NEW YORK - Customer satisfaction and quality have improved in the three months since Ford Motor Co. announced its restructuring plan, the head of its North American operations said Wednesday.
However, Jim Padilla said the automaker must improve even further.
"Clearly we're not satisfied with where we are and part of our focus is fixing what we've got in terms of our launch process," Padilla said at a media event in connection with the New York International Auto Show.
The first results from internal studies has shown customer satisfaction is improving in terms of sales, service and quality, Padilla said.
"Our things gone wrong are down by a substantial amount, very encouraging," he said.
The launch of the 2003 Ford Expedition earlier this month has been closely watched in light of some troubled launches in the recent past, including those of the 2002 Explorer and the Escape.
Padilla said the initial production of the Expedition is limited to only about 14 an hour in an effort to catch mistakes before the assembly line cranks up to full speed of more than 40 an hour.
He said the number of "customer concerns" regarding the Explorer have declined by more than 24 percent.
Ford announced its restructuring plan on Jan. 11 it would eliminate 35,000 jobs, close five plants and drop four models.
Padilla said at least 300 engineers are "dedicated to smart cost control," looking for ways to trim the cost of producing vehicles in ways that are "invisible" to consumers.
He reiterated the company's plan to introduce 20 new products a year and said in 2004 and 2005 there would be a "dramatic ramp up" of product introductions.
Padilla also revealed two more commercials featuring chairman and CEO Bill Ford will hit the airwaves next Monday.
The commercials will deal with the heritage of the Mustang and motorsports.
Company research suggests Ford is an effective pitch man for the family business.
"They have exceeded our expectations and that's a very good thing," Padilla said.
Four commercials featuring Bill Ford have been airing since January. Ford speaks extemporaneously about the company's heritage, sport utility vehicles and his love of the outdoors.
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Saturday
July 5th, 2025
5:31AM
