Lexus (yawn) once again won the J.D. Power & Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), which measures problems after three years of ownership. But that's not news. Lexus has won or tied for first the past 14 years. What is important is that cars known for their technology generally fared better than the industry as a whole. Lexus, Cadillac, Acura, BMW, Lincoln, and Jaguar were all in the top 10 and Porsche and Infiniti were also above average while only Audi and Mercedes-Benz were (slightly) below average. In other words, the technology you find on these cars - navigation, Bluetooth, active cruise control, parking sonar, sophisticated engine and traction controls, and the like - don't break down enough to make a difference on the reliability ratings.
This is probably the most useful of the many Power reliability studies since the Initial Quality Study (IQS) measures problems after 90 days and not that many things fall off cars in the first hree months. Power's APEAL (automotive performance execution and layout) study is also useful in measure what turns people on about the cars they just bought. Power says the typical car experiences 75% more problems in year three than in the first 90 days.
The average brand had 5% fewer problems this year than last. Saab made the biggest jump in quality this year but, like last year's biggest gainer (Hummer), it wasn't enough to get them above a below-average ranking. Mazda, Porsche, Land Rover, and Nissan also had gains of 50 points or more on their scores. Last year Buick tied Lexus for No. 1; this year it fell to sixth. Scion, Jeep, and Subaru also saw their scores fall. 28 scores rose; 9 fell.
Stuff that still doesn't work right
According to Power, half the items that made the top 10 list of problem areas three years ago continue to be top ten annoyances: wind noise, noisy brakes, vehicle pulling left or fight (insert election-year joke here), instrument panel/dashboard woes, and window fogging. Power's David Sargent says it means automakers need to "focus on these issues prior to vehicle launch." Of course, it could also mean that some things defy easy fixes.
Duh: Dependable cars are worth more used
According to Power, and this seems obvious, but Power has quantified it: Used cars that are seen as more reliable bring more money at trade-in time, and sell for more used. Last year, Power said, a car at the top of the dependability charts might be worth 15% more used. This year, Power adds, cars that average less than 35% problem growth (vs. the 75% average) over three years are the ones where owner satisfaction actually grows over time, and they're more likely to recommend their brands to friends.
Hot stuff: Lexus, Toyota, also Ford and Honda
J.D. POWER 2008 VEHICLE DEPENDABILITY STUDY
Rank, Brand, 2008, 2007, Rank 2007, Gain
1. Lexus, 120 PP/100 (2008), 145 PP/100 (2007), 1st last year, +25 points gain
2. Mercury, 151, 168, 4, +17
3. Cadillac, 155, 162, 3, +7
4. Toyota, 159, 178, 6, +19
5. Acura, 160, 207, 12, +47
6. Buick, 163, 145, 1, -18
7. BMW, 164, 182, 7, +18
8. Lincoln, 165, 182, 7, +17
9. Honda, 177, 169, 5, -8
10. Jaguar, 178, 197, 11, +19
11. Porsche, 193, 252, 29, +59
12. Mitsubishi197, 228, 21, +31
13. Hyundai, 200, 228, 21, +28
14. Infiniti, 204, 215, 14, +11
15. Ford, 204, 221, 18, +17
-- Average, 206, 216, --, +10
16. Audi, 207, 234, 24, +27
17. Mercedes-Benz, 215, 212, 13, -3
18. Nissan, 224, 274, 30, +50
19. Pontiac, 225, 220, 16, -5
20. GMC, 226, 222, 19, -4
21. Subaru, 228, 192, 9, -36
21. Mazda, 228, 289, 33, +61
23. Chrysler, 229, 249, 28, +20
24. Dodge, 230, 236, 25, +6
25. Mini, 233, 247, 27, +14
26, Chevrolet, 239, 226, 20, -13
27. Hummer, 241, 242, 26, +1
28. Scion, 243, 220, 16, -23
29. Volvo, 244, 230, 23, -14
30. Saturn, 250, 274, 30, +24
31. Jeep, 253, 219, 15, -34
32. Volkswagen, 253, 298, 34, +45
33. Saab, 254, 319, 35, +65
34. Isuzu, 274, 322, 36, +48
35. Kia, 278, 288, 32, +10
36. Suzuki, 302, 324, 38, +22
37. Land Rover344, 398, 37, +54
NA Oldsmobile --, 196, 10, NA (R.I.P.)
Measured in problems per 100 cars after three years of ownership. Table shows rank this year, automaker, score this year, score last year (2007), rank last year, and gain year over year. Oldsmobile left the market in 2004 so there are no three-year-old Oldsmobiles in 2008 and no ranking this year.
VDS - TOP CARS BY SEGMENT
In order of finish (except where it says "tie")
Top Three Models per Segment
Car Segments
Sub-Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Hyundai Accent
Scion xA
Chevrolet Aveo
Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Toyota Prius
Mitsubishi Lancer
Toyota Corolla
Compact Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Mazda Miata
Toyota Celica
Subaru Outback Sport
Midsize Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Toyota Camry Solara Coupe/Convertible
Mitsubishi Eclipse
Midsize Car
Highest Ranked: Buick Century
Mercury Sable
Toyota Camry Sedan
Large Car
Highest Ranked: Ford Crown Victoria
Mercury Grand Marquis
Buick Park Avenue
Compact Premium Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Honda S2000
BMW Z4 (tie)
Porsche Boxster (tie)
Entry Premium Vehicle
Highest Ranked:
Lexus IS 300/IS 300 SportCross
BMW 3 Series
BMW X3
Midsize Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Lexus ES 330
Lexus GS 300/GS 430
Acura RL
Large Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Lexus LS 430
Lincoln Town Car
Cadillac DeVille
Premium Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Lexus SC 430
Ford Thunderbird
Porsche 911
Truck / Multi -Activity Vehicle (MAV) Segments
Compact MAV
Highest Ranked: Honda Element (tie)
Toyota RAV4 (tie)
Honda CR-V
Midsize MAV
Highest Ranked: Toyota Highlander
Buick Rainier
Mercury Mountaineer
Large MAV
Highest Ranked: Toyota Sequoia
Chevrolet Suburban
Ford Excursion
Large Pickup
Highest Ranked: Toyota Tundra
Ford F-150 LD
Dodge Ram Pickup LD
Midsize Pickup
Highest Ranked: Ford Ranger
Toyota Tacoma
Dodge Dakota
Van [includes minivan]
Highest Ranked: Mercury Monterey
Ford E-Series
GMC Savana
Midsize Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: Lexus GX 470
Lexus RX 330
Volvo XC70
Large Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: Lexus LX 470
Cadillac Escalade EXT
Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV
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