Quality of Cars and Trucks The Best Ever - JD Power
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THE CONSUMER IS THE OVERALL WINNER!
Special to The Auto Channel
From Robb Mahr, Automotive Focus
Detroit, June 23, 2011: While the J.D. Power 2011 Initial Quality Study names 21 vehicles as having the best quality in their niche, the survey shows the auto industry average of 178 problems per 100 (pp100) vehicles is the lowest in the 25 years the report has been compiled.
“In 1998 the industry averaged 176 problems per 100 vehicles,” said Dave Sargent, Vice President of Global Research at J. D. Power. He told the Detroit Automotive Press Association (APA) “That compares to the 2011 industry average of 107 pp100.”
Sargent said, “The consumer is the winner in the global auto industry race (to maintain quality) that never ends. Everybody, manufacturers and suppliers, are running as fast as they can.”
It’s also important to note that the study of quality in this century is measuring “bigger things and more than just 13 years ago.” In the 1980s and ‘90s, “the standard measure was of fit and finish, transmissions and engine performance and comfort. Now the standards include styling, seat comfort, noise, and how easy or hard it is to use the features of the vehicle.”
Honda has seven (7) models in the 21 best category, Lexus has four, Chevrolet, Ford and Mercedes Benz two each, and Chrysler, Cadillac, Dodge and Mazda have one vehicle rated best in class. (See the complete list of vehicles and companies on this web site)
Ford was the leader among the Big Three “Domestic” manufacturers in the 2010 J.D Power report, on a par with Toyota and Honda, but fell 10 pp100 below the industry average based on consumer dissatisfaction with some new transmission performances and finding new multimedia technologies are not meeting their expectations.
While those feelings were not measured as quality items in the past, Sargent says they play a major part in today’s study and can drastically lower a brand or vehicles performance.
Sargent was almost apologetic for the Ford decline. He noted, “Ford has been on a quality tear for the past five or six years. Ford is the top quality brand for non-luxury level vehicles. But complaints about the new hands-free and voice –activation systems, as not being intuitive, are dragging them down. They’re racing to fix those issues.”
Toyota also received a special mention by the Power presenter. “Toyota is not in the best model rankings but had a good year and, if we gave bronze and silver mentions, would have had many vehicles in those spots. Toyota had a good year, finishing in the top ten brand rakings.
Dodge has the lowest initial quality index of 137 pp100, but would have near the top quality in 1998. Sargent said, “The new Dodge models are substantially better than carry-over Dodge vehicles. Land Rover, which has held the bottom quality position for many years, is the most improved brand in the study by 47 pp100.
New models with new features like the aforementioned in-car technologies and with engine and transmission software designed to increase fuel economy sometimes are not appreciated by consumers who want economy AND performance and drag quality numbers down. However the carry-over models of all manufacturers measured 102 pp100, an all-time low.
While the industry pp100 average fell just one point in each of the last three years, Sargent told the APA audience, “When you’re already at a low number, the improvement factor slows down, but the industry will NEVER stop trying to reach perfection. I wish my computer were as reliable as a motor vehicle.”
Reach Mahr at autofocus@aol.com
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