Ford Motor Company has secured the No. 1 spot among mainstream automakers in J.D. Power’s latest U.S. Initial Quality Study for the first time in 16 years. The achievement highlights improved early ownership experiences across key models. Yet behind the headline lies a revealing internal story: Ford had to bring back veteran engineers to correct errors introduced by its own automated systems and AI tools.

Executives admitted that over-reliance on AI for design and quality processes fell short. Charles Poon, Ford’s vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, told reporters this week that the company “mistakenly” believed simply introducing artificial intelligence and updating design requirements would deliver high-quality vehicles. In reality, the departure of experienced engineers before their deep institutional knowledge could be fully captured in data and algorithms led to gaps. Problems surfaced in complex areas such as new model launches, including the Explorer and Aviator, and were worsened by pandemic-era supply chain issues.

The company now leads the industry in vehicle recalls, underscoring the scale of earlier quality challenges. To turn things around, Ford has hired, promoted, or rehired more than 350 experienced engineers over the past three years. These veterans are retraining AI systems, mentoring newer staff, and helping identify edge cases that automation missed. The automaker has also deployed over 100,000 new AI-powered tests for rapid software validation and created a dedicated 40-person software quality assurance team.

Ford is shifting from a reactive “find-and-fix” culture to one focused on prevention. COO Kumar Galhotra noted the company is now prioritizing early indicators and cross-functional collaboration between software, hardware, manufacturing, and supply-chain teams rather than admiring problems after they appear.

The episode offers a clear lesson for the auto industry as it leans more heavily on AI and software-defined vehicles. While automation promises speed and scale, Ford’s experience shows that high-quality data and human expertise remain essential in a safety-critical field where defects cannot simply be patched later. The recent J.D. Power result demonstrates that the right balance of technology and experience can deliver measurable gains for customers.