Every year Ford hires RDA Group, a market research firm, to conduct a reliability survey for it. Mostly it uses the data internally, but it also usually issues a press release touting any Ford wins.

This year Ford announced that, based on this survey, they have the auto industry’s highest satisfaction with quality.

This survey also measures things gone wrong, which I can relate to. Satisfaction with quality or reliability is a different animal. While it will track with reliability, it also includes a subjective component and permits owners’ feelings about other aspects of the vehicle to affect responses. Like how the car drives? Then a small problem or two might seem okay, and you’re still “satisfied.”

Expectations also play a large role. If you expected many problems, you’ll be quite satisfied if you only have two. Expect zero, and you’ll be dissatisfied with the same two.

Also, read the text and you’ll find that they’re not actually claiming to be the highest of any manufacturer, but of any “full line manufacturer.” Who does this include, only GM, Chrysler, Toyota, and Nissan? No one else offers a large pickup.