Ford Motor Co. experienced a notable decline in net income for the second quarter of 2024, reflecting ongoing issues related to warranty and recall costs that continue to burden the company’s financial performance. For the period from April to June, Ford’s net income fell by 4.7% to $1.83 billion, compared to $1.92 billion during the same quarter in the previous year. This result significantly missed Wall Street’s expectations for adjusted earnings per share, leading to a sharp drop in Ford’s stock price following the announcement.
The substantial increase in warranty and recall costs has been a primary factor behind this decline. Ford reported that these costs surged to $2.3 billion in the second quarter, up $800 million from the first quarter of 2024 and $700 million higher than the same quarter last year. These rising expenses were largely attributed to issues with older vehicles from the 2021 model year and earlier, indicating that legacy vehicle problems are still impacting the company’s bottom line.
Chief Financial Officer John Lawler provided insights into Ford’s efforts to address these challenges. He noted that while the company has made progress in improving vehicle quality, the financial benefits from these improvements typically take 12 to 18 months to materialize. This delay means that lower warranty costs are expected to be reflected in the company’s financials in the future, once the quality enhancements are fully realized. Despite the company’s efforts, Ford continues to grapple with the repercussions of past quality issues.
In response to these ongoing challenges, CEO Jim Farley emphasized that many of the problems should have been detected before the vehicles were put on sale. To mitigate these issues, Ford has adopted a more rigorous approach to vehicle quality, holding products back until they meet stringent standards and conducting comprehensive testing before release. This strategy aims to prevent future problems and reduce warranty costs over time, although it may lead to fluctuations in quarterly performance and impact short-term financial results.
Ford’s second-quarter revenue showed a 6.3% increase, reaching $47.8 billion, which slightly exceeded analyst expectations. This revenue growth, however, was not sufficient to offset the rising costs and the impact on net income. The company’s internal combustion engine unit, Ford Blue, reported a pretax profit of $1.17 billion, a significant decline from the previous year’s figures. On the other hand, Ford Pro, the commercial vehicle unit, achieved a pretax profit of $2.56 billion, surpassing the previous year’s results by $173 million. The Model e electric vehicle unit, however, faced a pretax loss of $1.14 billion, which was $63 million worse than the previous year.
Despite the profit decline, Ford has maintained its full-year guidance for pretax income, projecting between $10 billion and $12 billion. Farley assured investors that the stock remains a good value, citing the company’s strong performance in the commercial vehicle segment and the potential for growth in service and software revenues. He also highlighted ongoing initiatives, such as the development of a new, cost-effective electric vehicle platform in California. This platform aims to produce smaller, more affordable electric vehicles that can compete effectively with industry leaders like Tesla and Chinese automakers.
In the U.S., Ford’s most lucrative market, the company reported a slight increase in second-quarter sales, up by just under 1% to more than 532,000 vehicles. Looking ahead, Ford is working to achieve $2 billion in savings from material, manufacturing, and freight costs, although these savings will be partially offset by higher labor and vehicle update expenses.
Overall, while Ford faces significant financial and operational challenges, particularly related to warranty costs and vehicle quality, the company is focusing on long-term strategies for growth and improvement. By investing in electric vehicles, advancing vehicle technology, and enhancing quality control measures, Ford aims to strengthen its market position and improve its financial performance in the future.