Industry Report Part 1: New J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study Puts Lexus on Top as Usual

According to Joe Ivers, partner and executive director of quality/customer satisfaction at J.D. Power and

Almost all of the domestic brands have improved in the ratings since last year (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada)

Associates, "The Domestics are putting their money where their mouths are in terms of consistent long-term quality improvement." He added, "However, while the Domestics continue to outpace the Europeans in long-term quality, the Japanese continue to dominate."

Yes, the Japanese are tops when it comes to the VDS survey, at least excepting Mazda, Mitsubishi and Nissan. The latter has already been mentioned, and Mitsubishi will be in a moment, but Mazda should be commended for rising up from last year's 20th position to 19th in the 2004 VDS, with a gain of 3 PP100 from 288 to 285.

Others brands, however, have made even more significant headway. Of the most improved nameplates since last year's VDS is Kia showing a 77 PP100 improvement, Suzuki moving up by 38 PP100, and Audi gaining 23 PP100. While these brands still experience a poorer than average ranking, it could only be easily be merely a matter of time until one of them, if not all find there way above the industry average. For the time being, however, Kia struggles near the bottom of the list managing only 36th place out of 37 brands, at least not last where it was placed last year. That honor goes to luxury SUV manufacturer Land Rover, also responsible for

Of the most improved nameplates since last year's VDS is Kia showing a 77 PP100 improvement. (Photo: Kia Canada)

the top-tier Range Rover. Since the preceding year, the Ford Motor-owned British marque switched places with Kia from 36th position to dead last.

Suzuki is slightly more respectable at 31st, moving up from 34th last year. It finds itself just behind Volvo and one ahead of Hyundai. With that last brand in mind, if you look at this year's Initial Quality Study (IQS), you'll see just how far Hyundai has come in a few short years. It now surpasses Toyota in initial quality, a statistic that should bode well for future VDS studies. Mitsubishi, which was just one position ahead of Hyundai in 2003 in 30th place, is now up to 29th (or 28th being that its 327 PP100 score ties it with Mercedes-Benz), three ahead of Hyundai, two ahead of Suzuki and one in front of Volvo.