Here's a CNN link to see for yourself. Something that I have suspected all along.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/01/23/...ars/index.html

 

I'm american brands all the way. Personally, i'm not a fan of these foreign cars, you get what you pay for anymore. They don't have the heritage but i'd say that older vehicles are better quality then these new ones, maybe not safer but you can definently give the old ones more hell and they'll take it unlike the new ones.

 

take out all the hype that consumer reports gives the japan market, and i think they are dead even. those people think they have a good vehicle because CR said so, so as long as nothing major happens, then they are happy as a lark. so they servey will say they think their vehicle is awesome..... that was only suspected. wether they are actually better, i would like god himself to tell me. i think about every other rathing is a joke. JDPOWER CR MOTOR TREND TRUCK TREND, i think all these awards are pretty much a joke. sorry.

 

Consumer reports and some of the other ones can kiss my well you know. J D Powers I have had direct dealings with and know how they work and I’ve been impressed. They are probably the only ones that I would give some credence to. I’ve read reports about reliability and quality from the other guys about new models that have not even hit the market yet. How can you judge reliability and quality of a vehicle that isn’t even on sale to the public yet? I would also like to know where they get their information from. How many of you have ever filled out a questionnaire from CR or any other reporting agency on your new car or truck? When I was younger I actually bought a car because of a recommendation by CR. It was then I discovered that you can’t believe everything you read. CNN is as biased towards American made cars as CR. That's some irony, I'm willing to bet that their fleet of news truck are mostly Fords.

 

I heard something today about the White House saying that Ford and GM better not be looking for any handouts. The statement basically said "Build something relevant" ...

 

Ok, I don't want to sound like a foreign car supporter, but heres my two cents.


I know, JD power and associates have made a big name fore themselves, but there surveys are not a true measue of reliability. Trust me, I work for a company that has won 8 awards for best service, and we are no where near the top of the service list in our industry.

Did you notice, that all of the cars near the top were luxruy cars, cars that don't see that high of production numbers.

Lincoln Town cars have the same chasis, engine, and suspension as a crown vic. The Lexus has the same chasis, engine, and suspension as the Toyota camry.

Notice that the cars with higher production numbers were worse. Could this be that there are more of them, so there are more complaints? People that buy those luxury car owners don't drive them as often as the guy in a stanza commuting to work every day.

JMHO

 

I agree 100%, that's why I'll spend a couple more bucks to get a Toyota or Honda when I can. They're more reliable, have higher resale and almost always give you better milage then US counter parts. There's a reason Ford and GM are having problems and it's not hype.

EDIT:
I think it needs to be added too that not all Asian cars should be grouped. If you're buying Asian just because then you're a total fool. Just like US cars there are good and bad. The smart consumer will know the difference and the smarter consumer won't give articles like this any worth. It's just plain dumb, lets draw a line down the middle regardless of quality and make two sides, while we're at it don't add all the US owned companies because we wouldn't want a fair comparison. Articles like this are clearly written by fools.

 

The real difference is that to be part of the Consumer Reports Survey you must subscribe to Consumer Reports. IMO this invalidates there survey because it is tainted by reading the rag. JD Powers survey on the other hand come out of the blue and the findings are based on a random sampling.

 

I think the reason the luxury cars are at the top of the list is due to the final inspection and prep. The purchaser of a $40,000+ car is generally more particular, more influential and harder to please then the purchaser of a $15,000 econobox. As a result, the final dealer prep as well as the final inspection at the factory is done better and more carefully. Even though the Town Car and Crown Vic are very similar mechanically (the suspension is different), the expectations of the buyers are different and it shows in the surveys. The dealers treat the luxury car purchasers differently and it is reflected in the survey results.

 

One of the points this article suggests is American carmakers can do better. There is no reason why shouldn't be up there with Toyota. It isn't a matter if you think the results of the survey are flawed, or have some margin of error, but that the owners of Ford vehicles should even have the question of reliability going through the back of their head when filling out this survey. Also take into account the demographics of the survey. I would probably snug up the bolts a little if I noticed an oil leak around the valve cover gasket and not even think about noting it as a problem on a survey, if I bothered to fill out and return the survey. Someone else may consider a leaky valve cover gasket to be a major quality issue when it is really something minor.

I've also read that some people have been bribed by dealerships (a free tank of gas, gift certificates, etc) to send in favourable reviews to JD Powers.

 

I'll agree, Ford is making a comparable product to Toyota today. As far a reliability in their cars. I even like the styling now, my wife wants a Fusion, and I'm not going to argue. But for American auto makers to make up for lost ground they are going to have to make a better product than Toyota or Nissan. They haven't done that yet.

 

I don't know how the dealer is even aware whether JD Powers is sending out a survey or not. I have only filled out one survey for them and that was 2 years after I bought the car. I doubt that the dealer had any idea a survey was sent out.

Now if you are talking about the sales survey that is sent to you by Ford/GM right after you buy a new car then yes there are bribes. But that happens in the first few weeks after buying the car and is not about the vehicle itself but about your buying experince. I have no problem rating most all of my buys as excelent. If the dealers wants to give me a free oil change ($79 on a vette) for filling it out in front of them I will do it.

 

JD Power & Associates is the first tip off. (Motto: "Everyone is a Winner") Izuzu and Suzuki are the two top point scores? If that were true those brands would be selling like hotcakes. Instead, their showrooms are empty. Methinks something is rotten in this poll.

 

I agree. JD Powers surveys are just there as a good PR Campaign.

 

In my opinion, I think that it's not so much the quality of the vehicle that's changed as it is the servicing intervals. Many of things I do to my vehicles on a regular schedule some people never do to their car EVER, at home or a professional shop. Granted, newer vehicles aren't as maintainence intensive as older ones, but they aren't going to run forever on new air filters and oil changes alone. I think that American manufacturers had a chance to keep their market share at one point in time but they didn't because they thought foriegn car makers couldn't hurt them. At the same time, in an effort to boost sales, American manufacturers increased service intervals and decreased car quality and this shows on cars made between 1990ish and 2000ish. The cars they're making now though, look as if they've had a lot more effort put into their construction than previous models. Like others, I'd hate to see American sales get eaten up by foreign counterparts.