I was hoping that quality would finally become one of the priorities. It looks like there is no hope for that happening anymore?
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I second engineering problems. Corrosion is a huge problem with F150's. Exhaust manifolds last about 3 years in Michigan, frames about 8 years.
Lot's of rushed engineering.
Late changes often result in tightening tolerances to make sensitive, cheap designs work. Suppliers gripe but changes are made.
Bad systems engineering. Simple service like changing a water pump requires more than 12 hours labor.
Engineering leadership is really sensitive and a bit hurt. They call folks outside of engineering d-mb and blame cost constraints for weak designs
The issue with quality is the lack of oversight over suppliers. They sell so called their amazing design to Ford but if something happens to that part, they blame Ford
@1jij
So PD can design a bad part, Purchasing can choose a bad supplier, then Mfg engs should be responsible for fixing it later?
While also being responsible for all their own stuff, eg, tools & facilities in the plant, the assembly process, ongoing hourly labor optimization (ie, annual plant task), capacity changes (because Marketing under or over stated volumes)?
Quality for products already launched is not a Product Development issues. Most Warranty issues are related to Tier 1 suppliers not following their Dynamic Control Plan or Tier 1 supplier not monitoring their Tier 2's to follow DCP or Tier 3's not monitoring their Tier 4's to follow DCP and so on.
Form Vehicle Stand point Q issues are related to the very same VO Plants not following their DCP or a-s'y processes or Q checks
The Whole Quality Division is a JOKE, they are just clerks monitoring delivery of paperwork w/o having the brains to identify issues with that documentation
Also, STA div has been decimated today is just a ghost of what it used to be. They are also clerks checking that suppliers deliver APQP paperwork that has nothing to do with quality after the part is launched.
STA used to be pit bulls checking suppliers doing their job and following DCP
Ford HR model states that there is 7% headcount reduction every year after a product has been launched there is no headcount for On going Product Development (OPD)
However quality issues with models already in the field several years are solved by PD engineers since VO and Transmission Plants are clueless in how to troubleshoot Supplier Quality Issues since they do not have a clue in how the parts they assemble are design / made
headcount for OPD can be reduced to a minimum w/o any Q impact if VO and Transmission Plants had better prepared Engineers with Design expertise, so they can troubleshoot Supplier Q issues w/o assistance / leadership from PD.
Also all Quality Div can be dismantled w/o affecting Q, those paper pushers could be better used at VO / Transmission Plants doing real Engineering Q Troubleshooting
Unfortunately, no Chief Engineer or Director have what it takes to push back in headcount reduction since all of them just want to please their superiors at the expense of quality issues in their divisions.
Responsibility for any recall is solely on the laps of all those in the Quality Div since they do not know how to revise in depth a DFMEA or DV Plan. All of Q ENgineers are useless
The same goes for VO / Transmission plants their MBB or STA are a JOKE, big fat Chihuahuas that only bark and do nothing productive. Just asking empty questions because they are just makers not PD thinkers
Ford would be better off, buying Transmissions instead of making them
@OP. I do believe upper management is interested in quality, since they are noticing how much it affects the bottom line. Even JF has mentioned we should strive for better quality. However, and I truly believe this is what's actually happening, management have NO CLUE of how to achieve higher quality.
So we see Ford hiring some external clowns, sorry, managers, that probably are not even wanted in their previous companies, but bring the tales of BEVs, Customer Experience and quality. Again, these "talkers" don't have neither a clue of what to do, because they are NOT engineers.
Of course, there is a point where these "wishes" should become reality, but most of the people who could make it true were laid off, and the rest are holding their breath because they are next, so they give a fu-k about quality.
Quality has never been one of Ford’s priorities. Unless you spell quality “p-r-o-f-i-t”