Lexus Tops J.D. Power Dependability Survey

Brand Named Most Dependable Car For 14th Straight Year, With 120 Problems Per 100 Cars

(AP)  Lexus once again stands alone atop a closely watched ranking of vehicle dependability after Buick slipped from the No. 1 spot it shared with the Japanese luxury brand last year, J.D. Power and Associates said Thursday.

It is the 14th straight year Toyota Motor Corp.'s high-end brand has held the top position in the annual study, which measures problems experienced by the original owners of vehicles after three years. Lexus had 120 problems per 100 vehicles, down from 145 last year.

"That's a pretty good track record," said Dave Sargent, J.D. Power's vice president of automotive research. "They benefited to some degree ... where a couple of their very important models in their second year on the market - the ES and the RX, which together account for over two-thirds of Lexus sales - both improved significantly."

Ford Motor Co.'s Mercury brand ranked second, followed by General Motors Corp.'s Cadillac. Toyota was fourth, and Honda Motor Co.'s Acura luxury brand was fifth. Land Rover, which Ford sold this year to India's Tata Motors Ltd., was the worst-performing brand, with 344 problems.

The industry average improved to 206 problems per 100 vehicles, from 216 a year ago.

Buick, owned by GM, fell to sixth place in this year's study with 163 problems, although its now-discontinued Buick Century was the top-ranked vehicle in the midsize car segment.

"The lower score is largely due to vehicles that are no longer in the marketplace," Sargent said. "The vehicles are still out there, so the study is still relevant. But obviously they had some problems."

Buick spokeswoman Debbie Frakes said J.D. Power's study is only one of several that the company focuses on.

"Obviously we're disappointed not to have been at the top, but as a brand we consistently rank high in many, many quality studies," she said.

GM's Saab brand was the most improved in this year's study, improving to 254 problems from 319. More than 60 percent of the 38 brands in the study improved from last year.

The No. 1 problem cited in the study, based on responses from more than 52,000 original owners of 2005 model-year vehicles, was wind noise, followed by noisy brakes, pulling to the left or right, dashboard issues and window fogging. The study weights all problems equally.

Vehicle dependability has been steadily improving across the industry overall, Sargent said. Since the 2005 study, the industry average has improved from 237 problems per 100 vehicles to 206 this year. That equates to slightly more than two problems per vehicle.

Furthermore, the types of problems reported have trended toward "soft" problems, like funny noises or aesthetic wear, in place of "hard" problems such as major technical defects, Sargent said.

"Improved quality is good for everybody. It's good for the consumer - they don't have the annoyance of problems, they don't have the costs associated," he said. "For the manufacturer, it's obviously good news because they don't have to pay so much in warranty repairs."

Broken out by segment, Lexus took top honors in six categories for its IS 300, ES 300 and LS 300 sedans, the SC 430 coupe, and the GX 470 and LX 470 utility vehicles. Toyota led four categories and tied Honda for a fifth. Toyota's Prius hybrid was the top-ranked vehicle in the compact car segment.

Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA, said the J.D. Power results are important because they reflect "real-world, long-term vehicle quality and dependability."

"In today's economic climate, consumers are considering durability more than ever as a key component to their vehicle purchase decision," he said in a written statement.

Besides the Buick Century, one other GM vehicle was ranked the best in its segment: The Chevrolet Monte Carlo took the honor amid midsize sporty cars. Ford led three categories with the Crown Victoria large car, the Ford Ranger midsize pickup and the Mercury Monterey minivan.

Chrysler LLC was the only Detroit automaker with no brands ranked better than the industry average.

Chrysler spokeswoman Mary Beth Halprin said its namesake and Dodge brands improved their ranking from the 2007 study and have improved by 24 percent over the past five years.

"In the last year, significant changes have been made in the way the new Chrysler LLC works on improving quality and customer satisfaction," Halprin said in a statement. "Those changes have already had a significant impact. The cars we are selling today are greatly improved."

J.D. Power's dependability results are watched closely by automakers and are often used in advertising. Owners' opinion of a car after three years can be a major influence on their opinion to buy that brand again.

[xmanborg]

I was supprised that HONDA came in below Ford-Mercury.

I have owned both a Ford and Honda and my Honda is a much better car then my Ford ever was.

[sroal92]

yeah, my dad still has a ''91 ford ranger that he''s had no problems with. on the other hand, my brother had an ''06 Accord that he wrecked... but i guess that
wasn''t Honda''s fault .

[Syndicate]

These studies are flawed. Look at number two on the list. Mercury. These are rebranded Fords. The are sold at the same dealers. They are repaired by the same mechanics. The are built in the same factories by the same people. They are designed by the same people on the same machines at the same time. Yet Mercury ranks higher than Ford? Interesting.

[enlightenu]

I have a 1978 Checker Aerobus with 876,945 on the odometer. Checker was the best car ever made.
Posted by gop_forever at 01:32 PM : Aug 07, 2008

that''s cool! How many doors does it have? Was it a taxicab?

[observer2020]

Like I can afford to buy a new car of any type, especially a Lexus! I''ll stick to my Olds with 250K on it and still running strong!

[incog-nito]

The luxury brands will almost always get better ratings, not because they are better than the regular brands but because the customer gets much better service. When you bring your car in for service or repair and immediately get a loaner car to get where you''re going, you will be a lot happier than the guy who has to sit there and wait, or wait for the shuttle, or having to get a ride from someone else. People should look at the "regular" brands to get a good idea of how well a manufacturer is doing.

[hunterdon6]

Any car will last if you take good care of it.

[random_radar]

"Any car will last if you take good care of it.

Posted by hunterdon6 at 06:39 PM : Aug 07, 2008"

If it is junk to begin with, it will last with good care and repair and replacement of all the defects. The question is how much of the car you want to repair and replace after spending good money for what you thought was a good car.

I would hazard to guess you are an autoworker or a hopeless romantic if you are implying that all cars are created equal.

[random_radar]

I rent cars all the time. Sometimes I get a toyota or a honda or a ford or a chrysler. There is definitely a difference in how they drive and feel and I choose my personal vehicles accordingly. There is no question what I am going to buy, but I do wonder why people buy the other brands. Maybe they think they are loyal Americans even though all four brands I mentioned are made in America.

[pollroller1]

I have a GM SUV that is 5 years old. I have had very few problems. I average 15.4 MPG. My wife has a Honda CRV that is two yeas old. She also has not had any problems. She gets 17.4 MPG. Most times if we are going shopping we take the Honda because it is smaller and easier to park. If we are going on a longer trip, we take the SUV because it is much more comfortable.

[jackp32]

I''ll vouch for rating Lexus No.1 for the past 14 yrs. I own an ''02 RX300. It has been a perfectly reliable vehicle. By the way, a friend of mine owns a Mercury and it has been recalled 4 times in the past few yrs. No. 2?

[kennedy7955]

"Any car will last if you take good care of it. Posted by hunterdon6"

Interesting theory. There is a lot of *** out there right off the showroom floors.

[photogeezer]

What matters is whether the car gets me faithfully to and from work for ten years or more. And I don''t have time to sit around repair shops. JD Power ratings are a joke if they don''t address the real use of a car, as an appliance to perform specific tasks with minimal maintenance. Suggest Consumer Reports April car issue for real world reliability stats. If your car or truck exists to glorify your ego, or as a part of your identity, then be looking at Motor Trend or Car and Driver. Heaven forbid that a car be "boring".

[spadeisspade]

120 problems per 100 is a GOOD rating?

Whatever, my 30 year old Buick Electra is the most reliable car I''ve ever owned, and when it finally has to be sent to that great scrap metal yard in the sky, I will be buying another ancient Buick. If you''re not into flashy, status cars, you have to remember- OLD PEOPLE DRIVE BUICKS. They take REALLY good care of their cars.

[daysrnumbrd]

Whatever, my 30 year old Buick Electra is the most reliable car I''''ve ever owned, and when it finally has to be sent to that great scrap metal yard in the sky, I will be buying another ancient Buick. If you''''re not into flashy, status cars, you have to remember- OLD PEOPLE DRIVE BUICKS. They take REALLY good care of their cars.

Posted by spadeisspade at 03:16 PM : Aug 08, 2008
............

That''s quite scary! A car that size being driven (through a store-front, or a crowd of people), by an "old person" who forgets which pedal is the brake and which one is the gas!

People 70 and over should be limited to scooters or golf carts! You can''t mow down dozens of people at a street fair, or drive through a store-front in a golf cart. And they go about as fast as you people like to drive anyway!

[daysrnumbrd]

People 70 and over should be limited to scooters or golf carts! You can''''t mow down dozens of people at a street fair, or drive through a store-front in a golf cart. And they go about as fast as you people like to drive anyway!

Posted by DaysRnumbrd at 06:45 PM : Aug 08, 2008
................

But just to be fair...

...people with more than one DUI should be limited to roller skates.

...people with more than one speeding conviction should have speed governors/restrictors on their cars.

...people who have caused more than one traffic accident should be limited to sub-compact vehicles (you can''t cause much damage to others in a "Smart Car").

This would keep the responsible drivers much safer on the roads, and being far more effective in saving lives than all airbags, anti-lock brakes, and stability control devices combined!

[cbsfan73]

I noticed that this survey was in years and not in miles driven. I know several old people with luxury cars that rarely drive them except on Sunday.

Most people that buy subcompacts or lower end cars drive the *** out of them. I''ll bet money if you compare by odometer rather than time that you will see a similar quality picture.

Like any lucrative business, J.D. Powers tailors their products (surveys) to meet the customer''s needs. Now, if you were a car manufacturer, which would you want to push as the best vehicle?

A $50,000 luxury or a $15,000 base model?

[sci311]

random_radar: Not all Hondas and Toyotas are made in America. Why do so many people think that?

JackP32: My dad''s Toyota has been recalled twice that I know of. Ever hear about that on the news? Gotta love silent recalls.

jeff92706: If your going to use these ratings to tout your Lexus, then look at the stats that show how the 12 Japanese nameplates only averaged 0.4 problems better than the 13 American "garbagemobile" nameplates.
http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2008115

BTW, if "patriotic" means disgusted by the loss of our manufacturing jobs, then "God bless America". And if you think that Honda and Toyota are making up for it, then you are sadly mistaken. Last I heard it was 5 jobs lost for every 1 gained.

[tryhonesty]

Toyota is known around the world for TPS (Toyota Production System). Check it out on google. You can go into any Toyota auto factory in the world, and the layout is about the same, on purpose, by design with pride, sharp, clean toward perfection. Toyota listens and respects its customers.

Toyota and Honda does not have "Ivy League without work experience" morons running its companies into the ground. Toyota and Honda has the combination of people who have "come up through the ranks", worked on the factory floor up to the executive office COMBINED with an excellent education. I have tried (what used to be)all the "Big Three" American automakers (along with other makes of cars) over the years. American car companies (take your pick) are rude, do not stand behind their products, and are not built well, problematic, and are very overpriced! I vowed to never step foot in an American car showroom again (8 years have passed since). My immediate family has owned over 40 Toyotas and a dozen Honda products over the last 35 years. I now have one Toyota and two Honda vehicles (the best in the world, I will put them against ANY other carmaker in the world). Period. I will never have an American built POS in my garage. EVER. Car guys like me are THE REASON American automakers are in BIG trouble!