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Porsche Takes J.D. Power Win

Lexus & Hyundai Round Out Top Three

June 7, 2006
Porsche came in first, winning the top spot in the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 survey of initial vehicle quality. Porsche beat out Lexus, last year's winner. Hyundai moved up, way up, to third.

The J.D. Power Initial Quality Study measures new vehicle quality after 90 days of ownership and is closely watched by automakers.

J.D. Power ranks automakers based on the number of complaints per 100 vehicles. The 2006 study measured both manufacturing defects and design quality.

Most automakers had more complaints for 2006 than they did a year ago because J.D. Power changed some aspects of the survey. In the past, the firm considered items to be defective only if they were clearly broken or not working exactly as designed. This year, the company considered those that worked properly but were designed poorly to be defects.

"New vehicles today are often packed with new technologies that unfortunately can be complicated and frustrating for the average consumer when their integration is not well executed," said Joe Ivers, executive director of quality and customer satisfaction research for J.D. Power.

"In the eyes of consumers, design flaws can have as much of an impact on their perceptions of quality as can a defect. Yet, many manufacturers have tended to address quality solely on the plant floor without considering design factors," Ivers said.

Toyota captured the overall win picking 11 of the 19 segment awards but the Japanese automaker faced new competition from Germany’s Porsche and Korean rival Hyundai.

Porsche achieved the highest J.D. Power marks because the car averaged just 91 problems per 100 vehicles while earning the highest rating for design.

Porsche was followed closely by Lexus, which had 93 problems per 100 vehicles, but also had far fewer manufacturing defects than any other brand.

Third place went to Hyundai with 102 problems per 100 vehicles, while Toyota followed in fourth with 106 problems per 100 vehicles.

Hyundai made a major move upward in the 2006 study winning the non-luxury car segment. Last year the Korean automotive company ranked 11th in the study. The report said the Hyundai Sonata produced in Montgomery, Alabama is the third-best midsize car on the market, following the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Ford Motor Co.'s Jaguar brand rounded out the top five with 109 problems per 100 vehicles.

Ford's Land Rover brand came in dead last, with an average of 204 problems per 100 vehicles. The Land Rover also received the worst rating for design.

Chevrolet’s Corvette sports car tied for third in the premium sporty cars category. The Lexus SC 430 won that category, followed by the Porsche 911.

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