J.D. Power Dependability Study Offers Some Surprising News

By Joe Overby, Staff Writer
March 19, 2009

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — J.D Power and Associates unveiled its 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study Thursday, which in a bit of an upset, ranked Buick and Jaguar in a tie for the most dependable brand, knocking off Lexus from the top of the list.

Lexus had previously held the No. 1 spot every year it was a part of the study.

"Quality and craftsmanship have always been one of the defining characteristics of the Buick brand," pointed out Susan Docherty, General Motors North America vice president for Buick, Pontiac and GMC.

"The added value of that dependability, combined with premium materials and refined, responsive performance, is something our customers have come to expect from every Buick, and it's the driving force behind the continuing transformation of the brand," she continued.

Buick, in particular, jumped up from the No. 6 spot in last year's rankings, while Jaguar climbed from No. 10.

"Ranking top in the United States' leading survey on vehicle dependability is recognition that Jaguar not only makes the most desirable cars, but now, the most dependable too," explained Mike O'Driscoll, Jaguar's managing director.

"And quality and reliability are only a part of Jaguar's new success," he continued. "Just this year, we've introduced two outstanding new engine series that set the standard for performance, fuel economy and emissions, while our new super high-performance models, the XFR and XKR, are getting excellent reviews from the world's auto writers."

Rounding out the top five for 2009, respectively, were Lexus, Toyota and Mercury.

The Vehicle Dependability Study also honored models across individual segments, and leading the way was Toyota, which captured five segment awards (Highlander, Prius, Sequoia, Solara and Tundra).

Lexus was next with four (ES 330 tied with Acura RL, GX 470, LS 430, SC 430).

"We are pleased with the results from J.D. Power and Associates' Vehicle Dependability Study, which is just one of many third-party studies that track long-term quality and durability," stated Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales.

Additionally, Toyota officials indicated that the number of Toyota safety recalls in 2008 was down about 85 percent compared to 2005, while vehicle-warranty repair rates continue to decline for the seventh-consecutive year.

"We're proud that TMS vehicles garnered more segment awards than any other automaker, including the Lexus LS 430, which at 61, has the lowest PP100 in the entire industry," Lentz continued.

"This is great news and timely for both our customers and our dealers, especially in today's market where consumers are re-evaluating their purchase intentions on everything from groceries to large-ticket items, like vehicles," he added.

Meanwhile, Lincoln won two segment awards with the Mark LT and Zephyr.

Acura, Buick, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Mercury, Nissan and Scion each won one segment award.

"Buick has ranked among the top 10 nameplates each year since the study was last redesigned in 2003, while Jaguar has moved rapidly up the rankings," explained David Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power.

"Lexus remains a very strong competitor in long-term quality," he noted. "In particular, the Lexus LS 430 sets the industry standard for dependability, with fewer problems reported than any other model in the study."

The study measures the problems experienced by original owners of three-year-old (2006 model year) vehicles.

It encompasses 202 different problem symptoms related to all areas of a vehicle. Dependability is determined by the level of problems experienced per 100 units.

Gauging dependability can be particularly important for automakers in today's environment, where consumers are holding onto their vehicles longer, officials suggested.

"In the current economic climate, consumers are delaying new-vehicle purchases and keeping their vehicles longer — the average age of a vehicle at trade-in has increased to 73 months in 2009 from 65 months in 2006," Sargent shared.

"This makes vehicle dependability even more critical. Automakers have improved long-term dependability by an average of 10 percent each year since the inception of the study, which is a testament to the industry's commitment to continuously improve and sustain quality, especially long-term quality," he continued.

Moreover, the level of severity and frequency of parts replacements can strongly influence how loyal a consumer is to a brand, particularly in the areas of engine and transmission, the study indicated.

For instance, officials said that when engine components are replaced or rebuilt, only 11 percent of customers said they definitely plan on buying or leasing from the same brand.

And when consumers don't have to replace engine components, 40 percent claimed they will return to the brand.

"Making improvements in long-term quality not only satisfies customers who are holding onto their vehicles longer, but it will also influence their decisions when they return to the new-vehicle market or are seeking to purchase a pre-owned vehicle," Sargent highlighted.

Additionally, the company basically found that Buick, Lincoln, Mercury and Jaguar owners are the least likely to have to replace parts.

Breaking it down by segment, premium sports vehicles are the most likely to require parts replacement, while van owners are the least likely to need to replacements.

Below are the 2009 nameplate rankings (with problems per 100 vehicles), followed by individual segment winners:

2009 Nameplate Rankings

—Buick: 122

—Jaguar: 122

—Lexus: 126

—Toyota: 129

—Mercury: 134

—Infiniti: 142

—Acura: 146

—Lincoln: 147

—Cadillac: 148

—Honda: 148

—Porsche: 150

—Audi: 159

—Ford: 159

—Hyundai: 161

—Subaru: 162

—Chrysler: 165

—BMW: 166

Industry Average: 170

—GMC: 174

—Mercedes-Benz: 184

—Chevrolet: 185

—Mitsubishi: 185

—Volvo: 186

—Nissan: 199

—Dodge: 202

—Mini: 205

—Saturn: 211

—Kia: 218

—Jeep: 220

—Pontiac: 220

—Hummer: 221

—Scion: 222

—Saab: 226

— Mazda: 227

—Isuzu: 234

—Land Rover: 238

—Volkswagen: 260

—Suzuki: 263

Top Three Models per Car Segment

Sub-Compact Car

Highest Ranked: Scion xA

Suzuki Aerio

Chevrolet Aveo

Compact Car

Highest Ranked: Toyota Prius

Toyota Matrix

Pontiac Vibe

Compact Sports Car

Highest Ranked: Mazda MX-5 Miata

Subaru Impreza

Pontiac Solstice Convertible

Midsize Sports Car

Highest Ranked: Toyota Solara

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Ford Mustang

Midsize Car

Highest Ranked: Buick LaCrosse

Toyota Camry

Mercury Milan

Large Car

Highest Ranked: Mercury Grand Marquis

Buick Lucerne

Mercury Montego

Compact Premium Sports Car

Highest Ranked: Nissan 350Z

Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

Acura RSX

Entry Premium Vehicle

Highest Ranked: Lincoln Zephyr

Cadillac CTS

Infiniti G-Series

Midsize Premium Car

Highest Ranked: Acura RL (tie)

Lexus ES 330 (tie)

Infiniti M-Series

Large Premium Car

Highest Ranked: Lexus LS 430

Lincoln Town Car

Cadillac DTS

Premium Sports Car

Highest Ranked: Lexus SC 430

Porsche 911

Chevrolet Corvette

Top Three Models per Truck/Multi-Activity Vehicle Segment

Compact MAV

Highest Ranked: Honda Element

Honda CR-V

Mitsubishi Outlander

Midsize MAV

Highest Ranked: Toyota Highlander

Toyota 4Runner

Buick Rainier

Large MAV

Highest Ranked: Toyota Sequoia

Chevrolet Tahoe

Ford Expedition

Large Pickup

Highest Ranked: Toyota Tundra

Ford F-150 LD

GMC Sierra LD

Midsize Pickup

Highest Ranked: Ford Ranger

Honda Ridgeline

Toyota Tacoma

Van

Highest Ranked: Dodge Caravan

Ford Freestar

Toyota Sienna

Midsize Premium MAV

Highest Ranked: Lexus GX 470

Acura MDX

Lexus RX 330/RX400h

Large Premium MAV

Highest Ranked: Lincoln Mark LT

Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Lincoln Navigator