ducati996
Banned
Im glad it kind of bucks the trend and the perceptions being broadcasted from the recent woes from the big 3 and especially Ford
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Ford makes progress in quality study; Toyota brand slips
Last Update: 2:44 PM ET Jun 6, 2007
By John D. Stoll Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
DETROIT (Dow Jones)--Ford Motor Co. made significant strides in a closely watched annual quality study in which each of the Dearborn, Mich., auto maker's domestic brands came in above the industry average, helping the company close the gap with top Asian auto makers and distance itself from domestic counterparts.
The J.D. Power and Associates annual Initial Quality Study (IQS), released Wednesday, showed long-time leader Toyota Motor Corp.
continuing to lose ground in the study, with its high-volume Toyota brand slipping behind Honda Motor Co and barely outpacing Ford's Mercury brand. Ford was the most-awarded company on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis.
Toyota in years past dominated the study, but other auto makers have gradually picked up steam. Still, Toyota remains the fastest growing large auto maker in the U.S., and passed Ford for the No. 2 sales slot in the market in May.
General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG's (Chrysler Group) both failed to have a brand performing above the industry average in the study and actually saw setbacks at some key brands. GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson noted that there is a virtual dead-heat among many of the domestic mainstream brands that are rated at industry average, but he said "there is always room for improvement...we're good, but we need to get better."
Porsche and Toyota's Lexus were the top-performing brands in the study, followed by Ford's Lincoln nameplate. Honda's high-volume Honda brand was fourth in the survey and the top mainline brand. Mercedes-Benz, which took a reputation hit recently for quality problems, was the fifth-best brand in the survey.
The IQS, along with the firm's annual durability study, is considered an industry benchmark in terms of vehicle quality. In recent years, the study has shown a steady improvement in quality performance for Detroit's Big Three auto makers.
J.D. Power and Associates compiles its IQS by surveying new-car buys in the first three months of vehicle ownership and ranks auto makers and individual vehicles on a problems-per-100-vehicles-sold basis. The firm collected results from 450 owners of each vehicle in the study an 97,000 people were polled in total.
J.D. Power and Associates analyst Neal Oddes said the overall U.S. auto industry has increased quality has posted a 120% improvement in quality compared to the study conducted 20 years ago, in 2007. The industry's improvement in quality came as more and more brands have been introduced in the U.S. market, giving consumers more choice. The proliferation of choice has driven U.S. auto makers to increasingly focus on improving vehicle attributes, such as quality, in order to keep up.
Ford Quality Chief Bennie Fowler, in an interview, said Ford's improvement is indicative of "attention to detail and responding what customers want."
Ford has been scrambling to improve quality since a series of quality mishaps plagued the auto maker earlier in the decade. Oddes noted that Ford's newly-launched vehicles are helping drive the auto maker's gains.
Even as Ford gains ground in quality, it continues to lose U.S. market share as it backs away from selling heavy volumes of vehicles to rental car fleets and as it loses retail buyers on a consistent basis. In addition to improving quality, Ford has been trying to improve the image and resale value of its vehicles.
Oddes said GM has shown improvement in pockets, but GM in general is posting an inconsistent performance when it comes to vehicles it recently launched in the market. He said some are performing well, but some new vehicles have fallen off the mark. Wilkinson said the auto maker is scoring well with its consumers on issues like interior and design.
GM posted a retail sales gain over the first five months of the year.
-By John D. Stoll, Dow Jones Newswires; 248-204-5533; john.stoll@dowjones.com
=====================================================
Ford makes progress in quality study; Toyota brand slips
Last Update: 2:44 PM ET Jun 6, 2007
By John D. Stoll Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
DETROIT (Dow Jones)--Ford Motor Co. made significant strides in a closely watched annual quality study in which each of the Dearborn, Mich., auto maker's domestic brands came in above the industry average, helping the company close the gap with top Asian auto makers and distance itself from domestic counterparts.
The J.D. Power and Associates annual Initial Quality Study (IQS), released Wednesday, showed long-time leader Toyota Motor Corp.
continuing to lose ground in the study, with its high-volume Toyota brand slipping behind Honda Motor Co and barely outpacing Ford's Mercury brand. Ford was the most-awarded company on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis.
Toyota in years past dominated the study, but other auto makers have gradually picked up steam. Still, Toyota remains the fastest growing large auto maker in the U.S., and passed Ford for the No. 2 sales slot in the market in May.
General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG's (Chrysler Group) both failed to have a brand performing above the industry average in the study and actually saw setbacks at some key brands. GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson noted that there is a virtual dead-heat among many of the domestic mainstream brands that are rated at industry average, but he said "there is always room for improvement...we're good, but we need to get better."
Porsche and Toyota's Lexus were the top-performing brands in the study, followed by Ford's Lincoln nameplate. Honda's high-volume Honda brand was fourth in the survey and the top mainline brand. Mercedes-Benz, which took a reputation hit recently for quality problems, was the fifth-best brand in the survey.
The IQS, along with the firm's annual durability study, is considered an industry benchmark in terms of vehicle quality. In recent years, the study has shown a steady improvement in quality performance for Detroit's Big Three auto makers.
J.D. Power and Associates compiles its IQS by surveying new-car buys in the first three months of vehicle ownership and ranks auto makers and individual vehicles on a problems-per-100-vehicles-sold basis. The firm collected results from 450 owners of each vehicle in the study an 97,000 people were polled in total.
J.D. Power and Associates analyst Neal Oddes said the overall U.S. auto industry has increased quality has posted a 120% improvement in quality compared to the study conducted 20 years ago, in 2007. The industry's improvement in quality came as more and more brands have been introduced in the U.S. market, giving consumers more choice. The proliferation of choice has driven U.S. auto makers to increasingly focus on improving vehicle attributes, such as quality, in order to keep up.
Ford Quality Chief Bennie Fowler, in an interview, said Ford's improvement is indicative of "attention to detail and responding what customers want."
Ford has been scrambling to improve quality since a series of quality mishaps plagued the auto maker earlier in the decade. Oddes noted that Ford's newly-launched vehicles are helping drive the auto maker's gains.
Even as Ford gains ground in quality, it continues to lose U.S. market share as it backs away from selling heavy volumes of vehicles to rental car fleets and as it loses retail buyers on a consistent basis. In addition to improving quality, Ford has been trying to improve the image and resale value of its vehicles.
Oddes said GM has shown improvement in pockets, but GM in general is posting an inconsistent performance when it comes to vehicles it recently launched in the market. He said some are performing well, but some new vehicles have fallen off the mark. Wilkinson said the auto maker is scoring well with its consumers on issues like interior and design.
GM posted a retail sales gain over the first five months of the year.
-By John D. Stoll, Dow Jones Newswires; 248-204-5533; john.stoll@dowjones.com
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