Ford wants to clean up its F-150 lineup

Last December, Ford CEO Jim Farley reiterated that correcting quality is his number one priority, while warning that the situation will not improve overnight.

Various design and operating faults have become apparent since the launch of new flagship models, such as the Mustang Mach-E, the Bronco and the new-generation F-150. In the case of the latter, the list of recalls continues to grow.

This week, Kumar Galothra, President of Ford Blue's combustion vehicle division, announced that the company wants to improve quality by reducing production costs.

In an interview with Automotive News, he explained that Ford intends to significantly limit the number of configurations and combinations possible with the F-150. The work "of unprecedented magnitude" will be carried out over the coming months, with results appearing as early as the 2024 model year.

Among other things, future trucks will use around 2,400 fewer parts and components. According to Galothra, that's a lot less to develop and test, not to mention validate for quality. Others will be slightly modified to reduce construction complexity.

He hinted that the Explorer mid-size SUV will also undergo significant rationalization. As for production costs, which he deems "uncompetitive", Ford is currently studying the best practices of some of its rivals and working with its suppliers to reduce them.

Expect, for example, longer-lasting platforms, and therefore longer product cycles. And why? Because consumers are increasingly interested in the technological aspect, and it's easy to make changes via software updates over the years.