Toyota Unrivaled in Reliability Study
Toyota Motor Corp. of Japan 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 & Associates said Wednesday.
Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand, was the top-ranked nameplate for the 12th straight year. It was followed by Ford Motor Co.’s Mercury and General Motors Corp.’s Buick and Cadillac.
Last-place Land Rover, which is owned by Ford, lagged far behind the second-to-last brand, Saab, owned by GM. Land Rover owners reported 438 problems per 100 vehicles, while Saab owners reported 326.
For the study, Westlake Village-based J.D. Power questions owners of 3-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; in 2003 it was 31.
The improvement in dependability is good news both for motorists shopping for used vehicles and -- because 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 Motor Co. and GM each took four segments. Ford had two winners, and its Japanese affiliate Mazda Motor Corp. 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 was important for automakers because how owners feel about their vehicles three years on can have a big effect 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,” he said, “because those two categories ... have the greatest impact when it comes to customer satisfaction and repurchase intent.”
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Dependable rides
J.D. Power & Associates’ survey of vehicle dependability is based on questionnaires sent to owners of 2003 model-year vehicles. MAV, for multi-activity vehicle, refers to sport utility vehicles and crossovers.
Subcompact car
* Winner: Toyota Echo
* Runners-up: Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio
Compact car
* Winner: Honda Civic
* Runners-up: Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius
Compact Sporty Car
* Winner: Mazda Miata
* Runners-up: Toyota MR2 Spyder, Toyota Celica
Mid-size Sporty Car
* Winner: Chevrolet Monte Carlo
* Runners-up: Toyota Solara, Ford Mustang
Mid-size Car
* Winner: Buick Century
* Runners-up: Buick Regal, Mercury Sable
Large Car
* Winner: Mercury Grand Marquis
* Runners-up: Ford Crown Victoria, Buick Park Avenue
Compact Premium
Sporty Car
* Winner: Honda S2000
* Runners-up: BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
Entry Premium Car
* Winner: Acura CL
* Runners-up: Infiniti I35, Lexus IS 300 (tie)
Mid-size Premium Car
* Winner: Lexus GS 300/GS 430
* Runners-up: Acura RL, Lexus ES 300
Large Premium Car
* Winner: Lexus LS 430
* Runners-up: Cadillac DeVille, Lincoln Town Car
Premium Sporty Car
* Winner: Lexus SC 430
* Runners-up: Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Thunderbird
Compact MAV
* Winner: Toyota RAV4
* Runners-up: Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V
Mid-size MAV
* Winner: Toyota Highlander
* Runners-up: Honda Pilot, Buick Rendezvous
Large MAV
* Winner: GMC Yukon
* Runners-up: Chevrolet Suburban, Toyota Sequoia
Large Pickup
* Winner: Toyota Tundra
* Runners-up: Ford F-150, Ford F-250/F-350
Mid-size Pickup
* Winner: Ford Ranger
* Runners-up: Subaru Baja, Toyota Tacoma
Van
* Winner: Honda Odyssey
* Runners-up: Oldsmobile Silhouette; Chevrolet Express, Pontiac Montana (tie)
Mid-size Premium MAV
* Winner: Lexus GX 470
* Runners-up: Lexus RX 300, Infiniti FX-Series
Large Premium MAV
* Winner: Cadillac Escalade EXT
* Runners-up: Lexus LX 470, Cadillac Escalade
Source: J.D. Power & Associates
Los Angeles Times
