Ford and GM Come out on Top of JD Power Study

For the first time in more than a decade a domestic vehicle has achieved the lowest incidence of problems according to the J.D. Power and Associates released their 2010 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) released this week.

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury ranked among the top 10 in vehicle dependability, as GM’s Buick brand placed third. Volkswagen came in third to last in the study with 225 problems per 100 vehicles. Porsche held the top spot with 110 problems per 100 vehicles.

According to the study, the brands that have the greatest lag time between dependability performance and consumer perception are Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Lincoln and Mercury.

The VMS found the average vehicle dependability among vehicle owners has improved by 7% over last year. Along with this improvement over last year’s study, the rate of component replacement has also decreased by about 3%. Of the respondents to the study, about 65% of owners indicated they replaced a vehicle component in 2010.

The study also ranked vehicles by model segments, listed the top three models per segment. Toyota received the most model segment awards than any other manufacturer, with four awards for the Highlander, Prius, Sequoia and Tundra. VW, who came in almost last place, did not receive any model segment awards.

J.D. Power analysts suggest four things automakers can do to help to increase vehicle dependability with customers, so when in the market for a new car they buy within the same brand as their current vehicle:

1. Provide extended warranties to demonstrate a brand’s faith in its products.

2. Incorporate features, materials and finishes in vehicles that have a rich feel.

3. Ensure new models launched have better quality than their predecessors.

4. Increase communication efforts between automakers and customers through social media networks.

The VDS measures the problems experienced by original owners of three-year-old vehicles (2007 model-year). Over 198 different problem symptoms across all areas of the vehicle were tested for the study. The study is based on responses from more than 52,000 original owners of 2007 model-year vehicles and was conducted between October and December 2009.