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Lexus, Porsche Top Automotive Quality List
Luxury automakers Lexus and Porsche topped this year's J.D. Power list of automotive quality as the auto industry in general, including American manufacturers, showed an impressive gain in building more dependable vehicles, according to the annual survey released today.
The study, which measures the problems reported by the owners of 2002 model year vehicles, found that long-term quality across all brands and makers rose 12% from last year's results, according to Westlake Village-based J.D. Power & Associates. The categories showing the most significant improvements in 2005 included ride, handling and braking; engine; and interior.
Eight General Motors models and five from Ford Motor Co. received the highest rankings in their categories, while the owners of South Korean-made Hyundai vehicles reported the largest reduction in problems, according to the survey, which is based on the responses from more than 50,000 vehicle owners.
"Even though there is still room for improvement, Hyundai is a great example of an automaker that is making strides toward improving vehicle quality by paying close attention to owner feedback and designing products with both short- and long-term quality in mind," said J.D. Powers research chief Chance Parker in a statement.
Despite industrywide improvements, Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus brand continued to lead the quality rankings, taking first place for the eleventh consecutive year. The Lexus quality score improved 14% compared to last year to 139 reported problems for every 100 vehicles.
The quality score for Porsche, which placed second among nameplates, shot up 38% — the largest percentage increase in this year's survey — to 149 problems for every 100 vehicles.
Meanwhile, Kia Motors of South Korea came in at the bottom of the quality rankings, with 397 problems for every 100 vehicles.
J.D. Power Nameplate Ranking
(Problems per 100 vehicles)
Lexus 139
Porsche 149
Lincoln 151
Buick 163
Cadillac 175
Infiniti 178
Toyota 194
Mercury 195
Honda 201
Acura 203
BMW 225
Ford 231
Chevrolet 232
Chrysler 235
Industry Average 237