Ford Comes out on Top in J.D. Power Quality Survey

Detroit’s carmakers—assisted by Ford and a few of the most successful new-model introductions in history—have outstripped European and Asian competitors in initial vehicle quality for the first time ever, according to a highly regarded survey released Thursday.

For model year 2010, General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford experienced 108 problems for every 100 vehicles, contrasted with 109 problems for every 100 European and Asian cars, J.D. Power and Associates reported at an Automotive Press Association lunch meeting today.

Vehicles like the Ford Fusion, Buick Enclave, Ford Focus, and Dodge Ram boosted Detroit’s success for 2010, the market research company announced.

Hindered by the performance of Toyota Motor Corporation, the overall quality of new vehicles sold in the U.S. dropped slightly this past year—the first such decline since 2007, according to the J.D. Power study.

In specific segments, J.D. Power reported that American brands top rivals in pickups and cars, while foreign vehicles lead the pack in SUVs, crossovers, and vans. J.D. Power has been conducting the survey for 24 years now.

With 12 vehicles placing in the top three of their respective categories, Ford was primarily responsible for Detroit’s strong showing in the most recent study. With an average of less than one problem per new vehicle, Ford leaped from eighth place in 2009 to fifth place this year, which is its best performance on record. Ford also holds the honor of being the highest-rated non-luxury automaker in the study as well.

Overall, the quality of GM vehicles fell, with all four GM brands coming in under the industry average, although the carmaker had ten models placed in the top three of their respective categories. With 114 problems per 100 new models, Buick remained the only GM brand to see improvements in the survey. J.D. Power reported that GM was dragged down by the launch of a number of new models, such as the Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Camaro, and the Cadillac SRX.

All four Chrysler brands improved but still ranked below the industry average, although the new Dodge Ram pickup fell just below the industry average.

Auto Industry Declines

In 2010 overall, the quality of new vehicles fell across the industry to 109 problems per 100 new models from 108 problems in 2009. The results come from J.D. Power’s survey of 82,000 buyers of new cars following 90 days of ownership.

A main reason for the small decline in overall industry quality was the Toyota brand, which fell below the average for the industry for the first time in the survey’s history, to 21st place, experiencing 117 reported problems for every 100 vehicles.