At Ford, quality is now problem 1

Josh Halliburton joined Ford Motor Co. in January to help improve its faltering quality record. Within months it was clear how big a challenge he was facing.

In May, the auto giant recalled some Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators after reports of fires while vehicles were parked. In June, it recalled approximately 49,000 Mustang Mach-E electric SUVs over concerns that the battery contactors could overheat and cause the vehicle to lose power. In the first seven months of the year, Ford had 46 separate safety recalls involving 6.8 million vehicles, more than any other American automaker.