With this in mind, spirits at DaimlerChrysler have definitely been buoyed by the most recent J.D. Power and Associates quality study, the results of which show the automaker is closer to their goal than ever before.
 |
| Toyota Motor Sales, that sells the Sienna minivan, a strong rival to Chrysler Group's class leading Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans, is still number one for initial quality. But the gap between itself and DaimlerChrysler has narrowed from 36 problems per 100 vehicles last year to 24 in 2003. (Photo: Toyota Motor Sales) |
Both Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. and American Honda Motor Co. fell back a little to 115 and 126 problems per hundred vehicles respectively, narrowing the gap to Ford Motor Company's 136 and DaimlerChrysler AG's 139 problems per 100 vehicle ratings. This represents 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles between Toyota and DaimlerChrysler, a gap that was 36 problems apart last year and now rests at only 24 problems of separation.
During an Automotive News Manufacturing Conference in Birmingham, Alabama last week LaSorda stated, "We're going to catch Toyota. They can be caught."
 |
| General Motors, that includes North American household namebrands such as Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Saturn, as well as Europe's Saab and Korea's Daewoo, slipped slightly in its IQS standings when compared to last year. Still, it edged out its domestic competitors to claim top spot of the Big 3. (Photo: Photo: General Motors) |
As quoted in Automotive News, Toyota spokesperson Nancy Hubbell responded by saying, "Any quality gains are good for the customer. Toyota's quality level is high. Whether they [DCX] can close the gap is the challenge."
It is important to note, like the DaimlerChrysler conglomerate, Toyota Motor Sales includes the Lexus and new Scion brands as well as the Toyota nameplate. The same is true for Ford, which owns multiple domestic, European and Japanese brands, and General Motors, that incidentally slipped back to 134 problems per 100 vehicles in this survey but is still slightly ahead of both Ford Motor and DaimlerChrysler.