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SARAH KARUSH
Associated Press
DETROIT — Auto makers continued to make strides in a closely watched vehicle dependability study, with mainstream brands closing in on luxury nameplates, J.D. Power and Associates said Wednesday.
Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. won top honours in eight vehicle categories, more than any other company. Lexus, Toyota's luxury brand, was the top-ranked nameplate for the 12th consecutive year. It was followed by Ford Motor Co.'s Mercury and General Motors Corp.'s Buick and Cadillac.
Last-place Land Rover, which is owned by Ford, lagged far behind the second-to-last brand, Saab, which is owned by GM. Land Rover owners reported 438 problems per 100 vehicles, while Saab owners reported 326.
For the study, Westlake Village, Calif.-based J.D. Power questions owners of three-year-old vehicles about problems they are experiencing. This year's survey questioned 47,620 original owners of 2003 model-year cars and trucks.
Toyota's RAV4 emerged as the winner in the Compact MPV (multi-activity vehicle) category. On average, vehicle owners reported 227 problems per 100 vehicles this year, 10 fewer than last year. The study gives all problems equal weight; the most common ones reported were wind noise and loud brakes.
"The voice of the customer is actually getting heard by the manufacturers," said Neal Oddes, director of product research and analysis for J.D. Power. "They are understanding what's getting replaced, what's going wrong, and then they're taking that information and designing better products."
Oddes said the gap between luxury and non-luxury brands was narrowing. This year, owners reported an average 213 problems per 100 vehicles for premium brands, 15 fewer than for mainstream brands. Last year, the gap was 20, while in 2003, it was 31.
The improvement in dependability is good news both for consumers shopping for used vehicles and — since the vehicles retain more of their value — for owners planning to trade in their cars and trucks, Oddes said.
Toyota had winners this year in eight of 19 vehicle categories, while Honda and GM each took four segments. Ford had two winners, and Mazda Motor Corp. had one.
J.D. Power's initial quality study, which measures problems in the first 90 days of ownership, typically gets more attention. But Oddes said the dependability study is important for auto makers because how owners feel about their vehicles three years on can have a big impact on their decision to buy another vehicle of that brand or look elsewhere.
Oddes said auto makers made their biggest improvements in two areas — riding, handling and braking and engine and transmission.
"That's significant because those two categories . . . have the greatest impact when it comes to customer satisfaction and repurchase intent," he said.
Associated Press
DETROIT — Auto makers continued to make strides in a closely watched vehicle dependability study, with mainstream brands closing in on luxury nameplates, J.D. Power and Associates said Wednesday.
Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. won top honours in eight vehicle categories, more than any other company. Lexus, Toyota's luxury brand, was the top-ranked nameplate for the 12th consecutive year. It was followed by Ford Motor Co.'s Mercury and General Motors Corp.'s Buick and Cadillac.
Last-place Land Rover, which is owned by Ford, lagged far behind the second-to-last brand, Saab, which is owned by GM. Land Rover owners reported 438 problems per 100 vehicles, while Saab owners reported 326.
For the study, Westlake Village, Calif.-based J.D. Power questions owners of three-year-old vehicles about problems they are experiencing. This year's survey questioned 47,620 original owners of 2003 model-year cars and trucks.
Toyota's RAV4 emerged as the winner in the Compact MPV (multi-activity vehicle) category. On average, vehicle owners reported 227 problems per 100 vehicles this year, 10 fewer than last year. The study gives all problems equal weight; the most common ones reported were wind noise and loud brakes.
"The voice of the customer is actually getting heard by the manufacturers," said Neal Oddes, director of product research and analysis for J.D. Power. "They are understanding what's getting replaced, what's going wrong, and then they're taking that information and designing better products."
Oddes said the gap between luxury and non-luxury brands was narrowing. This year, owners reported an average 213 problems per 100 vehicles for premium brands, 15 fewer than for mainstream brands. Last year, the gap was 20, while in 2003, it was 31.
The improvement in dependability is good news both for consumers shopping for used vehicles and — since the vehicles retain more of their value — for owners planning to trade in their cars and trucks, Oddes said.
Toyota had winners this year in eight of 19 vehicle categories, while Honda and GM each took four segments. Ford had two winners, and Mazda Motor Corp. had one.
J.D. Power's initial quality study, which measures problems in the first 90 days of ownership, typically gets more attention. But Oddes said the dependability study is important for auto makers because how owners feel about their vehicles three years on can have a big impact on their decision to buy another vehicle of that brand or look elsewhere.
Oddes said auto makers made their biggest improvements in two areas — riding, handling and braking and engine and transmission.
"That's significant because those two categories . . . have the greatest impact when it comes to customer satisfaction and repurchase intent," he said.
J.D. Power and Associates on Wednesday released its annual survey of vehicle dependability based on questionnaires sent to owners of 2003 model-year vehicles. The list ranks vehicle brands by the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles:
Brand Problems per 100 vehicles:
Lexus 136
Mercury 151
Buick 153
Cadillac 163
Toyota 179
Acura 184
Honda 194
Jaguar 210
BMW 212
Infiniti 215
Lincoln 220
Ford 224
Oldsmobile 224
INDUSTRY AVERAGE 227
Chrysler 232
Pontiac 232
Subaru 232
GMC 239
Mercedes-Benz 240
Chevrolet 241
Nissan 242
Mazda 243
Porsche 248
Hyundai 253
Dodge 258
Mitsubishi 260
Jeep 264
Volvo 272
Audi 279
Mini 280
Isuzu 283
Saturn 289
Volkswagen 299
Hummer 307
Kia 310
Suzuki 318
Saab 326
Land Rover 438
Let the Asher-Oerdin debate begin!
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