Survey: Ford tops Toyota's new car quality
July 21, 2009
DEARBORN, Mich., July 21 (UPI) -- Ford Motor Co.'s newest vehicles had fewer problems than any other U.S. or foreign manufacturer, a survey of initial quality says.
The survey, conducted for Ford by the market research firm RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., puts Ford automobiles ahead of those of Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp., a Ford quality group vice president said.
Volvo C30, Ford Focus fare well in insurance-group crash tests
July 21, 2009
Four two-door cars received the highest safety rating in frontal crashes and two received that rating for side collisions in recent testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The institute gave its "good" rating in side crashes to the Volvo C30 and two-door Ford Focus.
Those vehicles, along with the two-door Honda Civic and Chevrolet Cobalt, also received "good" ratings for frontal collisions, the non-profit group funded by auto insurers said. The C30 and two-door Ford Focus received "top safety pick 2009" designations from the Insurance Institute.
Baywatch lifeguards' Ford Escape Hybrids save 5,000 gallons of gas
June 4, 2009
Over the past few years, hybrids have not only proven popular with consumers, but with government fleets. Cities, counties and states were anxious to set an example for gas savings. President Obama just ordered a bunch of hybrids for the federal fleet. Now some of the results of those gas-saving efforts are trickling in.
Los Angeles County has 45 Ford Escape hybrid SUVs for its lifeguards -- you know, the ones of Baywatch fame. With a little help from some of the Escapes, they made 9,000 rescues over the past year. In the process, the hybrids cut the fleet’s fuel usage by 25%. That amounts to more than 5,000 gallons during the first six months of service, Ford says.
Study: Ford Surpasses Honda in Initial Quality
April 17, 2009
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F - News), continuing its rapid quality improvement, surpassed Honda in initial vehicle quality for the first time and reached new levels of customer satisfaction with vehicle quality, a new survey shows.
Ford is also statistically tied with Toyota at the top of the industry when it comes to initial vehicle quality, according to the 2009 U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS) survey conducted quarterly for Ford by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
JD Power 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study Results
March 19, 2009
Buick and Jaguar Tie to Rank Highest for Vehicle Dependability
Toyota Motor Corporation Captures Ten Segment Awards; Ford Motor Company Garners Four
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 19 March 2009 — Buick and Jaguar each rank highest in vehicle dependability in a tie, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS) released today. Buick improves from a sixth-place ranking in 2008, while Jaguar improves from 10th place. Following in the top five rankings this year are Lexus, Toyota and Mercury.
Consumer Reports makes its picks of most reliable used cars
February 26, 2009
Value-minded consumers know that buying a reliable used car is often the best choice, but that finding one takes research. To help simplify the process, Consumer Reports has identified the most and least reliable used cars for 10 years – from model years 1999 to 2008 – in the magazine’s 2009 Annual Auto Issue. Reliability data was compiled from the magazine’s Annual Auto Survey, which generated responses about more than 1.4 million new and used vehicles
Ford Leader in Technology Patents, Study Shows
February 5, 2009
Ford Motor Co. outperformed all other auto makers in the “quality and significance” of its technology patents, a recent study shows. The Patent Board, which analyzes worldwide patents, says in its “Top 10 Innovators in Automotive & Transportation Patent Scorecard” Ford ranks above all other car manufacturers in the “Research Intensity” and “Industry Impact” categories.
Ford Cuts Warranty Costs, Improves Quality Scores
February 4, 2009
In a bit of good news that can certainly boost brand perception, Ford announced it has significantly reduced warranty expenses, which go hand-in-hand with the automaker's spike in its quality rankings.
Ford has cut its warranty costs by $1.2 billion in the last two years, which officials attributed to four consecutive years of quality enhancements on Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.
Consumer Reports Ford Reliability Gains
October 23, 2008
Ford Motor Co.'s reliability increased this year and is now close to Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., according to a survey by Consumer Reports.
The Yonkers, New York-based magazine disclosed the results today at an Automotive Press Association meeting in Detroit.
Most small cars aren't economical for crash repairs: Ford Focus performs the best
September 4, 2008
Low-speed collisions happen every day in commuter traffic and parking lots. These "fender benders" end up costing car owners a lot of money and aggravation because the bumpers on many cars aren't designed to handle what should be a no-damage event.
In a series of crash tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently assessed how well the bumpers of 20 small car models would protect the vehicles from damage in low-speed collisions. The worst performers are the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Prius, and Volkswagen Rabbit, each sustaining about $4,000 damage or more in a single test. The Ford Focus performed the best, with about one-third that amount of damage in its worst test.
JD Power - Vehicle Dependability Study - 3 Year Old Models
August 7, 2008
Deterioration in vehicle quality during the first three years of ownership—determined by comparing long-term dependability rates to initial quality problem rates—strongly affects overall customer satisfaction as well as customer willingness to recommend their vehicle model, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS) released today.
Certified Pre-Owned Gains Traction
2007
When Americans think of a used car, they usually think of a rolling heap of metal barely fit for the road. "Buyer beware" seems to be the name of the game. But the game is changing, and it's changing for the good. Certified pre-owned (CPO) or "certified used" vehicles are more popular than ever. Now, it's "buyer be aware."
CPO sales, including those by independent dealers, grew 132 percent between 2001 and 2006, according to AutoData. Although certified pre-owned vehicles sold by manufacturer-backed dealers are still a small segment of the total market — about 1.7 million — dealers and industry analysts believe that this portion will continue to increase as the market grows.
Consumer Reports Releases Annual Car Reliability Study
October, 16, 2007
After years of sterling reliability, Consumer Reports indicated Tuesday that Toyota is showing cracks in its armor.
The company said this after releasing its Consumer Reports' 2007 Annual Car Reliability Survey.
While the company found that Toyota slipped a bit, Ford, on the other hand, along with the other domestic brands, has made some considerable improvements, officials reported.
Ford SUV earns Top Safety Pick
June 25, 2007
The 2008 Ford Taurus X, a midsize SUV, meets the criteria to win the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award. Winners of this designation afford superior overall crash protection among the vehicles in their class. To qualify for Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in all three Institute tests — front, side, and rear — and be equipped with electronic stability control.
Ford Fusion has received the 2006 Total Quality Award from Strategic Vision!
June 19, 2006
New frontal crash test results: Ford's Freestyle SUV is a top performer
October 13, 2005
Ford's Freestyle, a midsize SUV introduced for the 2005 model year, earned the highest rating of good in a 40 mph frontal offset test recently conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Freestyle also earned the "best pick" designation for frontal crash test performance.
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