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Car and Driver calls out J.D. Power IQS

Jeff Sabatini — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:31:00 +0000

Filed under: Car Buying, Technology, Ford, Design/Style

Ford has taken it on the chin from J.D. Power since the carmaker rolled out its new MyFord Touch system in the 2011 Explorer. Ford's ranking in the influential Initial Quality Survey dropped from fifth last year all the way down to 23rd, in large measure because of customer dissatisfaction with the new technology and its voice recognition interface, but also because of refinement complaints about the PowerShift dual-clutch transmission in the Fiesta. But unlike, say, the Houston Cougars, who plummeted in the Bowl Championship Series rankings after getting blown out in the Conference USA title game this weekend, Ford can make a pretty good case that it's getting jobbed.

The traditional definition of quality when it comes to new cars and trucks has been based on those vehicles being free of defects. But in the last few years, the tide has been turning, in large measure because J.D. Power is increasingly weighing customer complaints related to design and, in particular, new electronic technology. Car and Driver paints the complaints that have dogged Ford among the latter, suggesting that these are less valid quality metrics than something like a poorly assembled door panel.

The venerable buff book doesn't stop at defending Ford, however, cautioning against what it sees as a trend "toward the lowest-common-denominator solutions to reduce design 'problems.'" Citing examples like BMW moving its cruise control from a separate stalk to buttons on the steering wheel to appease whining customers and Porsche getting dinged on IQS for using brake pads that generate too much dust, C/D doesn't say it outright, but certainly implies that J.D. Power is no longer pushing automakers in the right direction.

Car and Driver calls out J.D. Power IQS originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 J.D. Power Initial Quality report praises Lexus, Honda, pans Ford

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:04:00 +0000

Filed under: Car Buying, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Honda, Lexus

The calendar has kicked over to summer, and that means J.D. Power has just updated its Initial Quality report. The 2011 edition of the IQS is a bit surprising, mostly because the quality of new model launches has been trending upward since 2007 for the entire industry on average. The tune has changed for 2011, as J.D. Power notes the first quality decline in four years, though it notes that carryover models performed better than ever - it's the new models that are drawing complaints. It's not all bad news, though, as a few automakers have managed to stand out from the competition:

According to the study, which tracks buyer satisfaction after 90 days of ownership, Honda is a notable leader in quality, and its lineup shares seven awards for specific models. The Accord, Accord Crosstour, Civic, Element, Fit, Insight and Ridgeline all receive recognition from J.D. Power. Lexus isn't too far behind Honda, with four models getting the 2011 IQS thumbs up. Lexus also leads automakers in across-the-line quality, with Honda, Acura, Mercedes-Benz and Mazda chugging along right behind. Toyota showed strong signs of a comeback, motoring all the way from 21st place in 2010 back up to 7th place. Another item of note, is that Land Rover made a major leap in quality, and has reduced quality issues by 47 problem per every 100 vehicles.

According to JDP, the leading reasons noted for a drop in quality includes growing consumer dissatisfaction with engine/transmission issues and audio/navigation matters. Chief among those who were dinged by both factors is Ford, which drew black marks for its complex MyFordTouch/Sync technologies, along with its PowerShift dual clutch transmission behavior. The technology updates saw Ford plummet from 5th place overall (first among non-premium marques) to 23rd place out of 32 brands.

Read the full report by clicking past the jump.

Continue reading 2011 J.D. Power Initial Quality report praises Lexus, Honda, pans Ford

2011 J.D. Power Initial Quality report praises Lexus, Honda, pans Ford originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mulally facing pressure to fix Ford tech and quality glitches

Chris Shunk — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:59:00 +0000

Filed under: Technology, Crossover, Ford

Ford has had its share of quality issues with its fledgling MyFord Touch technology, and watchdogs like Consumer Reports and J.D. Power have taken notice. Bloomberg reports that Ford CEO Alan Mulally is all too aware of the automaker's latest technology glitches, saying, "We've had just a few issues with some technologies associated with Sync and MyFord Touch."

The "just a few issues" Mulally is referring to include reports of touchscreens blacking out, general complaints about a steep learning curve and a recent crossover ranking by Consumer Reports that placed the 2011 Explorer 17th out of 19 vehicles tested due in large part to the tech. CR also dropped the coveted "Recommended" nod for the 2011 Edge because of MyFord Touch.

Mulally's recent statements come just before the release of J.D. Power's June 23 new car quality report. J.D. Power's VP Dave Sargent claims the automaker's own data shows that quality has taken a hit, adding that Ford is "making an early warning to the market that this may be a problem." There is no telling how car buyers would react to Ford slipping a bit in the rankings, but the company's stellar performance in the study over the past few years has likely been a major reason why the Blue Oval managed to re-pass Toyota on the sales charts.

Ford isn't taking the potential quality issues lightly, recently spending $100 million to deploy laser-guided robots in 17 factories to help reduce wind noise in its automobiles. The robots will enable Ford to install doors to within one tenth of one millimeter of specification. The automaker is also working hard to stay on top of quality even as it continues the torrid pace of new vehicle launches.

Mulally facing pressure to fix Ford tech and quality glitches originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford, Honda lead latest J.D. Power owner loyalty survey

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 22:33:00 +0000

Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Toyota

Customer loyalty is incredibly important to automakers and something earned by providing both good products and service. J.D. Power has just put out its 2010 Customer Retention Study to show how well each automaker is doing at keeping existing car buyers coming back for more. Leading the way are Ford and Honda who tie each other with a 62 percent rate of customer retention. Hyundai, Lexus and Toyota are right on their heels however with a rate of 60 percent each.

Overall, import manufacturers have the edge on the domestics but that gap has slimmed down due to customers realizing that American automakers are producing a greater number of good products. Of the top 10 automakers in the study, nine are imports.

One of those imports is Kia, which has climbed the most compared to the 2009 study. Rising 21 percentage points, the Korean automaker now sees a rate of retention of 58 percent. That's 10 points above the industry average.

Be sure to click past the jump to take a look at the full press release for more information on this study.

[Source: J.D. Power]

Continue reading Ford, Honda lead latest J.D. Power owner loyalty survey

Ford, Honda lead latest J.D. Power owner loyalty survey originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Domestics surpass imports as a whole in 2010 J.D. Power APEAL study

Michael Harley — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Suzuki, Volkswagen

Click above for gallery of the graphics from J.D. Power and Associates

Porsche once again grabs the top spot (for the sixth time in a row) in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study. This year's study asked 76,000 owners 90 days after purchasing their 2010 model-year cars "how gratifying their new vehicle is to own and drive." The answer, for the first time since 1997, was that the domestic brands were more "appealing" as a whole than the imports (the domestics earned a score of 787 on a 1,000-point scale - 13 points greater than the imports).

When it comes down to specific awards (as shown in the segment-level graphics), Ford leads with five. The automaker earned one each for the Expedition, Explorer Sport Trac, Flex, Fusion and Taurus. Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen each garner two awards. The Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Avalanche, both segment leaders, are the only two models that ranked highest in the 2010 APEAL study and in the 2010 Initial Quality Study (IQS) announced in June. Suzuki is credited with the greatest improvement this year, while Jeep drops one slot from last year's 2009 APEAL Study and falls to the bottom of the list for 2010. Check out the gallery for the graphics, and read the full press release after the break.

Gallery: J.D. Power 2010 APEAL Awards

[Source: JDPower.com]

Continue reading Domestics surpass imports as a whole in 2010 J.D. Power APEAL study

Domestics surpass imports as a whole in 2010 J.D. Power APEAL study originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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J.D. Power 2010 Initial Quality Study released, first time ever domestics lead imports

Michael Harley — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Marketing/Advertising, Acura, Ford, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota

Click above for a gallery of graphtastic images from J.D. Power and Associates

J.D. Power and Associates has released its 2010 Initial Quality Study (IQS) and Porsche has earned back the top spot that was occupied by Lexus in last year's study. The annual J.D. Power study measures IQS based on problems reported per 100 vehicles (PP100) - a lower score means a lower rate of problem incidences and higher quality.

Domestic brands, as a whole, demonstrated higher initial quality than import brands for the first time in an IQS (impressive, as the company has been conducting the study for 24 years). "Domestic automakers have made impressive strides in steadily improving vehicle quality, particularly since 2007," said David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power and Associates. "This year may mark a key turning point for U.S. brands as they continue to fight the battle against lingering negative perceptions of their quality." According to J.D. Power, the industry average for initial quality is 109 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) in 2010 (that is a slight increase from 108 PP100 in 2009). However, initial quality for domestic brands as a whole has improved to an average of 108 PP100, slightly better than the initial quality of import brands, which average 109 PP100 in 2010.

Acura made an impressive improvement in the 2010 study. The automaker climbed from 111 PP100 in 2009 to just 86 PP100 in 2010, earning second spot just under Porsche (83 PP100). Mercedes-Benz (87 PP100) earned third position with Lexus (88 PP100) immediately following. Ford (93 PP100) and Lincoln (106 PP100) also earned Top 10 positions. Interestingly enough, Toyota (117 PP100) fell from its seventh position in 2009 to 21st in the 2010 study. The complete J.D. Power press release and charts can be found after the jump and in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2010 J.D. Power and Associates IQS

[Source: J.D. Power and Associates]

Continue reading J.D. Power 2010 Initial Quality Study released, first time ever domestics lead imports

J.D. Power 2010 Initial Quality Study released, first time ever domestics lead imports originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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