Ford Motor Company vehicle quality soars in 2007 J.D Power & Associates customer survey

In the research firm's 2007 Initial Quality Study (IQS), Ford Mustang, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ, and Lincoln Mark LT are among the products that swept their vehicle segments for top honors.

Hussein Murad, Sales & Marketing director of Ford Middle East said: "The honours brought on by 14 of our nameplates stand testament to Ford Motor Company's unwavering commitment to satisfy customer's needs. What is more exciting is that some of the vehicles that drove away with the recognitions have just been introduced in the Middle East. These recognitions validate the heavy investments Ford has made in ensuring product quality."

The J.D. Power & Associates 2007 IQS report measures problems per 100 vehicles as reported by customers after having driven their new vehicles for three months. The report is the most recent third party to validate Ford's significant quality improvements.

"We are designing and building world-class vehicles, and it's great to have this affirmation from the customers who drive our cars and trucks every day," said Mark Fields, president of the Americas, Ford Motor Company. "While we're pleased that our internal focus on quality is receiving this kind of recognition from J.D. Power and Associates, we will not let up. We will continue to deliver even more high-quality products that customers want."

Overall, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury nameplates placed among the top 10. Ford Motor Company received 14 total vehicle honors, more than any other automaker. The company's overall ranking in the survey climbed to 4th place from last year's 7th, helped in part by the performance of Ford's recently launched vehicles.

Crossovers Lincoln MKX and Ford Edge received high marks, as did the new Lincoln Navigator. Fusion, Milan and MKZ continue building quality momentum. Edge ranked 4th in its segment, just behind Mountaineer.

Ford's Wixom Assembly Plant received a Platinum Award, recognizing it as the industry's best-quality performing plant worldwide. This marks the first time since 1999 that a North American assembly plant has received J.D. Power's top award for producing vehicles yielding the fewest defects.

In April 2006, RDA Group of Bloomfield, Mich., released the Global Quality Research System report (GQRS) showing Ford in a statistical dead heat with Toyota and just behind Honda.