Photo: Ford / edited
At press time, Ford leads every other automaker in the United States in terms of recalls and the number of recalled vehicles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Dearborn-based automaker has issued 19 recalls for 2,235,393 vehicles thus far this year. As you might have guessed by now, Ford needs to better its quality as soon as possible.
Chief executive officer Jim Farley acknowledged the poor quality condition back in April 2022, when he told the Detroit Free Press that his company was facing billions in warranty claims. Racking up billions over billions in warranty claims isn't exactly acceptable, not when the Ford Motor Company needs a tremendous amount of money to develop a plethora of next-generation electric vehicles, including the Ranger EV.
To understand how bad quality is at Ford nowadays, a launch team member told the Detroit Free Press that S650 production had to be delayed over multiple problems. The list kicks off with body panel fitment, followed by electrical gremlins and V8 valve issues.
Unaligned body panels aren't excusable in the day and age of high and precise automation on the assembly line. On the other hand, electrical gremlins and V8 valve issues are. For starters, the seventh-generation Mustang features a way more tech-focused interior with SYNC 4 infotainment rather than the sixth-generation's SYNC 3 infotainment.
And lest we forget, Ford's crack team of engineers modified the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 for the S650. The most obvious differences over the S550 come in the form of dual throttle bodies and two air intakes. Both the GT and Mach 1-replacing Dark Horse variant feature the Gen 4 Coyote, although in different states of tune.
Prospective customers of the GT should look forward to 480 horsepower and 415 pound-feet (563 Nm) for both the Getrag-supplied manual and Ford's very own torque-converter automatic. Opting for the sports exhaust system unlocks 6 extra ponies and 3 additional pound-feet for a grand total of 486 horsepower and 418 pound-feet (567 Nm). In case you're wondering why 486, let's just say that a rival offers 485 from a 6.4-liter mill, that rival being the Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 392.
The GT-based Dark Horse retains the peak torque rating of the active-valve-exhaust GT, whereas peak horsepower improves to 500 ponies. On the other hand, bear in mind that the aforementioned HEMI engine is tuned to make 475 pound-feet (644 Nm) on full song.
Ford is expected to replace its flat-plane crankshaft V8-powered Shelby GT350 with a GT3 racecar-based variant, whereas the Shelby GT500 is reportedly due to arrive in showrooms for the 2026 model year. There's also a wild rumor in regard to Raptor and Raptor R off-road variants. If Porsche and Lamborghini can jack up their super sports car and their prices accordingly, why wouldn't Ford do it with the last internal combustion-engined Mustang as well? Only time will tell…
To understand how bad quality is at Ford nowadays, a launch team member told the Detroit Free Press that S650 production had to be delayed over multiple problems. The list kicks off with body panel fitment, followed by electrical gremlins and V8 valve issues.
Unaligned body panels aren't excusable in the day and age of high and precise automation on the assembly line. On the other hand, electrical gremlins and V8 valve issues are. For starters, the seventh-generation Mustang features a way more tech-focused interior with SYNC 4 infotainment rather than the sixth-generation's SYNC 3 infotainment.
And lest we forget, Ford's crack team of engineers modified the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 for the S650. The most obvious differences over the S550 come in the form of dual throttle bodies and two air intakes. Both the GT and Mach 1-replacing Dark Horse variant feature the Gen 4 Coyote, although in different states of tune.
Prospective customers of the GT should look forward to 480 horsepower and 415 pound-feet (563 Nm) for both the Getrag-supplied manual and Ford's very own torque-converter automatic. Opting for the sports exhaust system unlocks 6 extra ponies and 3 additional pound-feet for a grand total of 486 horsepower and 418 pound-feet (567 Nm). In case you're wondering why 486, let's just say that a rival offers 485 from a 6.4-liter mill, that rival being the Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack 392.
The GT-based Dark Horse retains the peak torque rating of the active-valve-exhaust GT, whereas peak horsepower improves to 500 ponies. On the other hand, bear in mind that the aforementioned HEMI engine is tuned to make 475 pound-feet (644 Nm) on full song.
Ford is expected to replace its flat-plane crankshaft V8-powered Shelby GT350 with a GT3 racecar-based variant, whereas the Shelby GT500 is reportedly due to arrive in showrooms for the 2026 model year. There's also a wild rumor in regard to Raptor and Raptor R off-road variants. If Porsche and Lamborghini can jack up their super sports car and their prices accordingly, why wouldn't Ford do it with the last internal combustion-engined Mustang as well? Only time will tell…
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