FYI for those in the market.
Hyundai joins Toyota, Honda atop quality list
Most brands show improvement for 2004 models
By Martin Wolk
MSNBC
Updated: 2:35 p.m. ET April 28, 2004
It was only a few years ago that Korea’s Hyundai was considered a second-tier auto brand, inferior in quality to better-made Japanese and American models.
Those days are history, according to a survey that ranks Hyundais with Toyotas and Hondas as the most reliable cars sold in America.
Hyundai rose from No. 10 last year to tie for second place with Honda, slightly behind perennial No. 1 Toyota, according to the J.D. Power and Associates survey. The three companies easily outranked No. 4 BMW and No. 5 General Motors in the study, which measured problems reported in the first 90 days of ownership for 2004 models.
Just six years ago Korean brands, including Kia, struggled against a reputation for poor quality, with owners reporting an average of 2.7 problems per vehicle in the first 90 days of ownership, according to J.D. Power. That figure has dropped 57 percent to fewer than 1.2 problems per vehicle.
For Hyundai brand cars, the number is close to one problem per vehicle, comparable with Toyota and Honda. BMW and GM are closer to the industry average of 1.19.
The improvement in the Korean brands is part of an overall improvement in auto quality, according to Joe Ivers, who directs the customer satisfaction surveys at J.D. Power. Overall, complaints about initial car quality have dropped 11 percent just in the past year, and 76 percent of models showed an improvement from the 2003 to 2004 model years, he said in a statement summarizing the survey results.
Among individual “nameplates,” luxury brands Lexus, Cadillac and Jaguar stood at the top of the list with less than one problem per vehicle on average. But a high price paid was no guarantee of a worry-free automotive experience. Owners of General Motors’ super-heavy Hummer brand sport-utility vehicle that lists for $50,000 and up, reported an average of 1.7 problems per vehicle, the most of any brand.
By the numbers Car trouble
Luxury models were the most reliable new cars, according to a survey that measured the number of problems per 100 cars reported in the first 90 days of ownership. Data are for the 2004 model year.
Volkswagen and Porsche also ranked poorly in the study, although the Porsche 911 still ranked as the top premium sports car, ahead of the Honda S2000 and Nissan 350Z. The Toyota Corolla was the top-ranked compact car, and the Hyundai Sonata, with a base sticker price of $16,000 was No. 1 among so-called entry-level midsize cars, ahead of the Oldsmobile Alero and Chevrolet Malibu.
The Buick Century, Mercury Grand Marquis and Dodge Stratus Coupe were among top-ranked American-branded cars.
Among pickup trucks, the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Toyota Tundra and Dodge Ram HD were all tops in their categories.
The J.D. Power study surveyed 51,000 people who bought or leased new 2004 model year cars and trucks. The study is one of two major vehicle quality surveys produced annually by J.D. Power, which sells the data to car makers.
The other survey measures problems reported in the first three years of ownership. In that study, released last July, Porsche ranked No. 1 for the 2000 model year.
Toyota, ranked first among companies with a full lineup of vehicles, followed by with a much fuller lineup of cars, followed by Honda and Nissan.
Korea's Daewoo and Kia were at the bottom of the list.
Brand Problems per
100 vehicles
Lexus 87
Cadillac 93
Jaguar 98
Honda 99
Buick 100
Mercury 100
Hyundai 102
Infiniti 104
Toyota 104
Mercedes-Benz 106
Audi 109
BMW 109
Oldsmobile 110
Volvo 113
Acura 117
Chevrolet 119
INDUSTRY AVERAGE 119
Chrysler 120
Dodge 121
Lincoln 121
Pontiac 122
Subaru 123
GMC 127
Ford 130
Mitsubishi 130
Saab 133
Jeep 136
MINI 142
Land Rover 148
Saturn 149
Suzuki 149
Kia 153
Nissan 154
Mazda 157
Scion 158
Porsche 159
Volkswagen 164
HUMMER 173
Source: J.D. Power and Associates
© 2004 MSNBC Interactive
Hyundai joins Toyota, Honda atop quality list
Most brands show improvement for 2004 models
By Martin Wolk
MSNBC
Updated: 2:35 p.m. ET April 28, 2004
It was only a few years ago that Korea’s Hyundai was considered a second-tier auto brand, inferior in quality to better-made Japanese and American models.
Those days are history, according to a survey that ranks Hyundais with Toyotas and Hondas as the most reliable cars sold in America.
Hyundai rose from No. 10 last year to tie for second place with Honda, slightly behind perennial No. 1 Toyota, according to the J.D. Power and Associates survey. The three companies easily outranked No. 4 BMW and No. 5 General Motors in the study, which measured problems reported in the first 90 days of ownership for 2004 models.
Just six years ago Korean brands, including Kia, struggled against a reputation for poor quality, with owners reporting an average of 2.7 problems per vehicle in the first 90 days of ownership, according to J.D. Power. That figure has dropped 57 percent to fewer than 1.2 problems per vehicle.
For Hyundai brand cars, the number is close to one problem per vehicle, comparable with Toyota and Honda. BMW and GM are closer to the industry average of 1.19.
The improvement in the Korean brands is part of an overall improvement in auto quality, according to Joe Ivers, who directs the customer satisfaction surveys at J.D. Power. Overall, complaints about initial car quality have dropped 11 percent just in the past year, and 76 percent of models showed an improvement from the 2003 to 2004 model years, he said in a statement summarizing the survey results.
Among individual “nameplates,” luxury brands Lexus, Cadillac and Jaguar stood at the top of the list with less than one problem per vehicle on average. But a high price paid was no guarantee of a worry-free automotive experience. Owners of General Motors’ super-heavy Hummer brand sport-utility vehicle that lists for $50,000 and up, reported an average of 1.7 problems per vehicle, the most of any brand.
By the numbers Car trouble
Luxury models were the most reliable new cars, according to a survey that measured the number of problems per 100 cars reported in the first 90 days of ownership. Data are for the 2004 model year.
Volkswagen and Porsche also ranked poorly in the study, although the Porsche 911 still ranked as the top premium sports car, ahead of the Honda S2000 and Nissan 350Z. The Toyota Corolla was the top-ranked compact car, and the Hyundai Sonata, with a base sticker price of $16,000 was No. 1 among so-called entry-level midsize cars, ahead of the Oldsmobile Alero and Chevrolet Malibu.
The Buick Century, Mercury Grand Marquis and Dodge Stratus Coupe were among top-ranked American-branded cars.
Among pickup trucks, the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Toyota Tundra and Dodge Ram HD were all tops in their categories.
The J.D. Power study surveyed 51,000 people who bought or leased new 2004 model year cars and trucks. The study is one of two major vehicle quality surveys produced annually by J.D. Power, which sells the data to car makers.
The other survey measures problems reported in the first three years of ownership. In that study, released last July, Porsche ranked No. 1 for the 2000 model year.
Toyota, ranked first among companies with a full lineup of vehicles, followed by with a much fuller lineup of cars, followed by Honda and Nissan.
Korea's Daewoo and Kia were at the bottom of the list.
Brand Problems per
100 vehicles
Lexus 87
Cadillac 93
Jaguar 98
Honda 99
Buick 100
Mercury 100
Hyundai 102
Infiniti 104
Toyota 104
Mercedes-Benz 106
Audi 109
BMW 109
Oldsmobile 110
Volvo 113
Acura 117
Chevrolet 119
INDUSTRY AVERAGE 119
Chrysler 120
Dodge 121
Lincoln 121
Pontiac 122
Subaru 123
GMC 127
Ford 130
Mitsubishi 130
Saab 133
Jeep 136
MINI 142
Land Rover 148
Saturn 149
Suzuki 149
Kia 153
Nissan 154
Mazda 157
Scion 158
Porsche 159
Volkswagen 164
HUMMER 173
Source: J.D. Power and Associates
© 2004 MSNBC Interactive