USAFord CEO Jim Farley says the company’s quality benchmark today is set outside the United States. In recent remarks, Farley named plants in Mexico and China as Ford’s standard for manufacturing quality, pointing to workers there following production processes more consistently and identifying and fixing problems directly on the line.
Hermosillo as the example
Farley pointed to Ford’s Hermosillo plant in Mexico, which builds the Maverick and Bronco Sport, as one example of the gap. He attributed the difference not just to equipment or technology but to workplace culture at plants in different countries.
US plants closing the gap
Farley also credited Ford’s American plants with real progress, singling out UAW-staffed facilities for improvement over the past four years. The results have started to show: Ford ranked first among mass-market brands in J.D. Power’s 2026 initial quality study, with the F-150, Mustang, and Super Duty each winning their segments.
The picture Farley describes is a company still leaning on its plants abroad as the internal standard, even as its US-built vehicles close the gap in independent quality rankings.
Ford's heavy-duty workhorse in its 2027 generation, now available with a Carhartt collaboration package. XLT Crew Cab base with dark grille, body-coloured bumpers, unique manhole-cover-inspired 20" wheels, and full Carhartt interior treatment. Orders open May 2026.
The seventh-generation Ford Mustang is a rear-drive coupe built at Flat Rock, Michigan, and the last American muscle car still sold with a naturally aspirated V8 and a manual gearbox. The range runs from a 315 hp 2.3-litre EcoBoost four to the 795 hp supercharged Dark Horse SC, which starts at $103,490 before destination and the gas-guzzler tax.
The Ford F-150 is the light-duty F-Series, the range that makes the nameplate America's best-selling vehicle. The 2026 line-up runs from a 325 hp 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6 at $40,085 to the 720 hp supercharged Raptor R at $113,725, with a 430 hp PowerBoost hybrid in between. Every price includes Ford's $2,795 destination charge.
