J.D. Power to Move Survey Into Europe

J.D. Power and Associates, the influential U.S. market research firm that can make or break car makers’ reputations, said Friday it is moving into Europe with its car customer satisfaction surveys.

But rules on data protection are making it difficult for the company, founded in 1966 by former car industry executive Dave Power, to build up the databases it needs.

In Britain, it teamed up with Top Gear, a BBC TV program and magazine, for a survey of 16,250 users of cars from August, 1991, to July, 1992--and found that Toyota Motor Corp. topped the satisfaction league.

One of the main conclusions of the British survey was that Japanese and other Asian manufacturers had scores well over the industry average, while U.S. companies such as Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp scored well below average.

J.D. Power measures a Customer Satisfaction Index based on how the customer perceives a car’s performance, quality and after-sales service.

The results of its surveys are used by car buyers as guidance in purchase decisions and by car companies, which pay substantial amounts for detailed information, to improve their performance.

J.D. Power is in talks with the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency, which does have the addresses of motorists in Britain, to get indirect access to their database.

In France and Germany, it is now looking for TV programs similar to Top Gear to kick-start a survey.

The company tried once before to start up in Europe with a 1988 study of Belgium for six clients but the venture was unprofitable.