US cars top imports for 1st time on quality survey

[RedEarth]

Source: AP)

U.S. automakers have surpassed imported brands for the first time on a survey of the quality of new cars.

J.D. Power and Associates says that owners of domestic cars reported fewer problems on average during the first 90 days of ownership than foreign cars and trucks.

It's the first time that has happened in the 24 years the industry research group has conducted the annual quality study.

J.D. Power says Ford showed some of the biggest gains in quality.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iVOzpJOhONOi55IDXfzfBVTZ6xkAD9GD5EN00

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.........more from another article.....

Ford is now the top mainstream brand in the study, according to J.D. Power and Associates’ respected Initial Quality Survey, which measures problems after 90 days of ownership.


While Porsche and several luxury names led the survey, among mainstream brands: Ford led, with 0.93 problems per vehicle, followed by Honda (0.95 problems per vehicle) and Hyundai (1.02 problems per vehicle).


The study showed that most consumers have one design or defect complaint in the first 90 days of owning a new car and truck — about the same as last year. The average number of problems per vehicle across the industry was 1.09 in this year’s study, compared with 1.08 last year.


Ford’s Lincoln brand was the only other domestic brand with an above-average score. GM and Chrysler posted mixed results, with some improvements, and Toyota plummeted to below-average.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100617/BUSINESS01/100617048/1318/In-first-Detroit-3-tops-import-brands-in-quality&template=fullarticle

[Cant trust em]

1. That's great. I've been down on American cars traditionally, but I like the new Fords

I have my eye on an Escape Hybrid.

[pattmarty]

2. The Toyota fiasco probably has hurt ALL foreign cars at least a little.

[Tikki]

3. And for the first times in our lives we went out and bought...

an import: a Toyota at that. I guess we will find out if we like it. Like the MPG a lot so far.


The Tikkis

[madrchsod]

4. that would include cars and trucks that are made in mexico and canada

[Auggie]

5. American car companies' marketing and advertising

needs to catch up. They still lag behind imports, IMO. Imports are still perceived as being "cooler" by many people I know.

Still, this is fantastic news. Kudos to Ford Management and its employees.

[FailureToCommunicate]

6. No problems within the first ninety days? Wonder what they respond after three years...

I've mostly had Dodge trucks and minivans (yeah, I know "loser cruisers")

My dad would never buy a Ford, 'cause his dad never would: Something about Henry Ford using hired thugs to gun down his own (protesting) workers.

Maybe I'll have to give them a look someday, I dunno.

[Nay]

7. That's good, but are any of them made here or in Canada anymore?

[blue_onyx]

8. Yes, most of them are.