. “In the past, there was a tradeoff – more fuel economy meant less capability and vice versa. With the new F-150, we didn’t accept tradeoffs. We delivered capability and fuel economy, and that’s why the F-150 is the definitive full-size pickup on the market.”

Other Ford Motor Company vehicles winning top honors in their categories at the TAWA Rodeo include:

* Best Luxury Pickup: 2009 Ford F-150 King Ranch
* Best Full-Size CUV: 2009 Ford Flex
* Best Mid-Size CUV: 2009 Mazda CX9
* Best Luxury CUV: 2009 Lincoln MKX
* Best Mid-Size SUV: 2009 Ford Explorer
* Best Heavy Duty Pickup: 2009 Ford F-350 Super Duty Cabela’s Edition

13
Oct
08

FORD’S BRAND QUALITY IN STATISTICAL DEAD HEAT WITH TOYOTA, HONDA FOR 2008

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Quality, production line, safety and technology
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Ford,

 Lincoln and Mercury vehicles continue their impressive quality gains, collectively improving for the fourth straight year and moving into a virtual tie with Honda-Acura and Toyota-Lexus-Scion for the 2008 model year, according to the latest U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study.

* Ford F-Series Super Duty and Lincoln Mark LT rank atop their respective segments with fewest “things gone wrong” (TGW) and in customer satisfaction. Ford Mustang GT500 had the least number of TGW among sports cars.

* Overall, 18 of 24 Ford domestic brand vehicles posted TGW improvements, including the hot-selling Ford Focus, which matched the Toyota Corolla.

DEARBORN, Oct. 10, 2008 – Ford Motor Company’s surging domestic quality is now equal to the best in the industry for the 2008 model year, according to the latest U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study.

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles collectively reduced “things gone wrong” (TGW) by 7.7 percent compared to last year and are now statistically equivalent with Honda (including Acura) and Toyota (including Lexus and Scion) atop the list of seven major automakers in the survey.

From 2004 to 2008, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle quality, as measured by a reduction in TGW, has improved by 33 percent.

“This is One Ford at its best. It’s taken thousands of people continuously working together with laser-like focus every day to boost vehicle quality for our customers to the top of the pack,” said Bennie Fowler, Ford group vice president, Global Quality. “But this is a never-ending journey. The goal now is to distance ourselves from our top competitors. We want to be the sole quality leader.”

The 2008-launched Ford F-Series Super Duty and the Lincoln Mark LT ranked first in their respective segments in both TGW and customer satisfaction. Ford Mustang GT 500 topped the sports car category in TGW.

Overall, 18 of 24 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles recorded TGW improvements. Ford’s newly launched Focus improved significantly in TGW and customer satisfaction, now equaling the Toyota Corolla in both categories. The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan are significantly better in TGW than the Toyota Camry, which they tied in customer satisfaction.

“We are consistently delivering improved quality by following standardized, disciplined processes throughout Ford,” said Fowler. “This is particularly impressive considering the difficult challenges we’ve had to overcome.”

Ford also ranked best in class for TGW performance in the functional areas of Vehicle Engineering and Electrical among major manufacturers. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles averaged 1,287 TGW per 1,000 vehicles, a reduction of 108 versus a year ago. Customer satisfaction with the company’s vehicles reached its highest level ever, improving one point to 77 percent.  

The 2008 model-year GQRS survey, conducted for Ford by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., solicits feedback on vehicle trouble and customer satisfaction from owners of all major makes and models after three months in service.

08
Oct
08

NEW 2009 F-150

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Quality, fuel efficiency and production line
Tags: , , ,

Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant employees celebrate the production of the new Ford F-150.

The new 2009 Ford F-150 delivers the most capability in the full-size pickup market with unsurpassed fuel economy. On sale later this month, the new F-150 is also the best value with a starting price of $21,320 for Ford’s workhorse, the XL Regular Cab.

Ford invested $110 million in Kansas City Assembly Plant for new tooling and equipment to build the 2009 F-150, which offers consumers the most cab styles, box options and trim levels. The Kansas City Assembly Plant upgrades include 24 new clearcoat robots for flexible automation as well as 65 new error-proofing devices to ensure quality is built into every new F-150.

Numerous engineering innovations have enabled the 2009 F-150 to offer fuel economy that has improved an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume 3-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. With a class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds, the Ford F-150 delivers a combination no other competitor can match.

“F-150 has a lot of competitors, but no competition. Ford is the truck leader and core F-150 truck buyers expect and demand the best truck on the market. Ford’s quality is on par with the best in the industry and the team at Kansas City Assembly Plant is delivering a truck that is ‘Built Ford Tough’ with an unrelenting focus on quality and craftsmanship.”
- Joe Hinrichs, Ford Motor Company Group Vice President of Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs

07
Oct
08

Ford to Offer System that Limits Teenage Driving

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: general
Tags: , , ,

Ford Motor Company will have a feature on many of its 2010 models that’s sure to cause grumbling among many teenagers.

It will let parents program the teenager’s car key so they can drive no faster than 80 miles per hour. And the system can be made to chime if the teenager exceeds 45, 55, or 65 miles per hour.

Ford says the feature, called “MyKey,” can also limit the volume of the audio system, and sound a six-second chime every minute if seat belts aren’t fastened.

“MyKey” will be standard on an unspecified number of 2010 Ford models, spreading to the entire lineup as models are updated.

Ford says its market research shows 75 percent of parents like the speed and audio limits, and 67 percent of teens don’t.

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