U.S. — Ford Motor Company has hired 350 veteran engineers over the last three years to improve vehicle quality and address declining rankings. These engineers, internally referred to as "gray beards," include former Ford employees and workers from suppliers.

The veteran engineers are tasked with training junior staff and reprogramming artificial intelligence tools. Charles Poon, Vice President of Vehicle Hardware Engineering at Ford, stated, "Artificial intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it's only as good as the information you use to train it." He added, "Over prior years, we didn't pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers that have been with us through many product cycles."

Technical specialists at Ford are conducting mandatory meetings to address quality concerns. By mid-2024, recalls were costing Ford $4.8 billion annually. In July 2025, Ford issued 90 recalls, including an estimated $570 million charge for nearly 700,000 crossover vehicles.

Ford hopes to save $1 billion in costs this year and expects more than $1 billion in warranty and material costs. Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company, stated, "We're seeing our warranty coverages come down." He also said, "We're seeing our recall costs come down." Farley attributed these improvements to "hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars of a tailwind for Ford on cost."

Ford COO Kumar Galhotra stated that the veteran engineers are identifying potential failure points before parts reach production. Galhotra said, "Because we're doing more to prevent issues upfront, we believe these recall numbers are going to steadily come down with the newer vehicles." When asked for a timeline, he stated, "I can't give you a very specific date on when the number will turn."

Jim Farley emphasized that achieving quality involves "incredible attention to every single detail." He stated that the efforts are the result of "old-fashioned hard work of our team members all working together to pay attention to the very small details that will make a difference between a perfectly built Ford and an OK-built Toyota." Ford ranked No. 1 among mainstream brands in the most recent JD Power Initial Quality Survey, an increase from 10th place in the previous year's survey.

Why It Matters

Ford Motor Company's strategy to hire experienced engineers aims to reverse trends of declining vehicle quality and substantial recall costs. The company's financial exposure to recalls reached $4.8 billion annually by mid-2024, alongside a $570 million charge for a recall in July 2025. By integrating seasoned professionals into mentoring roles and AI tool reprogramming, Ford seeks to leverage human experience to enhance its quality control systems and reduce future liabilities.

This initiative represents a shift in how Ford is addressing quality, moving from a previous position where it did not fully utilize its most experienced engineers. The company's improved ranking in the JD Power Initial Quality Survey suggests initial positive outcomes, indicating that the focus on preventative measures and detailed attention across its workforce is beginning to affect its market standing and operational costs.