JD Power initial vehicle quality rankings
Detroit's top-selling auto brands, Ford and Chevrolet, have almost
eliminated a long-criticized gap with Toyota in new car quality, according
to a closely watched survey released Monday.

Luxury brands captured the top three spots, while Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota
were in what amounted to a statistical dead heat further down in the
rankings, the survey by J.D. Power and Associates found.

"Have the leading domestic nameplates caught up with Toyota? The answer is
'almost,'" said Dave Sargent, vice-president for automotive research at J.D.
Power.

The gap is "as narrow as it has ever been," he said.

Overall, Cadillac placed third with 91 problems per 100 vehicles, behind
only Lexus at 84 and Porsche at 90. Ford with 102 and Chevrolet with 103
were both under the industry average of 108 problems per 100 vehicles.
Chrysler was well down the list with 136.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Hyundai, which pulled ahead of Honda to
secure the fourth spot on the list and remains ahead of Mercedes-Benz, in
sixth.

While three Canadian assembly plants received high rankings in the survey,
Chrysler's Windsor Assembly Plant was missing from the list.

General Motors' Oshawa car plant, which produces the Buick Allure -- sold as
the Buick LaCrosse in the U.S. -- and the Chevrolet Impala, received a
Silver Award for initial quality. The plant averaged just 42 problems per
100 vehicles, according to the survey.

Other Canadian plants listed among the top 15 for initial quality are
Toyota's Cambridge plant and GM's Ingersoll plant.

"GM's arrangement to continue vehicle production in Canada has proven to be
a sound business decision," said Gary Dilts, senior vice-president of global
automotive at J.D. Power and Associates. "This win-win situation has yielded
top-quality vehicles for GM and continued employment and industrial output
for the Canadian economy."

Leading in the minivan segment, according to the survey of vehicle owners
which captures problems in design, defects and malfunctions, are the Toyota
Sienna and the Honda Odyssey. No other models in the minivan segment,
including the Windsor-made Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Caravan,
performed above the average, and weren't ranked.

"The survey tracks eight different broad categories with many subcategories
and it's not subjective in any way," said Darren Slind, senior director and
national automotive practice leader for J.D. Power & Associates in Canada.
"Consumers are surveyed after their initial 90-day honeymoon period and
after that, it's just math."

Categories include interior and exterior of the vehicles, seats, controls,
design, fit and finish, engine, transmission and driving experience, among
others.

Two Canadian-made vehicles received segment awards and three others were
ranked among the top three in their market segments.

The Oakville-built Ford Edge tied with the Chevy Trailblazer and Toyota
4Runner to take the award in the multi-activity vehicle segment. The Honda
Ridgeline, which is built in Alliston, was first in the mid-size pickup
segment.

Other highly rated Canadian-built vehicles were the Lexus RX, built in
Cambridge, which finished second in the midsize premium multi-activity
vehicle class; the Oshawa-built Chevy Impala, which was third in the large
car segment; and the Honda Civic, which is built in Alliston and finished
third in the compact car segment.

U.S. automakers have toiled and retooled to catch Toyota and Honda in terms
and quality and design, but winning back potential customers is a tough
challenge. The quality is there, but forging a new reputation with jaded car
buyers could take years.

2009 Nameplate IQS Ranking, Problems per 100 Vehicles

Lexus, 84

Porsche, 90

Cadillac, 91

Hyundai, 95

Honda, 99

Mercedes-Benz, 101

Toyota, 101

Ford, 102

Chevrolet, 103

Suzuki, 103

Infiniti, 106

Mercury, 106

Industry Average 108

Nissan, 110

Acura, 111

BMW, 112

Kia, 112

Volkswagen, 112

GMC, 116

Buick, 117

Audi, 118

Pontiac, 118

Scion, 118

Volvo, 118

Saturn, 120

Mazda, 123

Lincoln, 129

Subaru, 130

Dodge, 134

Jaguar, 134

Mitsubishi, 135

Chrysler, 136

HUMMER, 136

Jeep, 137

SAAB, 138

smart, 138

Land Rover, 150

MINI, 165


For the full press release and model by model ranking, see below.

2009 U.S. Initial Quality Study Findings

New vehicles sold by Chrysler, Ford and GM's U.S. brands have improved in
initial quality by an average of 10 percent, compared with 2008, surpassing
the 8-percent rate of improvement by the industry overall.

Overall, the industry average for initial quality is 108 problems per 100
vehicles in 2009, down from 118 PP100 in 2008. Initial quality for U.S.
brands has improved to an average of 112 PP100 in 2009 from 124 PP100 in
2008.

"Even in the face of unprecedented challenges, the Detroit automakers are
keeping their focus on designing and building high-quality vehicles, which
is a precondition for long-term success," said David Sargent, vice president
of automotive research at J.D. Power and Associates. "High quality generally
translates into reduced re-engineering costs and lower warranty expenses
during a vehicle's life cycle. High quality also enhances an automaker's
reputation for reliability, which is a critical purchase consideration for
many consumers."

In addition to the marked improvement by Detroit automakers, many Asian and
European brands continued to perform well in 2009. Lexus leads the overall
nameplate rankings, averaging 84 PP100. Following in the rankings are
Porsche, Cadillac (which moves from 10th rank position in 2008 to third in
2009), Hyundai (improves from 13th rank position in 2008 to fourth in 2009)
and

Honda, rounding out the top five. Suzuki posts the largest improvement in
ranking, moving from 32nd place in 2008 to ninth in 2009.

The study finds that initial quality for newly launched and redesigned
models in 2009 has improved, compared with previous years. Historically,
all-new models have typically launched with below-average levels of initial
quality. However, several all-new models in 2009, including the Hyundai
Genesis, Kia Borrego, Toyota Venza and Volkswagen CC, perform considerably
better than their respective segment averages. Many redesigned models in
2009 also show notable improvement from the previous
generation--particularly the Acura TL, Ford F-150, Honda Pilot and Nissan Z.

"Achieving high levels of initial quality in all-new models is one of the
greatest challenges for manufacturers," said Sargent. "Now that more
manufacturers are getting their launch quality right straight out of the
gate, consumers can expect the quality of new vehicles to continue to rise."

The U.S. Initial Quality Study serves as the industry benchmark for
new-vehicle quality measured at 90 days of ownership. The study is used
extensively by vehicle manufacturers worldwide to help them design and build
better vehicles and by consumers to help them in their vehicle purchase
decisions. Initial quality has been shown over the years to be an excellent
predictor of long-term durability, which can significantly impact consumer
purchase decisions.

2009 U.S. IQS Ranking Highlights

Toyota Motor Corporation captures 10 segment awards--more than any other
corporation in the 2009 study--five for Lexus, four for Toyota and one for
Scion. Lexus receives awards for the IS, GS, GX, LS and LX models. The Lexus
LX has the fewest quality problems in the industry, with just 52 PP100.
Toyota models receiving awards in their respective segments are the 4Runner
(in a

tie); Sienna; Tundra (in a tie); and Yaris.

Ford receives three awards for the Edge (in a tie); F-150 (in a tie); and
Mustang. Garnering two awards each are Nissan (Altima and Z); and Honda
(CR-V,

in a tie, and Ridgeline).

Also receiving segment awards are: Chevrolet Trailblazer (in a tie),
Chrysler PT Cruiser Wagon (in a tie), GMC Yukon, Hyundai Elantra Sedan,
Mercury Sable and Scion tC.

The 2009 U.S. Initial Quality Study is based on responses from more than
80,900 purchasers and lessees of new 2009 model-year cars, trucks and
multi-activity vehicles surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study is
based on a 228-question battery designed to provide manufacturers with
information to facilitate identifying problems and drive product
improvement.

The study was fielded between February and May 2009.

Top Three Models per Segment

Sub-Compact Car

Highest Ranked: Toyota Yaris

Hyundai Accent

Honda Fit


Compact Car

Highest Ranked: Hyundai Elantra Sedan

Toyota Prius

Honda Civic


Compact Sporty Car(*)

Highest Ranked: Scion tC

Volkswagen GTI


Compact Premium Sporty Car(*)

Highest Ranked: Nissan Z

Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class


Entry Premium Vehicle

Highest Ranked: Lexus IS

Cadillac CTS (tie)

Infiniti G-Series (tie)


Midsize Premium Car

Highest Ranked: Lexus GS

Acura RL

Lexus ES


Midsize Sporty Car(*)

Highest Ranked: Ford Mustang


Large Premium Car(*)

Highest Ranked: Lexus LS

Mercedes-Benz S-Class


Midsize Car

Highest Ranked: Nissan Altima

Pontiac G6

Chevrolet Malibu


Large Car

Highest Ranked: Mercury Sable

Toyota Avalon

Chevrolet Impala


NOTE: For a segment award to be issued, there must be at least three

models with sufficient sample that comprise 80 percent of market sales
within

an award segment. There were only two premium sporty models and no large van

models with sufficient sample size, thus no premium sporty or large van
awards

have been issued.


(*)No other model in this segment performs above the segment average.


Top Three Models per Segment

Truck/Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) Segments


Compact MAV

Highest Ranked: Chrysler PT Cruiser Wagon (tie); Honda CR-V (tie)

Mitsubishi Outlander


Midsize MAV

Highest Ranked: Chevrolet TrailBlazer (tie); Ford Edge (tie);

Toyota 4Runner (tie)


Large MAV(*)

Highest Ranked: GMC Yukon

Chevrolet Tahoe


Midsize Premium MAV

Highest Ranked: Lexus GX

Lexus RX

Cadillac SRX


Large Premium MAV

Highest Ranked: Lexus LX

Cadillac Escalade

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class


Large Pickup

Highest Ranked: Ford F-150 (tie); Toyota Tundra (tie)

Chevrolet Avalanche


Midsize Pickup

Highest Ranked: Honda Ridgeline

Nissan Frontier

Ford Ranger


Minivan(*)

Highest Ranked: Toyota Sienna

Honda Odyssey


NOTE: For a segment award to be issued, there must be at least three

models with sufficient sample that comprise 80 percent of market sales
within

an award segment. There were only two premium sporty models and no large van

models with sufficient sample size, thus no premium sporty or large van
awards

have been issued.

http://www.canada.com/cars/Ford+clos...566/story.html