Ford's MyFord Touch interface. Image: Ford Motor Company
Last year it was Toyota’s turn to get a beat-down in J.D. Power’s annual study of initial quality, thanks to ever-present headlines about unintended acceleration and a string of product recalls. This year it’s Ford’s turn, but their disappointing showing has little to do with product quality; instead, it’s more about Ford taking the lead in vehicle infotainment systems.
In 2010, Ford ranked fifth for initial quality. In 2011, the complexity of their MyFord Touch and SYNC systems saw the automaker plunge to 23rd position in the initial quality report. Despite a few well-documented problems with MyFord Touch (such as the occasional screen freeze), much of their fall stems from the fact that consumers simply can’t grasp the operation of MyFord Touch systems, and the specific sequence of voice commands required by SYNC isn’t always intuitive. To remedy this, Ford is borrowing a page from Apple’s playbook and launching a Genius-Bar-like service at Ford dealers, where product experts will (patiently) guide customers through the operation of MyFord Touch and SYNC.
As for actual product manufacturing defects, Ford fared well and earned two quality awards for their Taurus sedan and their F-150 pickup. Toyota, who had fallen to 21st overall in last year’s study, climbed back to seventh position, with above-average quality (fewer defects) on their vehicles.
Source: J.D. Power & Associates
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
