Ford places great emphasis on the quality of its vehicles. An axiom that until a few years ago did not seem so established. A clear example is the Super Duty F-Series pickup, launched in its fifth generation in 2023. A model of enormous importance for the brand, but things did not go smoothly. Software problems and semiconductor shortages forced the company to park thousands of almost complete vehicles in depots across America. These had to undergo repairs before they could be delivered to dealerships.
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Ford changes mindset for quality
A way of working that did not convince Jim Farley at all, Ford’s CEO. He decided from that moment on to change course. The disastrous launch of the Super Duty was in fact what he himself called a catalyst for change for the company. So much so that, since the launch of the Super Duty F-Series on the market, two-thirds of Ford executives in the industrial, manufacturing, supply chain, and engineering sectors have been replaced. Specifically, those who had a “it’s fine as it is” mindset paid the price: all of them were fired, paving the way for a huge reorganization of hiring throughout the company.
New leaders, new methods
Subsequently, Ford recruited hundreds of new leaders and made changes to encourage better collaboration among its various divisions. In this regard, the CEO of the Blue Oval added that the change in corporate culture, from finger-pointing to problem-solving, has been transformative. Now, when an employee reports a problem, the American company immediately acts to solve it and identify the root cause.
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But the road is still long
“In the past, we would have launched the Super Duty, delivered it to dealerships, and then had to issue recalls – Farley’s statements to the Detroit Free Press reported by Carscoops – We didn’t want to pass any of the problems onto customers. It sounds simple, but it isn’t, because this meant having to slow down production. We had to delay the launch of new vehicles. And we had to bear the negative consequences for the company. It was very difficult”. Despite this turnaround, Ford is still leading the sector in number of recalls this year.
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