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cmitch Expert Date registered: Apr 2006 Location: Ala-Tenn Vehicle(s): 2002 ML320, 2005 S430 4Matic, 2010 F150 Super Crew Posts: 3412 | Lexus tops reliability again? Where's Mercedes? DETROIT (AP) — Japan's Toyota Motor (TM) won top honors in eight categories of a closely watched vehicle dependability study, more than any other company, while mainstream brands closed in on luxury nameplates, J.D. Power and Associates said Wednesday. Lexus, Toyota's luxury brand, was the top-ranked nameplate for the 12th consecutive year. It was followed by Ford Motor's (F) Mercury and General Motors's (GM) 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, 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. 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 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 automakers 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 automakers 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. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. (CarRatings.jpg) Attachments ---------------- CarRatings.jpg (72KB - 2 downloads) | ||
#37249 | |||
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redeye Date registered: Jun 2006 Location: Calgary Vehicle(s): | Re: Lexus tops reliability again? Where's Mercedes? What? That below-average 240 problems can not be correct (again - yawn)! I've only had 4 warning lights, 3 visits to the dealer, 1 faulty MAF, 1 faulty lateral acceleration sensor and 1 faulty brake switch sensor go wrong in the past 6 weeks. But that's probably all Bosch; not Mercedes-Benz. We're OK. | ||
#37288 - in reply to #37249 | |||
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Wolfgang Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Lexus tops reliability again? Where's Mercedes? redeye - 8/9/2006 10:06 PM What? That below-average 240 problems can not be correct. That's for MY2003. MY2001 is worse. 327 probs. | ||
#37351 - in reply to #37288 | |||
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redeye Date registered: Jun 2006 Location: Calgary Vehicle(s): | Re: Lexus tops reliability again? Where's Mercedes? D'oh | ||
#37385 - in reply to #37249 | |||
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Wolfgang Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Lexus tops reliability again? Where's Mercedes? redeye - 8/10/2006 8:50 AM D'oh The last time MB was in first position in this survey is in 1994 when cars built in 1989 were surveyed. | ||
#37393 - in reply to #37385 | |||
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Wolfgang Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | 1989 Mercedes-Benz models These were the glorious Mercedes models offered by MBUSA in 1989: 190D 2.5 (W201) 190D 2.5 Turbo 190E 2.3 190E 2.6 260E (W124) 300CE 300E 300TE Wagon 300SE (W126) 300SEL 420SEL 560SEC 560SEL 560SL (R107) | ||
#37651 - in reply to #37249 | |||
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Marsden Classic MB Date registered: Apr 2006 Location: Capital City USA Vehicle(s): Mercedes-Benz | RE: Lexus tops reliability again? Where's Mercedes? Another graphical version of the same information. Somehow the performance of Land Rover appears even more extreme here.. | ||
#38507 - in reply to #37249 | |||
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Wolfgang Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | RE: Lexus tops reliability again? Where's Mercedes? Marsden - 8/16/2006 12:51 AM Another graphical version of the same information. Nice graphics, Marsden. Here's some background about JD Power's approach: Who benefits from the research? Problems with J.D. Power's approach A few months ago I wrote about problems with Consumer Reports. Now it's J.D. Power's turn. Like that in Consumer Reports, J.D. Power's research has helped consumers by pressuring vehicle manufacturers to improve the reliability of the cars and trucks they sell. But even more in J.D. Power's case there are reasons for concern. 1. Motivation For all of its faults, the heart of Consumers Union is generally in the right place. Though they're a bit stuck in their ways, the primary goal of the people who publish Consumer Reports is to help consumers. In contrast, far and away the #1 goal at J.D. Power is to make money. Continues here: http://www.truedelta.com/pieces/jdpower.php Edited by Wolfgang 8/16/2006 4:31 PM | ||
#38592 - in reply to #38507 | |||
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Marsden Classic MB Date registered: Apr 2006 Location: Capital City USA Vehicle(s): Mercedes-Benz | RE: Lexus tops reliability again? Where's Mercedes? Read it... I think it makes most of the usual (good) points and I agree that CR's ratings are more broadly meaningful (and as well that CR is a bit stuck in its ways). The point should be emphasized that JDP's IQS now includes subjective ratings for ergonomics, ease of use, control systems, etc and IMHO that even further diminshes their validity as well as their comparability with other surveys. | ||
#38726 - in reply to #37249 | |||
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