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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) | |
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| redeye Date registered: Jun 2006 Location: Calgary Vehicle(s):  | ||
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| redeye Date registered: Jun 2006 Location: Calgary Vehicle(s): | ||
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| 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.   | ||
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| 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) | ||
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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.. | |
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| Marsden Classic MB Date registered: Apr 2006 Location: Capital City USA Vehicle(s): Mercedes-Benz | ||
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