Ford's Lincoln Hammered In New Research

Cars and Drivers

Published: June 25, 2023 11:45 am

According to Ford management, there has been an ongoing quality issue with their vehicles, which has once again been highlighted in the recently published J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Initial Quality Study covering all major car brands. Ford’s luxury brand, Lincoln, received a placement near the bottom of the rankings.

The study quantifies the number of issues per 100 vehicles, with data collected from 93,380 individuals who purchased or leased new 2023 model-year vehicles. The survey comprises questions spanning nine distinct vehicle categories, namely: 1) infotainment, 2) features, controls, and displays, 3) exterior, 4) driving assistance, 5) interior, 6) powertrain, 7) seats, 8) driving experience, and 9) climate.

The average brand score in the study was 192. Lincoln’s score was 208. U.S. rival, GM’s Cadillac, had a strong score of 170. Among luxury car brands, Infiniti (212) and Audi ((221) also did poorly.

The brands with the best quality were Dodge (140) and RAM (141). They have the same parent–Stellantis N.V.

Lincoln faces a problem that plagues Ford in general. Several months ago, The Wall Street Journal published “At Ford, Quality Is Problem One.” Among the issues were recalls and their effect on warranties. “Mr. (Josh) Halliburton (director of quality) said he expects to see Ford’s warranty problems improve next year, but it may take two to three years to see the most impactful results.”

As Ford ventures into the EV market, its quality challenges pose a significant obstacle. The company is set to invest billions of dollars in this endeavor, putting it in direct competition with Tesla and nearly every other major manufacturer worldwide.

Lincoln sales are down this year, off by 10.8% to 32,130. If it were not for strong sales of its flagship Navigator–up 69% to 7,184–the problem would be much deeper.

Lincoln’s final problem is that it is up against luxury brands led by Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus that sell many more vehicles by far. (Here are 20 cars that have been completely redesigned for 2023.)

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