Ford Motor Company ranked as the top mainstream brand in the 2026 J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study. This milestone marks the first time the automaker has led the category since 2010. The company rose from 15th place in 2023 to the top spot among mass-market brands.
The study measures problems experienced by new vehicle owners during the first 90 days of ownership. Quality scores improved across the entire automotive industry.
The ranking follows years of Ford struggling as the most-recalled automaker in the U.S. CEO Jim Farley described the result as the culmination of years of intensive work.
Ford attributed the improvement to a multi-year effort to break down internal silos. The company combined engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing teams to address the root causes of quality issues.