New SUV Recall :(

[YaBoiNewton]

Ever heard of FMEA?

Phil

Nope, never heard of her.

Even a good DFMEA doesn't predict everything!

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[Yinzcity]

Nope, never heard of her.

Even a good DFMEA doesn't predict everything!

The quality tools are only as good as the people willing to use them. Been my experience as a quality engineer for the Tier 1's that Ford is pretty decent at supplier control compared to some other OEMs. But I'm sure there's pressure to ship product and suppliers can hide things from the OEMs if they want, at least for a while. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of places have decided it's cheaper to pay for the occasional quality spill than it is to maintain good quality from the start. No pride in the product anymore, only profits matter.

 

[LostMy65]

Ford is definitely winning!

 

[Jason B]

In a way I’m somewhat surprised something like this fails. Ford is an ISO company. The amount of testing that has to happen through design, prototypes, and then 4 rounds of qualifying and passing to a 1.33 CPK to prove the chances of defect at the smallest possible margins. Then the vendors that make them have to go through the same process and prove their manufacturing methods are robust and repeatable. The cherry on top is total traceability from raw materials to each lot/batch made and each person that touched them during manufacturing is recorded along with relevant output data. In todays world the proof these methods work is the longevity of engines and other power train parts. Seems some vendors need a review of their quality standards as they’re taking shortcuts for profit!

If I am correct, the ISO qualifications only happen with new designs and at the beginning of production. After ISO quals, manufactures loosen quality and no one is the wiser until something happens.

 

[Shooter]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/ford-recalls-518k-suvs-us-possible-fuel-leak-fire-risk

Uh-oh!

It's only on the 3 cylinder engines.

 

[LostMy65]

My concern is the fuel injector recalls.
Hopefully the injector issues don't find their way into the Ranger's. But looking at that pie chart I posted above, Ford has really, really, really got to start dialing in their quality and safety issues.

 

[YaBoiNewton]

The quality tools are only as good as the people willing to use them. Been my experience as a quality engineer for the Tier 1's that Ford is pretty decent at supplier control compared to some other OEMs. But I'm sure there's pressure to ship product and suppliers can hide things from the OEMs if they want, at least for a while. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of places have decided it's cheaper to pay for the occasional quality spill than it is to maintain good quality from the start. No pride in the product anymore, only profits matter.

Thankfully my example was design flaws detected as my project transitioned from bookshelf status to customer tailoring after business was won. I developed a generic airbag inflator and new rounds of systems (airbag) level testing began as it was paired with a new airbag for the customer. Technically still internal development, but for a new business award and years before customer SOP. Design improvements were solid and customer is happy. Lots of pride in my product over here!

You're totally right though it all comes down to the people. Basically every company up and down the supply chain is held to the similar quality standards. But this industry practically begs for a quality slip with its pace and pressure - especially when suppliers must source from low wage countries to remain competitive. Everyone's product performs about the same, so the customer will always source for the cheapest option. Ford is no exception.

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