J.D. Power: Top Three Auto Factories in Germany

BERLIN, June 10 -- Mercedes-Benz has the most reliable factory in the world, and the second and third most reliable plants are also found in Germany. This is the result of the "US Initial Quality Study," a broadly watched indicator of reliability in new cars published by the internationally renowned market research company J.D. Power and Associates.

The first prize went to the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, (near Stuttgart). Vehicles from this plant recorded an average of only 33 problems per 100 vehicles (33 PP 100). The average among all studied factories was 118 PP 100. The Sindelfingen plant manufactures the CL, CLS, E, and S class models for Mercedes-Benz.

German carmakers also received second and third place honors. Porsche's factory in Stuttgart, the factory where its 911 model is assembled, received the second-place "Silver Plant Quality Award." The third place "Bronze Quality Plant Award" went to the BMW factory in Regensburg, a Bavarian city northeast of Munich.

When judged according to brand name, German cars also came out on top. Porsche led the total ranking list for the third year in a row with 87 PP 100, increasing its lead among the competition to 11 PP 100 (versus 3 PP 100) in 2007. The study's authors also commended Mercedes for improvements in quality in comparison with 2007, reducing its error rate by 7 PP 100.

"These data speak volumes for the German auto industry, but they also are a testament to workers in Germany, especially in the machinery and equipment industry," noted Oliver Seiler, Director of the Mechanical and Electronic Technologies at Invest in Germany. "When investors come to Germany, they know that they will have workers at their disposal who are trained in the latest technologies and who take precision and reliability extremely seriously," added Seiler.

Invest in Germany is the inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. It provides investors with comprehensive support from site selection to the implementation of investment decisions.