Dearborn, Michigan – Ford Motor Company’s domestic quality is now equal to the best in the industry for the 2008 model year, according to the latest U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study. The study is conducted for Ford by RDA Group of Michigan and solicits feedback on vehicle trouble and customer satisfaction from owners of all major makes and models after three months in service.

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury collectively reduced “things gone wrong” (TGW) by 7.7 per cent over 2007, and are now statistically equivalent to Honda, including Acura, and Toyota, including Lexus and Scion, atop the list of seven major automakers in the survey. From 2004 to 2008, the three Ford brands improved by 33 per cent as measured by a reduction in TGW.

“This is One Ford at its best,” said Bennie Fowler, Ford group vice president, Global Quality. “It’s taken thousands of people continuously working together with laser-like focus every day to boost vehicle quality for our customers to the top of the pack. But this is a never-ending journey. The goal now is to distance ourselves from our top competitors. We want to be the sole quality leader.”

The 2008 Ford F-Series Super Duty and Lincoln Mark LT ranked first in their respective segments in both TGW and customer satisfaction, while the Mustang GT 500 topped the sports car category in TGW. Overall, 18 of 24 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles recorded TGW improvements, including the Focus, which equals the Toyota Corolla in TGW and customer satisfaction, and the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, with better TGW and equal customer satisfaction to the Toyota Camry.