After dethroning Porsche for the first time in three years, Lexus is once again atop the J.D. Power and Associates’ Initial Quality Study. The latest study also revealed that quality at Ford and Chevrolet is now virtually on par with that at Toyota .
According to the study, Ford and Chevy now rank 7th and 8th – respectively – in initial quality, directly behind Toyota in the 6th spot. Moreover, Ford and Chevy posted scores of 102 and 103 problems per 100 vehicles, giving them a virtual tie with Toyota at 101.
“There is no statistical difference between a 101 and a 102 or, for that matter, between a 101 and a 103,” David Sargent, J.D. Power’s vice president of automotive research, told Automotive News.
Porsche (84), Cadillac (91), Hyundai (95), Honda (99) and Mercedes-Benz (101) rounded out the rest of the top five. Lexus took the top spot with 84 problems per 100 vehicles.
Jeep , Saab , smart , Land Rover and MINI filled out the bottom five spots, scoring 137, 138, 138, 150 and 165, respectively.
Overall, the study showed that quality is improving throughout the industry. This year’s industry average was 108 problems per 100 vehicles, down from last year’s average of 118 and the best in the study’s 23 year history. In particular, the domestic automakers have greatly improved their quality, with many marques eliminating the quality gap between themselves and foreign rivals.
Cadillac, in particular, has done very well, improving its spot on the list from 25th in 2007 to 3rd in 2009. On the other hand, Cadillac’s cross-town rival Lincoln is moving in the opposite direction, slipping from 3rd in 2007 all the way down to the 26th spot this year.
