Ford brand at par with Toyota in quality rankings

An independent research firm conducting studies on customer satisfaction with Ford brands has ranked the American automaker on par with Toyota for the first time in 28 years.

The Global Quality Research System (GQRS) measuring customer satisfaction with Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles, has placed Ford ahead of Honda, and put it in a statistical tie with Toyota for initial quality.

Additionally, according to J D Power and Associates, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands improved in the 2009 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (Apeal) Study.

The study showed the Ford brand improving by 17 points and moving up six rank positions among nameplates from last year. The Lincoln brand improved by 18 points rising two spots in from a year ago. Mercury improved by eight points.

"Ford's quality rankings continue to climb consistently year after year and we intend to keep the momentum going to become the best in the industry," said Bennie Fowler, Group Vice-President, Global Quality. "To do so, we're raising the stakes and redefining what it means to deliver a quality product by exceeding consumers' expectations with features they would expect to find only in high-priced luxury lines."

"We couldn't be more excited about this news – these great product achievements form the foundation of our efforts to create highly satisfied customers across the region," said Waldo Galan, Managing Director at Ford Middle East. "We look forward to creating more opportunities for Middle East consumers to experience these improvements firsthand, via the latest additions to our products."

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