GM makes big move up in J.D. Power quality survey

[dishdude]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/06/19/jd-power-initial-quality-survey-gm-ford/2437115/

"GM has the best quality of any corporation in industry," says Dave Sargent, J.D. Power's vice president of global automotive. It shows how fast a company with a flawed quality reputation can turn things around. "People were alleging their quality was so bad they deserved to go out of business."

Average problems per 100 vehicles of whole line:

Porsche 80
GMC 90
Lexus 94
Infiniti 95
Chevrolet 97
Acura 102
Toyota 102
Honda 103
Jaguar 104
Hyundai 106
Kia 106
Mercedes-Benz 106
Audi 108
Cadillac 108
Buick 109
Chrysler 109
Lincoln 113
INDUSTRY AVERAGE 113
BMW 114
Volvo 114
Smart 115
Land Rover 116
Jeep 118
Volkswagen 120
Mazda 125
Subaru 128
Dodge 130
Ford 131
Ram 132
Mini 135
Nissan 142
Mitsubishi 148
Fiat 154
Scion 161

 

[SLCraig]

Interesting numbers... Some are a bit puzzling, but what do I know.

 

[EType]

More remarkable to me is that Scion is at the bottom.

They were virtually at the top if I remember correctly.

You never see a radical plummet like that in any performance table and with autos, it usually takes time for changes like in either direction to occur.

It is truly astounding!

 

[Voltmaster]

I highly doubt a GM has less problem than toyota and honda.

I just will not believe that , I know plenty of people who have had hondas and toyotas for decades , neglected the car and it runs fine.

 

[coolbird101]

Looking at these #'s, I feel like I'm in a time warp. How long was I asleep?
This is so far away from what I would have expected, was this done on some sort of curve I'm not familiar with?

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Voltmaster
I highly doubt a GM has less problem than toyota and honda.

I just will not believe that , I know plenty of people who have had hondas and toyotas for decades , neglected the car and it runs fine.


This is initial quality, not long term quality.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

If Ford didn't have MYFordTouch and DCT in their most popular vehicles, they'd be near the top of the pack.

 

[supton]

Interesting list. A 2x spread across the listed vehicles. Just going off the list it implies a relatively tight spread--it is not as if you could choose poorly and wind up 10x more likely to have a lemon.

Of course, as I pointed out, this is initial quality, not quality after 100k/10 years.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: supton
Of course, as I pointed out, this is initial quality, not quality after 100k/10 years.


That's the one that really counts. I'd rather make 10 trips to the dealer in 90 days to fix things and drive trouble free for the next 100-150k than have nothing in 90 days and tons wrong in the long haul.

 

[Sunnyinhollister]

Originally Posted By: Voltmaster
I highly doubt a GM has less problem than toyota and honda.

I just will not believe that , I know plenty of people who have had hondas and toyotas for decades , neglected the car and it runs fine.


A car built 10 years ago by GM or Toyota/Honda has little relevance to a current model of the same make.

 

[rshaw125]

Hmmmm Mazda and VW way down the list. We've been told how good they are.

 

[RamFan]

While I think it's great to try and analyze and quantify reliability I believe these lists to be a little useless without more info. Sure GMC may only have 90 issues per 100 vehicles, but what are those 90 issues? Are they TSBs or Recalls? Meaning it is something the manufacturer is aware of and has taken measures to tell its consumer about and to address. Are those 90 issues small things like faulty switches, rattles, re-flashing? Or, are those 90 issues severe problems that are safety and/or performance concerns?

90 issues per 100 is great, I suppose, but then again 135 issues per 100 vehicles doesn't seem very bad either. Bottom line, I'm more concerned with what these issue are.

 

[sciphi]

I'm not surprised. As a purchaser of a vehicle built under the "new" GM, I've been very happy with it. The interior is still rattle-free 2 years on, and the car still gets exceptional fuel mileage.

 

[mechanicx]

It makes you wonder and question sources like Consumer Reports and conventional wisdom.
While initial quality doesn't necessarily mean long-term reliability, in most cases especially with GM it most likely does and there's no reason to assume it doesn't.

Maybe now when I and others say GM models are as reliable or more as others people will believe it lol. I won't count on it though since it runs counter to a deeply held belief system.

 

[NateDN10]

From Car & Driver:
Quote:
Raffi Festekjian, J. D. Power’s director of automotive product research, explains that the IQS was designed to capture “things gone wrong” with a vehicle. Each one is called a “problem,” and it can be “either a fault in the assembly of the vehicle or a design issue.” A fault might be a poorly assembled door panel or a loose electrical connection, while a design issue is something that a customer doesn’t like—a multifunction cruise-control stalk, for example—even though the item is performing exactly as intended.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
I'm not surprised. As a purchaser of a vehicle built under the "new" GM, I've been very happy with it. The interior is still rattle-free 2 years on, and the car still gets exceptional fuel mileage.


The GM of today is NOT the GM of 10 years ago for sure! Nearly going out of business apparently gets you kick started

 

[SteveSRT8]

Haha, there's one for the vocal anti GM crowd here.

 

[Capa]

Originally Posted By: supton

This is initial quality, not long term quality.


Well that explains a lot. I'll never understand how BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagon nearly always do poorly on quality reports.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Haha, there's one for the vocal anti GM crowd here.


Me? I like GM products. Always have. Never cared for their plasticy interiors, though. Unlike Ford and Chrysler, they were the only American company that could make a 4 speed automatic transaxle work.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Haha, there's one for the vocal anti GM crowd here.


But of course they will ALWAYS 'pick and choose' to support their fave foreign nameplate purchases.

In other words, they will BLAST any and all surveys/lists/etc. when it shows domestic nameplates to be just as good (or heaven forbid, BETTER THAN) their sacred Nippon, or foreign nameplate, but of course will think/claim that these rags/surveys/industry watchers are the best thing since sliced bread, or the wheel, when it shows their stuff on top.