Ford has revealed that some of its UAW plant workers are the reason the company has seen improved quality ratings. Last summer, Ford asked 100 of its best hourly UAW workers to help its engineers, designers and suppliers plan the company’s next-generation large SUVs. The workers reported to Ford’s Virtual Build Center in Dearborn for stretches between four months to a full year. Ford used the UAW workers to to identify potential manufacturing glitches and bottlenecks before they happened.
The results are visible today in Ford’s improved quality ratings and lower warranty repair costs. The Lincoln Navigator placed second among all large premium multi-activity vehicles–trailing only another Ford product, the Lincoln Mark LT–in the latest J.D. Power and Associates initial quality survey. According to the Detroit Free Press, in internal surveys, the extra-long Navigator L posted a 91% quality satisfaction score, the highest among all Ford models.
In one problem area of the large SUVs, coolant leaks, Ford was able to cut warranty claims by 70%. The reduction in claims is due to a UAW worker-suggested machine that exerts pressure through the coolant system during assembly and helps spot leaks.
Compared to the same period last year, Ford’s warranty claims were down $700 million during the first half of 2007.
