NEW YORK—In the latest annual study of vehicle dependability, Porsche and Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln brand took the top spots, according to J.D. Power and Associates this week.
The J.D. Power quality and dependability study is closely scrutinized by vehicle manufacturers to help make design improvements, and by industry experts as well as consumers to help them make decisions on new and used-vehicle purchases.
Porsche AG’s namesake sports car brand took the top spot in 2010, up from a 10th place finish in last year’s survey. Owners of 2007 model year Porsches reported 110 problems per 100 vehicles.
Lincoln, Ford’s luxury brand, came in second, while General Motors Co.’s Buick and Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus brands tied for third.
Ford’s Mercury brand and Toyota rounded out the top five spots in this year’s results.
U.S. vehicles dominate the J.D. Power list this year, a reflection of Detroit’s renewed focus in recent years of overtaking their Japanese rivals in both actual and perceived vehicle quality and dependability.
“The improvements in long-term dependability and component replacement rates are good news for both consumers and manufacturers,” said David Sargent, vice president of global quality research at J.D. Power. “Manufacturers benefit from lower warranty expenses, while consumers incur lower maintenance and repair costs, as well as less inconvenience.”
Chrysler LLC, which makes Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep vehicles, is the only major U.S. brand that came in below average in quality. The company in 2007 was going through its sale from DaimlerChrysler AG to Cerberus Capital Management.
U.K.’s Land Rover reported 255 problems per 100 vehicles, the worst score among all automakers. Land Rover—along with Jaguar, the other U.K. luxury brand—is owned by India’s Tata Motors Ltd.
Toyota Did Well, but Perception Dampened
Japan’s Toyota, which is facing a litany of allegations regarding its car quality, had a good showing despite the fact that overall its quality dropped whereas the rest of its competitors gained in quality, compared to last year.
Four of its models won the top marks in their segments—the Highlander SUV, the Prius hybrid compact car, the Sequoia minivan, and the Tundra pickup truck.
Toyota issued massive recalls over the last three months—affecting more than 8.5 million vehicles globally—related to its vehicles’ brakes, steering, and gas pedals.
