Ford Tops JD Power Quality Rankings for First Time in 16 Years

Ford has been named the top mainstream automotive brand in JD Power's 2026 US Initial Quality Study, the industry's benchmark for measuring new-vehicle quality, marking the company's first No. 1 ranking in 16 years, Pras Subramanian reported for Yahoo Finance.

Ford ranked 15th among mainstream brands as recently as 2023. (Photo: Ford Canada)

The results, released Thursday, placed Ford ahead of longtime quality leaders Toyota and Honda.

Among mass-market brands, JD Power said Ford recorded the fewest problems during the first 90 days of vehicle ownership, outperforming Nissan and General Motors' Buick.

Only premium brands Porsche and Hyundai's Genesis ranked higher across the entire industry, leaving Ford third overall.

"Oh boy, this is a big day for Ford," CEO Jim Farley said in an interview with Yahoo Finance.

"We've worked really hard for four years to become an overnight success story. It's been an incredible journey over the last several years. We have completely transformed all of our plants and our quality operating system."

The improvement represents a dramatic turnaround for the automaker. Ford ranked 15th among mainstream brands as recently as 2023.