DETROIT — Ford Motor Co.'s product development and purchasing boss says he's pleased with the automaker's recent new-vehicle launches, despite delivery delays for some of the most eagerly anticipated models, and that quality issues are falling from year-earlier levels.
Initial deliveries of the Bronco SUV, originally due this spring, have been pushed back to summer because of COVID-19-related supplier issues, Ford said last month. Last week, the automaker said shipments of "several hundred" Mustang Mach-E crossovers could be delayed as long as eight weeks for additional quality checks.
Not only are the delays frustrating for customers who plunked down deposit money months ago to secure their place in line, they're potentially problematic for a company that is under heightened scrutiny to successfully launch new vehicles after quality issues sank profits in 2019.