J.D. Power’s 2022 Initial Quality Study (IQS) was just released, and it has presented some mixed results for The Blue Oval thus far. Both Ford and Lincoln owners experienced more problems overall compared to 2021, though both brands still ranked above the overall industry average. In terms of individual models, the Ford Bronco Sport ranked third in the small SUV segment, while the Lincoln Nautilus topped the mid-size premium SUV ranks, and the Ford Ranger beat out its competition to become the highest-ranked mid-size pickup. However, that trio of models wasn’t alone, as the Ford Super Duty also ranked as the second-best large heavy-duty pickup in terms of initial quality, too.
Along with the GMC Sierra HD, the Ford Super Duty finished as a runner-up to the Chevy Silverado HD in the large light-duty pickup segment, ranking as the only three such models to make the cut in J.D. Power’s latest IQS.
The 2022 U.S. Initial Quality Study is based on the responses of 84,165 purchasers and lessees of new 2022 model-year vehicles obtained via a 223-question survey covering nine categories – infotainment, features, controls and displays, exterior, driving assistance, interior, powertrain, seats, driving experience, and climate. The study was conducted from February through May of 2022.
Among the many findings of this year’s IQS, new vehicles continued to suffer from the most problems, while mass market models experienced fewer issues than those from luxury brands. Driver assist functions and infotainment systems continue to present more problems than most other features, while the owners of plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles experienced more issues than those that own ICE-powered models. Regardless, given the state of the current market, it seems as if things could have been much worse.
“Given the many challenges automakers and their dealers had to face in the past year, it’s somewhat surprising that initial quality didn’t fall even more dramatically,” said David Amodeo, director of global automotive at J.D. Power. “In general, initial quality has shown steady improvement throughout the history of this study, so the decline this year is disappointing – yet understandable. Automakers continue to launch vehicles that are more and more technologically complex in an era in which there have been many shortages of critical components to support them.”
Source: Ford Authority
