Ford Motor Company says its ongoing efforts to improve vehicle quality are beginning to show measurable results, even as the automaker continues to grapple with a high number of recalls.
According to reporting by Car Dealership Guy, Ford executives recently outlined a companywide strategy focused on improving product quality, reducing warranty costs, speeding up recall repairs, and preventing problems before vehicles ever reach customers. The initiative comes as Ford works to overcome years of quality-related criticism and reassure customers and dealers that meaningful progress is being made.
Speaking about the company's approach, Ford Vice President of Quality Mike Levine told CDG that the automaker has shifted from a traditional "find and fix" mindset to a broader prevention strategy that touches engineering, manufacturing, supplier management, and vehicle testing. The goal is to identify potential issues earlier in the development process and prevent them from reaching production vehicles.
Ford says its testing procedures now push critical vehicle systems, including powertrains, steering systems, and braking components, to failure points under extreme conditions designed to simulate the toughest customer use cases. The company believes those efforts are helping identify weaknesses before vehicles are sold.
One area where Ford says it is seeing improvement is warranty expense. According to Levine, warranty costs declined by approximately $500 million in 2025 compared with 2024, a sign that newer vehicles are experiencing fewer early-life quality issues. He also told CDG that recall activity affecting Ford's newest vehicle launches is significantly lower than previous generations, although the company did not provide specific figures.
Ford is also emphasizing the distinction between recall volume and vehicle quality. While recalls often generate headlines, company officials argue that many recent recalls reflect a more aggressive effort to identify and correct problems rather than evidence of declining vehicle quality.
In fact, approximately 80% of Ford's recalls in 2026 have involved software-related issues that can often be corrected without replacing physical parts. According to the company, many of those repairs can be completed faster and with less inconvenience to owners than traditional recalls requiring mechanical repairs.
That distinction is important because Ford has faced intense scrutiny over recalls in recent years. The company issued a record number of recalls during 2025, leading some industry observers to question whether quality initiatives were having the desired effect. Ford executives have repeatedly stated that recall totals may remain elevated in the short term as the company aggressively searches for and addresses potential defects.
At the same time, Ford points to several independent indicators suggesting improvement. Levine cited favorable results in recent Consumer Reports reliability rankings and the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, where Ford achieved its strongest performance in roughly 15 years. Ford executives have also stated that the company's initial quality levels — a measurement of problems experienced during the first 90 days of ownership — are at their highest level in a decade. Reuters reported earlier this year that Ford CEO Jim Farley highlighted those gains when discussing employee bonus payouts tied in part to quality improvements.
Ford says it's also trying to make recall repairs less disruptive for customers. The company is expanding its Mobile Service program, increasing pickup-and-delivery options. Daniel Justo, Vice President, Ford Customer Service Division, recently shared that roughly one in seven Ford service visits now happens at the customer's home or office through Ford's mobile service fleet. Meanwhile, digital tools like the FordPass app help to streamline service scheduling and communication.
For dealers, the message is straightforward. Ford, which launched its The Real Parts. Real Pros. Real Easy. campaign earlier this month, wants customers to understand that today's recalls often involve vehicles designed years ago, while newer products are benefiting from improved engineering and manufacturing processes. Whether those improvements ultimately translate into fewer recalls over the next several years remains to be seen, but Ford says the early indicators are encouraging.
The company's long-term objective is ambitious: reduce warranty costs, improve customer satisfaction, strengthen reliability rankings, and ultimately prevent defects before they ever leave the factory. If Ford succeeds, it could help restore confidence among customers who have grown weary of seeing the Blue Oval dominate recall headlines.
