J D Power Survey Germany Volvo Number 1

[csv8]

Latest JD Power car ownership survey, conducted in Germany, ranks Scandinavian brand top for satisfaction.

German car owners have voted a non-German car brand as the most satisfying to own, according to the latest JD Power report.

Brands and makes of cars are ranked on a 1000 point scale, with Volvo scoring 841 to pip German brands Mercedes-Benz (second; 839 points), Audi (equal sixth; 820), BMW (eighth; 815) and Volkswagen, which fell below the industry average score of 807, ranking 12th with 806 points.

The lowest-scoring brands included General Motors-owned brand Chevrolet, which scored just 730 points to take 28th spot - 44 points behind its nearest competitor, Citroen (774). Mitsubishi (776), Daihatsu (777) and Smart (779) rounded out the bottom five. German GM brand Opel - which is scheduled to be launched in Australia in 2012 - also fared poorly, coming in 21st position with a score of 793 points.


Rankings of individual models saw Mazda's 2 city car and 3 small car top their respective categories, while fellow Japanese manufacturer Honda took out the mid-size category with the Accord.

Mercedes-Benz's C-Class came in first ahead of BMW's 3-Series and Audi's A4 to top the compact luxury car category, with Benz also taking out the SUV segment with the M-Class narrowly beating Audi's Q7 and VW's Touareg.


The JD Power study - which surveyed more than 17,000 owners of two-year-old vehicles - measures levels of satisfaction across four criteria with different weighting for each condition. The most important aspect is vehicle appeal, at 32 per cent, which encompasses performance, design, comfort and features; quality and reliability accounts for 26 per cent; ownership costs make up 22 per cent (it includes fuel consumption, insurance, servicing/repairs); with dealer service satisfaction accounting for 17 per cent of the total score.

The JD Power report found that overall satisfaction levels have fallen from an average 813 in 2010 to 807 in 2011, with company spokesman Brian Walters saying the results should serve as a wake-up call to manufacturers.

"The decline in vehicle quality and reliability, coupled with the decline in vehicle appeal, is an important reminder to manufacturers that the product is a critical driver of ownership satisfaction and will remain a key differentiator among brands in the increasingly competitive automotive market in Germany," Walters says.

"The auto market in Germany may be 125 years old, but owners in Germany still require specific performance levels and reward the brands that deliver it."

Good showing by Ford to be 10th..Why don't we have a J DPower survey here??

[Falc'man]

Originally Posted by csv8

Good showing by Ford to be 10th..Why don't we have a J DPower survey here??

We do have something very similar, if not the same, but the locals have a gentlemen's agreement not to make them public.
Falcon's ahead of the other two locals, according to Bossxr8.

[csv8]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

We do have something very similar, if not the same, but the locals have a gentlemen's agreement not to make them public.
Falcon's ahead of the other two locals, according to Bossxr8.

Gentlemens agreement needs to be scrapped.....

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

We do have something very similar, if not the same, but the locals have a gentlemen's agreement not to make them public.
Falcon's ahead of the other two locals, according to Bossxr8.

Didn't JD Power do one of these quality surveys here last year?

TGW rankings are different from these JD Power owner surveys.

TGW's rank things gone wrong per 1000 vehicles, via warranty claims?, the other surveys are about owner satisfaction.

[Falc'man]

Just noticed something - if Chevrolet wasn't so crap Ford would be below average

[vztrt]

Wow, its great to see what the Germans want.

[Ford_The_Win]

If I remember rightly, Chevrolet Europe is the new Daewoo outlet, now that the Daewoo name no longer exists. So it's hardly suprising they're at the bottom. I dare say Louis Chevrolet would be turning in his grave.

[mik]

pity they don`t do the survey for long term owners, five years & 10 years, that would be interesting.

[vztrt]

Here's the US one.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/124595/n...ines-to-blame/

New car quality drops: interior tech and engines to blame
By Tim Beissmann | June 24th, 2011

The latest J.D. Power and Associates study from the US has revealed the quality of new vehicles in 2011 has decreased for the first time in five years, with drivetrain development and interior technology largely to blame.



The 2011 Initial Quality Study showed a significant decline in quality, with the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) for new and redesigned models increasing to just below 2008 levels.

Conversely, the PP100 figure for carryover and refreshed models was the lowest in the report’s 25-year history.

J.D. Power recorded a rate of 122 problems per 100 new vehicles in 2011, up from 111 in 2010.

Only one quarter of new models launched in 2011 performed better than the previous-generation car from the 2010 study.



Engine and transmission technology was one area highlighted in the study. The report said high fuel prices and more stringent government regulations meant there was significantly more focus on making vehicles economical.

“However, this sometimes leads to the engine or transmission ‘hesitating’ when accelerating or changing gears, and consumers this year are reporting this as a problem more often than in past years,” the report said.

The other big issue was the widespread introduction of multimedia technology, including hands-free and voice-activation systems. Some owners found the new technology less than intuitive and said it did not always function properly.

J.D Power and Associates vice president of global vehicle research, David Sargent, said there was a need for manufacturers to strike a balance between rushing forward new technologies and offering a reliable, problem-free car.

“Exciting models with the latest features are crucial for winning over today’s demanding consumers,” Mr Sargent said.

“However, automakers must not lose their focus on the importance of these models also achieving exceptional quality levels.

“Expected reliability continues to be the single-most-important reason why new-vehicle buyers choose one model over another, and no manufacturer can afford to give consumers any doubts regarding the quality of their latest products.”

Problem rates for audio, entertainment and navigation systems were 28 percent higher in 2011 than they were two years ago.

Mr Sargent said it was important manufacturers took every step possible to ensure their new vehicle technologies were ready for “prime time”.

“Successful companies will be those that can take this incredibly complex technology and make it reliable, seamless and easy for owners to operate while they are driving.

“There is an understandable desire to bring these technologies to market quickly, but automakers must be careful to walk before they run.”

From an overall manufacturer perspective, Lexus led the way by a mile with just 73 problems per 100 vehicles, followed by fellow Japanese brands Honda (86) and Acura (89).

Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, Porsche, Toyota, Infiniti, Cadillac and GMC were the only other brands to rank ahead of the industry average 107 PP100.

Ford slipped from a top five position in 2010 to a disappointing 23rd position this year. J.D. Power director of automotive research, Raffi Festekjian, said Ford was a victim of “trying to do too much too quickly”.

“The slide down the rankings can be attributed to a number of factors, including engine issues, the new Ford Fiesta launching below the respective segment average in terms of initial quality, and [Ford Sync and MyFord Touch] software problems,” Mr Festekjian said.

MINI, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Dodge filled the bottom five of the 2011 US quality ranking.

Highest quality cars by segment:

* Sub-compact: Honda Fit (Jazz)
* Compact: Honda Civic/Honda Insight
* Compact sports: Mazda MX-5
* Compact premium sports: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe/Cabriolet
* Midsize: Honda Accord
* Midsize premium: Lexus GS
* Midsize sports: Dodge Challenger
* Entry premium: Lexus ES
* Large: Ford Taurus
* Large premium: Lexus LS

Highest quality trucks/SUVs by segment:

* Compact crossover: Honda Element
* Compact MPV: Chevrolet HHR
* Entry premium crossover: Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
* Midsize crossover: Honda Accord Crosstour
* Large crossover: Chevrolet Tahoe
* Midsize premium crossover: Lexus GX
* Large premium crossover: Cadillac Escalade
* Large pickup: Ford F-150 LD
* Midsize pickup: Honda Ridgeline
* Minivan: Chrysler Town & Country

[new2ford]

Interesting in the German survey two VAG companies, Audi and Skoda were up near the top at 6 equal, while Volkswagen itself and Seat were below average.