Study Reveals Toyota and Ford Now Equal As Honda Leads Quality

In terms of initial vehicle quality, Ford Motor Co. is in a statistical dead-heat for second place with Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., according to a new study the Dearborn automaker plans to release today. Honda Motor Co. is the quality leader.

The report is based on an annual survey of 31,000 new vehicle owners that was conducted for Ford by the RDA Group, a market research firm based in Bloomfield Hills. The study evaluated 2007 model cars and trucks from all full-line manufacturers and asked drivers to list any problems they had encountered during their first 90 days of ownership.

The Detroit News reviewed the findings with sources familiar with the report. These sources said four Ford vehicles -- the Mercury Milan, Ford Shelby GT-500, Ford Expedition EL and Lincoln Navigator -- led their segments in initial quality.


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jon21 - 4/18/2007 1:25:37 PM

+1 Boost

According to ford own paid study.

Agent009 - 4/18/2007 1:37:38 PM

+8 Boost

Now convincing the public that this is true may be another thing!

courtstone - 4/19/2007 11:04:10 AM

+2 Boost

Thats true Agent...Its gonna take a lot more than an study for us to believe that Ford makes cars as good as the Japanese. Its the reputation of American companies that are destroying them.

LJ745 - 4/18/2007 2:08:25 PM

+3 Boost

Ford is doing a much better job when it comes to reliability these days. Toyota, on the other hand, is doing a much worse job. Honda has been number one for years. I wonder what all the Toyota/Lexus fans will use as the selling point for their cars when they no longer have the reliability advanatage? Go Ford, good to see an American company turning things around.

S4cabriofoxone - 4/18/2007 2:24:48 PM

+6 Boost

GO HONDA!!! They're so consistent, and yet stay away from the spotlight compared to Toyota. I love them for that. The fact that they boast world-class engineering doesn't hurt, either.

Agent63 - 4/18/2007 6:51:18 PM

+5 Boost

I agreed. Little attention is paid to Honda's engineering and now that Toyota/Lexus isn't the best they can't use it as a selling point. All that bragging and the image of being quality products but it's on the same level of a Ford, wow that looks good lol.

GO HONDA

aznstuart - 4/18/2007 9:54:42 PM

+1 Boost

yea HONDA!

Will_ - 4/18/2007 10:51:47 PM

+4 Boost

Toyota doesn't like the spotlight either, it's just always shined on them for their rapid growth.

courtstone - 4/19/2007 11:08:00 AM

0 Boost

I never understood the notion that a "lack of a flagship" can deter from the other lineup. Why would Honda need a larger car than the Accord? Acura on the other hand should improve upon the RL, but why should Honda build a larger vehicle? To compete with the ugly lame Avalon????? NO.

Agent63 - 4/20/2007 4:44:20 AM

0 Boost

As if the Yaris and the Echo was any better than a fit. Give me a break.

rocker - 4/18/2007 3:05:03 PM

-1 Boost

Did they poll Alan Mulally about his new Crown Vic?

izfuney - 4/18/2007 4:53:39 PM

+1 Boost

This does smack of a bit desperate gambit on the part of Ford. While GM is out of the hole, Ford is falling in deeper and deeper.

As for reliability stats, Honda/Toyota have always been on a dead heat till a bit recently (since Toyota put the afterburners on in their expansion program).
Honda has played safe and ridden on the coattails by not expanding any of their world wide platforms..

I think Toyota has the right stuff and i put long money on them .
As for Honda, while they have great engineers i really have no clue as to what their goal for the company is (i.e. Vision) as they make eco cars and now Jets

Agent63 - 4/18/2007 9:37:10 PM

+3 Boost

I've seen the Honda Jet. It's good quality and it sounds like how a jet should. Honda doesn't need to make crazy expensive cars to be a successful company. They make great eco cars but they do have Acura.

That's the brand I am confused about. It feels like they are trying to go up market but they don't want a V8. The RL should be revamped with an RWD option as well. The TL is my favorite Acura and it will stay that way unless something big happens with the RL or new larger sedans come out. From a marketing standpoint they need to get a move on things if they are wanting to keep pace with Infiniti and even Lexus.

It's good that Ford's quality levels are higher now. It can't possibly get any worse for them.

S4cabriofoxone - 4/18/2007 10:53:55 PM

0 Boost

They do. I find current Acura products so... BORING. Especially compared to their Honda counterparts, which is the opposite of how it should be. I don't know what it is about them, but Acuras give me a headache.

They need to add some jazz to their lineup. No, I don't mean a re-badged Honda Jazz, I mean better designers, new engines, better handling and more "WOW" factor. The RL makes the LS460 look like the most beautiful sedan on Earth. Although the LS ain't ugly, it's far from Quattrporte-levels of beauty. Acura should also be more aggressive with pricing. If they want to be more upmarket and seperate themselves from Honda, they would need higher prices and more features first. As if they aren't already packed with features! But still, they BORE me to death.

AudiLexus - 4/19/2007 12:12:12 AM

+3 Boost

Comparing the Acura RL to the Lexus LS, to the Maserati Quattroporte.


?

jt716 - 4/18/2007 9:04:16 PM

+1 Boost

Ford will survive i have a feeling they will

Agent63 - 4/18/2007 10:42:31 PM

+2 Boost

They are too big to die. They won't let Ford go under like that. That would not be fun anymore because GM will be the only domestic group to run the market. Chrysler doesn't count because they need a lot of work themselves. The Big III will stay intact but will they do well that is the question.

S4cabriofoxone - 4/18/2007 10:55:23 PM

0 Boost

Agent, you beat me to it. Duh, they'll survive, jt! It would be an incredible collapse if they went under... someone would buy them out at that point. It's just too big a name, with too many other companies and corporate ties uder its umbrella.

Alec - 4/19/2007 12:41:11 AM

0 Boost

Ford has its chances to survive, as long as they stop with flame shooting tailpipes or other bits to call on recalls. I see GM turning around.... a little. Taking Austrialian market cars and rebadging them, fine example was the GTO! or Holden/Vauxhall Monaro...
and the new G8... Holden VXR8 which is like a 4 door GTO.

Alec - 4/19/2007 12:32:06 AM

+2 Boost

"They do. I find current Acura products so... BORING. Especially compared to their Honda counterparts, which is the opposite of how it should be. I don't know what it is about them, but Acuras give me a headache."

Intrestingly S4, most of Acura's line up apart from the SUVs are Hondas. TSX is the Euro Accord, RSX is the Integra(im aware production has stopped), RL is the Legend, and the CSX (Canadian market only) is the original Japanese version of the Civic. I agree the RL isnt a looker nor does it really step up Acuras image, it could be just the company playing it safe. And asking to improve alot costs alot. Already the RL is a overpriced Honda, and the old NSX as well. Acura is the entry level luxury maker, rather than a expensive prestige experienced one.

Anthony - 4/19/2007 2:05:18 AM

+3 Boost

Even with the quality back on the way up, it will still take a long time for the public to think beyond the stigma of American cars having bad quality. They have been down the bad quality route for so long, it is easy to understand this.

Agent63 - 4/19/2007 8:18:14 AM

0 Boost

I agree, it will take some time to give people the idea of domestics being quality products. It has been rough times for domestics after the Euro's and Japanese came into the market. The market has been saturated with quality products from most major motor companies except for the domestics.

Time will tell.

WickedRabbit - 4/19/2007 3:15:57 AM

+3 Boost

Ford synonymous with quality? Hell hath freezed over.


.........oh wait i saw that the report is for cars only 90 days old and that it was paid for by Ford... nevermind

arcy - 4/19/2007 5:36:42 AM

+2 Boost

yehey to Honda... toyota had such a major recall and ford... well i would still go with toyota but honda will be on top of my list

no1listensanyway - 4/19/2007 10:07:32 PM

0 Boost

Ford will be fine, they are just going through some bad times. Every car manufacturer has good times as well as bad times. The problem is the talent that keeps these companies running are constantly moving to new manufacturer. The hard part for Ford is over, they got rid of Ford family influnece. Mullaly is the start of something new, its the first time where the Ford family influence was pushed aside. Im not worried about Ford, Im worried about Chrysler, now they are in trouble.

2JZSoarer - 4/20/2007 1:34:12 AM

+2 Boost

Honda is a much smaller company than Toyota,and Toyota's production is also much higher than Honda,give Toyota a break,the more cars produced the more of a chance to have some flaws,so maybe Honda isn't so special!!!

Agent63 - 4/20/2007 4:46:36 AM

0 Boost

No the more cars they produce the more they should stay on top of things to make sure their products are of high quality build WITHOUT flaws. Without that selling point why would someone go for a Toyota instead of a Honda especially when quality levels are higher? It just wouldn't make sense.

Well you're a Toyota Soarer fan so I don't blame you defending your beloved brand. Over here it was just rebadged by Lexus.

truckmen - 5/3/2007 2:11:09 PM

+1 Boost

I just bought a 2007 civic EX, and I love it! It is a little boring though but I bought it for good gas mielage, that is why I didn't but the more attractive SI.And for three months it better not fall apart! Ford quality still sucks (there trucks blowing flames out of the exhaust), the chev isn't much better! There trucks have an air bag problem! They deploy if you take there trucks off road or if you happen to drive over a curb they deploy! and then chevy will tell you it isn't there fault and that they have them deploy on the side of caution for our benifit? It costs around $5,000.ish. That is crap!