2012 JD Power Initial Quality Study Close-up Look

By Steve Purdy
TheAutoChannel.com
Michigan Bureau

Detroit MI June 19, 2012; The U.S. auto industry posted the best improvement in performance since 2009 in this year’s important Initial Quality Survey conducted by J.D. Power and Associates. In the IQS’ 26 year history the average new car has improved by more than a third in term so the number of problems reported in the first three months of ownership. For 2012 around 74,000 respondents answered 228 questions about their experience with new cars.

Dave Sargent, J.D. Power vice president of Global Automotive, presented this year’s findings to a gathering of the Detroit Automotive Press Association this week providing both the numbers and some analysis. He reported the best industry average ever - a PP100 (problems per 100 vehicles) of 102.

GM had their best year ever as Cadillac took 4th overall for the best brand, improving 5 slots from last year, Malibu ranked highest in the Midsize Car Segment and Tahoe took the honors in the Large Crossover/SUV Segment. Escalade and SRX both won their categories as did the Sierra Light Duty pickup. The Buick Enclave raked highest in the Midsize Crossover/SUV Segment improving 10 places from last year.

Ford did not have a good year primarily due to problems reported with the new MyFordTouch voice-activated infotainment and navigation system. Sargent gives Ford credit for “taking one for the team” in developing and producing an advanced system from which all other manufactures will learn. Fully 80% of new cars now come with some kind of sophisticated hands-free technology that can confuse new users and may result in some of the reported problems.

Lexus remains the highest-ranked brand for the second year with a score of just 73 PP100, perennially ranked among the best. This year the ES, LS and RX earned segment awards. Jaguar and Porsche were close behind at 75 PP100 each. Jaguar was most improved of the bunch.

Other brands gaining top rankings in their segments are: Mazda MX5, Volvo C70, Kia Soul, Honda CR-V.

At the very bottom of the list are MINI, Fiat and smart.

Why?

Well, in the cases of Fiat and smart it is probably because they only have one model without the advantage of spreading averages out over existing, well-sorted other models. MINI is built by quality leader BMW and it has five or six models that have been around for a while, so that one remains a mystery. Others that went down in the rankings can attribute much of it to the new infotainment and other advanced electronics that are so innovative that they can confuse owners. If a navigation system, for example, does not recognize your voice commands is likely to be dinged for that. Or, in Ford’s case, the new MyFordTouch system came out about the time of the new 4G iPhone but was not updated in time to accommodate those early adopters. That caused a few gigs.

Mr. Sargent emphasized the breadth of the 2012 segment awards. “While in past years a handful of brands tended to collect numerous segment awards, 14 different brands receive segment awards in 2012 - only the second time in the history of the study that so many different brands achieved award status,” he said. “This is a positive indication of how widespread high quality is among automakers, with most brands producing a number of models with exceptional quality levels.”

Considering that it was not many years ago the average PP 100 was well over 150 and currently the average is just over 100 the automakers have done an admirable job of maximizing the quality of new cars. Also, not long ago the Detroit Three had dismal records. Today they are as good as any makers in the world.

Part of the study results in awards for the best assembly plants. It makes sense, does it not, to honor those factories that produce the best cars. The PP100 numbers are simply massaged to come up with these winners, excluding some kinds of problems that do not relate to the assembly. The best assembly line quality award went to Honda’s Suzuka3 plant in Mie, Japan where the CR-Z and Fit are produced.