New J.D. Powers quality numbers are out

Here's a direct link to the numbers. In a nutshell, Lexus is on top again, closely followed by the usual Japanese suspects. Surprisingly, Porsche and Buick managed to find their way into the very top. Meanwhile, Mercedes is below average.

Apparently, these numbers refer to 2000 model year cars, so they represent a trailing indicator of manufacturer quality. I'm surprised BMW is as high as it is, given all the crap I've had with my own BMW. But, hey, that's just me.

Those numbers strike me oddly as well.

To find Suzuki and Isuzu scoring so low is shocking. Especially when Saturn is above the black line. I had a Saturn as my first car and it was not exactly well built IMHO.

I don't know what the metodology is, but I can't imagine that if problems are not reported that they could be taken into account. And there's a big difference in the mindset of a person that buys a Saturn and one that buys a Volvo (to pick the luxury manufacturer that scored lowest). The Saturn owner might not report a loose screw, but a Volvo owner probably will.

That's a good point. There were a couple of build quality issues with my Suzuki that I fixed myself (loose screws). But, if anything goes wrong with my Saab, I bring it in for service (even dead light bulbs).

You're suprised that Isuzu scored low? I've never heard of a good Isuzu.

i'm surprised, too. i've owned two troopers and an amigo over the years, and i've never done anything but scheduled maintenance. great vehicles.

of course, their lineup now is transforming into rebadged GM vehicles. oh well.

--dan.

I own / have owned:

• 1988 Trooper II with 190,000 miles and works like new after $1000 worth of service when I purchased it with 184,000 miles.
• 1993 Trooper with 113,000 miles. Needed a new exhaust recently, but other than that it works 100%
• 2000 Rodeo lease. No mojor problems, but doesn't seem as rugged as the older Troopers.

Just goes to show, different people have very different experiences with different products. I'll never figure it out

Another thing to point out is that these numbers represent a change from JD Powers surveys past... previously it was based on 5 year periods, where this one is based on a 3 year period. This might explain some of the jumps around the scale as compared to previous years.

I'm also surprised that Lexus can be considered more reliable than Toyota, Infinity than Nissan, and Acura than Honda since each pair is just one company.

- trs

but the products don't always come out of the same factories.

--dan.

but the products don't always come out of the same factories.

I'll vouch for that. I'm quite happy with the build quality of my Prelude which was actually built in Japan. Is it better than an American/Canadian Honda? I don't really know, but it seems like it should be. It's had one waranty repair in two and a half years, which is fine with me.

Matthew

Acuras (other than NSXs, I assume) are built exclusively in the US (maybe Canada and Mexico, too?), and rank higher than Hondas in that list.

I don't know what the metodology is

Methodology. Damn.

Anyway, someone on another board claims that it's done by an in-depth independent survey, so the reporting of problems might not affect the results as much as I claimed it might, or at all.

Acuras (other than NSXs, I assume) are built exclusively in the US (maybe Canada and Mexico, too?), and rank higher than Hondas in that list.

Well, Honda stopped making the Prelude about two years ago, and it really was a drop in the bucket compared to all the Civics and Accords Honda sells That a Honda would have more problems than an Acura is strange. I suspect we'd need access to the data and a statistician to really get to the bottom of it.

Taking a closer look, how the heck did Buick grab the number three spot? That seems phenomenal for a car company that seems to be on its last legs and is supposed to represent all that is wrong with American car companies. As far as I know, no one under 60 buys them, and they're viewed as the most boring thing you can drive. Strange.

Porsche is also odd. They're suppsed to be fun, not reliable. Though I suspect the majority of Porsches that are sold aren't daily drivers and may get less milage in the 3 years.

Matthew

Taking a closer look, how the heck did Buick grab the number three spot? That seems phenomenal for a car company that seems to be on its last legs and is supposed to represent all that is wrong with American car companies. As far as I know, no one under 60 buys them, and they're viewed as the most boring thing you can drive. Strange.

1) Old technology tends to be perfected. Building a gas-guzzling 4L V8 sedan is hardly innovative. VW's ratings have been murdered by coilpack issues. But the 1.8T is innovative - environmentally friendly and still capable of packing a punch.
2) Retirees don't drive 1-2 hours per day commuting to/from work. Same story as the Porsches.

I find GMC/Chevy interesting, given that the GMC model line is made up of only trucks or truck based vehicles.

I don't know what the metodology is

Methodology. Damn.

I dunno one of the guys here at work originally from Ireland pronounces it "met-ud-ol-ogy "

More new numbers. I saw this report in USA Today, while I was in a hotel. J.D. Power apparently runs a private survey, normally only shown to manufacturers, that measure what percentage of service visits to the dealer were for repairs vs. regular maintenance. "USA TODAY obtained one of the automaker reports."

The results seem to parallel other quality numbers that we've seen, although there isn't a single European manufacturer in the above-average category, while GM has several such slots. Also interesting, Honda outscored Acura, Toyota outscored Lexus, and (most bizzare of all) Suzuki is way up on the list.