Ford Authorised Repairers are set to achieve higher standards of workshop service as the manufacturer introduces tougher measures to its quality programme following the success of its partnership with RAC.

The scheme involves RAC engineers conducting in-dealership quality checks on customer-owned vehicles to confirm that any service or repair work has been completed to the high standards prescribed by Ford Motor Company.

Since it was first introduced five years ago, the programme has shown that quality levels in Ford Motor Company’s 700-strong franchised workshops have improved, with a 57% reduction in the number of identified faults.

As a result of the continued success of its partnership with RAC, Ford is raising the bar on standards which means that all workshops must now meet even stricter quality standards than ever before.

The new standards come as RAC engineers reach the milestone of 50,000 customer-owned Ford vehicle inspections this month.

In addition, mandatory internal quality checks conducted by the dealerships recently hit the one million vehicles mark.

Darren Golding, programme manager for RAC said: “The quality programme is constantly evolving and improving to meet the needs of Ford's dealers and ensure the highest of standards.

"Having hit all of the targets, dealer standards will be tightened to ensure even higher levels of quality performance.

"Client satisfaction and ensuring Ford has confidence in its dealer network are priorities for us.

"By helping dealers to increase the quality level of their workshop offering and ensuring Ford's strict standards are met, customers have been further assured in the service they receive, driving additional volume through the doors.

"We hope to build enough customer confidence so that they continue to take their vehicle to a Ford Authorised Repairer year after year, far beyond the warranty period."