With that experience behind them, perhaps it's not surprising that Ford's launch of the redesigned F-150 went well, according to J.D. Power.
Ford made some key moves that paved the way for their new truck. The first was deciding to delay the launch for several weeks. With truck sales down, Ford dealers needed more time to empty their lots of the old 2008 trucks. When Ford finally rolled out the new trucks, dealers were ready.
Ford also listened to its customers and gave them what they wanted. Plus, it took care to build the trucks right. The F-150 topped all full-size trucks in quality and owner satisfaction, according to J.D. Power.
Chrysler, on the other hand, fumbled its launch of the new Dodge Ram truck, according to J.D. Power. The Ram launch ranked 26th out of 27 new vehicle launches last year. Hoping to capitalize on Ford's delay, Chrysler went ahead and pushed the Ram out too early, producing too many trucks for the market to absorb. Quality was a problem as well, although customers have been pleased with the Ram's design and performance.
NEXT: Subaru Forester
