J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Buick and Jaguar Tie to Rank Highest for Vehicle Dependability

Toyota Motor Corporation Captures Ten Segment Awards; Ford Motor Company Garners Four

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., March 19 /PRNewswire/ — Buick and Jaguar each rank highest in vehicle dependability in a tie, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study(SM) (VDS) released today. Buick improves from a sixth-place ranking in 2008, while Jaguar improves from 10th place. Following in the top five rankings this year are Lexus, Toyota and Mercury.

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Toyota garners five segment awards–more than any other nameplate in 2009–for the Highlander, Prius, Sequoia, Solara and Tundra. Lexus follows with four segment awards for the ES 330 (in a tie with the Acura RL), GX 470, LS 430 and SC 430. Lincoln captures two awards for the Mark LT and Zephyr. Models by Acura, Buick, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Mercury, Nissan and Scion each rank highest in one segment.

“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,” said David Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power and Associates. “Lexus remains a very strong competitor in long-term quality. 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, which measures problems experienced by original owners of three-year-old (2006 model year) vehicles, has been redesigned to include 202 different problem symptoms across all areas of the vehicle. Overall dependability is determined by the level of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality. The study is used extensively by vehicle manufacturers worldwide to help design and build better vehicles–which typically retain higher resale values–and by consumers to help them make more-informed choices for both new and used vehicles.

“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,” said Sargent. “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. 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.”

The study finds that the frequency and severity of component replacement has a particularly strong impact on customer loyalty intentions. Component areas for which the impact is greatest include engine and transmission. When engine components are replaced or rebuilt, just 11 percent of customers state that they definitely intend to purchase or lease another vehicle of the same make, compared with nearly 40 percent among owners who report replacing no components.

The study also finds that Buick, Lincoln, Mercury and Jaguar owners are less likely to replace components than owners of other vehicle brands. While component replacement rates are similar for premium and non-premium makes, there are notable differences between vehicle segments. Owners of models in the premium sporty vehicle segment are least likely to replace components, while owners of models in the van segment are most likely to replace components.

The 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from more than 46,000 original owners of 2006 model-year vehicles. The study was fielded in October 2008.

Find more detailed findings on vehicle dependability as well as model photos and specs by reading an article and reviewing brand and segment dependability ratings at JDPower.com.

    2009 Nameplate Ranking
    Problems per 100 Vehicles
    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 Segment
    Car Segments
    Sub-Compact Car
    Highest Ranked: Scion xA
    Suzuki Aerio
    Chevrolet Aveo

    Compact Car
    Highest Ranked: Toyota Prius
    Toyota Matrix
    Pontiac Vibe

    Compact Sporty Car
    Highest Ranked: Mazda MX-5 Miata
    Subaru Impreza
    Pontiac Solstice Convertible

    Midsize Sporty 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 Sporty 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 Sporty Car
    Highest Ranked: Lexus SC 430
    Porsche 911
    Chevrolet Corvette

    Top Three Models per Segment
    Truck / Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) Segments
    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

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction. The company’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

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