Industry Report Part 2: Toyota Leads J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study Corporate Rankings

How do the Big 3 fare in the corporate rankings? Good and not so good, depending on the vantage point. The fact is

All of the Big 3 improved in problems per 100 vehicles. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada)

they've each improved in problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), with GM and Ford Motor also improving in placement among the 16 automakers surveyed. GM is the only domestic to manage a better than industry average result, now placing 4th out of 16 compared to 6th last year, while Ford Motor moves up from 8th to 7th. DaimlerChrysler, if it can still truly be called a domestic being that Mercedes-Benz is bundled into its corporate fold, remains in 9th place, but the automaker's PP100 has improved from 311 to 302. GM and Ford Motor improve too, with the former gaining 2 increments in its move from 264 PP100 to 262, and Ford upping its ante from a score of 287 to 275 PP100.

But as well as the domestic automakers have done in this year's VDS, the Japanese manufacturers remain far ahead. Top on the list is Toyota Motor Sales, Inc., that sells the Toyota brand, as well as Lexus and now Scion. Being that the cars surveyed for the 2004 VDS are 2001 models, Scion has yet to enter the picture. Just the same Toyota's 207 PP100 rating puts it up front, beating last year's top corporation Porsche Cars North America, Inc., despite having slid backward in its PP100

The Japanese manufacturers, with Toyota still in 1st place, remain far ahead of most of the domestic brands. (Photo: Toyota Canada)

average from the 2003 VDS results of 196. Porsche, which enjoyed top-spot with 193 PP100 last year, now sits in 3rd with 240 PP100.

Splitting the middle in 2nd place is American Honda Motor Co., achieving an impressive 218 PP100 which is an improvement of one position from last year's 3rd place finish, despite a drop of 3 PP100.

Rival Nissan North America was right behind Honda in the 2003 VDS, taking 4th place and better than average status with 258 PP100. What happened with this year's results? That's difficult to ascertain, but whatever the reason the automaker has dropped to 6th place with a PP100 of 271, now just under median level of 269 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100).