Ford, Lincoln Rank Up in J.D. Power 2020 Vehicle Dependability Study
Photo: Ford Motor Company
For the second year in a row, Ford and Lincoln have both climbed the rankings in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study. Ford jumped five spots to grab No. 5 in non-premium brand standings while Lincoln leaped three spots to No. 4 among premium brands, signaling the continued improvement in product quality for both brands. Two of Ford’s heaviest hitters, the F-150 and Mustang, also ranked atop their respective segments.
Across the board, Ford cites its SYNC infotainment system as a big part of its year-on-year improvement. J.D. Power noted that Audio/Communication/Entertainment/Navigation saw the most improvements of any category from 2019, and Ford has made continual improvements to SYNC up to and including the all-new SYNC 4 system that will debut this year on the Mustang Mach-E.
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“For us, high quality means more than a great experience in the first few months of ownership; it includes a great experience throughout a customer’s ownership journey, and these results affirm our commitment to building high-quality vehicles,” said Linda Cash, Ford vice president of Quality and New Model Launch Program. “This commitment now includes continuous improvements, like over-the-air-updates via Wi-Fi, which keep SYNC 3 systems fresh.”
The J.D. Power VDS ranks vehicles and brands based on the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles, or PP100, over the first three years of new-vehicle ownership. The vehicles themselves are also ranked by segment, with this year’s vehicles coming from the 2017 model year.
In the J.D. Power 2020 Vehicle Dependability Study, both Lincoln and Ford finished in the top 10 among all brands. Lincoln sits in seventh place with a score of 119 PP100 while Ford sits in 10th with a score of 126 PP100. Both were well below the industry average of 134 problems per 100 vehicles.
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.