J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Visteon Corporation and Clarion Corporation of America Rank Highest in Vehicle Multimedia Quality
The Most Common Problems Reported for Multimedia Systems Are Design Issues, Rather Than Defects/Malfunctions
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Aug. 3 -- Visteon Corporation and Clarion Corporation of America rank highest in quality among suppliers of vehicle multimedia systems, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.
The study measures owner experiences with the quality, design satisfaction and features of automotive multimedia systems in new vehicles. Twenty-eight different multimedia combinations are evaluated, which include different combinations of the following systems: AM/FM, cassette player, single CD player, multiple CD changer, navigation system, and satellite radio. Multimedia system suppliers are ranked based on scores for problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) in the two largest segments: AM/FM/Single CD Player and AM/FM/Multi-CD Changer. A lower PP100 score indicates higher quality.
Visteon Corporation ranks highest in the AM/FM/Single CD Player segment with an overall PP100 score of 3.7. Visteon, which supplies multimedia systems for a variety of Ford and Mercury models, performs well across all problem areas measured in the segment. Alpine Electronics follows Visteon in the rankings with a score of 3.9 PP100 and Clarion Corporation ranks third overall in the segment with 4.2 PP100.
Clarion Corporation of America ranks highest in the AM/FM/Multi-CD Changer segment with an overall PP100 score of 6.1. Clarion supplies AM/FM/Multi-CD changer systems for several Nissan, Infiniti and Suzuki models. Vehicle owners experience relatively few ejection and playback problems with Clarion's multi-CD changer. Fujitsu Ten follows Clarion in the rankings with a PP100 score of 6.5.
"Visteon and Clarion set the benchmark for quality among these multimedia categories," said Allison LaDuc, senior research manager of automotive product quality at J.D. Power and Associates. "Both suppliers produce a variety of systems for several different models, and while having a diverse portfolio of business can make it difficult to ensure high quality, both of these suppliers have been able produce systems with few quality problems."
Multimedia system controls that are poorly located and difficult to understand are common issues facing vehicle owners. Front audio/entertainment system controls that are difficult to understand/use/in a poor location is the most common multimedia problems cited by vehicle owners. Owners also commonly report problems with poor/no AM/FM radio reception and the navigation system (map information missing, wrong directions provided, screen in poor location).
"Many of the most common problems owners face with their multimedia systems are design issues and are not related to the functionality of the system," said LaDuc. "However, the way technology is integrated into new-vehicle design is as important to vehicle owners as are defects and malfunctions. It is imperative for suppliers and manufacturers to work together to design systems that are more convenient and user friendly for their customers."
The study finds that satisfaction among owners of AM/FM/multi-CD changers is slightly higher than that of owners of AM/FM/single CD players, despite experiencing more problems with their systems. Owners of multi-CD changers experience an average of 6.6 PP100 and owners of single CD players report an average of 5.3 PP100.
"Owners enjoy having more multimedia options available in their vehicle," said LaDuc. "Naturally, with more multimedia functions and complex systems come more possibilities for problems, but it seems as though owners want the latest technologies when it comes to their vehicles, despite the potential downfalls."
The study also finds that navigation systems are the most desired multimedia-related feature among new-vehicle owners. While only 13 percent of owners currently have a navigation system in their vehicle, nearly 30 percent indicate they want a navigation system installed in their next vehicle. Steering wheel controls for the audio system follows navigation system in desirability, with 27 percent of customers desiring it in their next vehicle, and 22 percent desiring an in-dash multi-CD changer.
The 2006 Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 63,607 owners of new 2006 model-year cars and light-duty trucks.
AM/FM/Single CD Player Segment *Problems per 100 Vehicles Visteon Corporation 3.7 Alpine Electronics 3.9 Clarion Corporation 4.2 Delphi 4.3 Mitsubishi Electric 4.8 Siemens VDO 5.1 AM/FM/Single CD Player Average 5.3 Panasonic 5.8 Fujitsu Ten 6.4 Hyundai Autonet 6.4 SANYO 6.4 Pioneer 9.7 AM/FM/Multi-CD Changer Segment *Problems per 100 Vehicles Clarion Corporation 6.1 Fujitsu Ten Corporation 6.5 AM/FM/Multi-CD Changer Average 6.6 Panasonic 6.7 Visteon Corporation 7.4 Delphi 8.1 Mitsubishi Electric 11.7
*Problems per 100 vehicles is measured via actual customer feedback related to the number of "things gone wrong" with the audio system. A lower score reflects better quality performance.
Some suppliers are not ranked due to study methodology requirements. About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 290 offices in 38 countries. Sales in 2005 were $6.0 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.