imports own the world
#1
imports own the world
Consumer Reports: American-Made Cars Still Trail in Quality
Get Quote, Company Info: GM, F, DCX
By Justin Hyde
Reuters
DETROIT (March 12) - Detroit's automakers are closing the quality gap with foreign competitors, according to an influential survey, but that hasn't enhanced their standing among many U.S. buyers, Consumer Reports magazine said Tuesday.
The magazine's annual study found Japanese automakers continued to have the most reliable vehicles, with the magazine's subscribers reporting an average of 15 serious problems per 100 vehicles in their first year of ownership of 2001 models. European automakers averaged 23 problems per 100, while American automakers averaged 24.
As recently as last year, domestic automakers still had more than twice the number of problems that some Japanese competitors had.
Among Detroit's Big Three, the Chrysler arm of DaimlerChrysler AG did best, with 22 problems per 100, followed by General Motors Corp. at 23 and Ford Motor Co. with 26.
The results are based on experiences with 512,000 vehicles from surveys of the magazine's 4 million subscribers.
But the magazine also said initial quality was not the whole story. Chrysler's 300M sedan was the highest-rated American vehicle in 2001, but the 1999 versions have worse-than-average reliability.
Chrysler executives have said they were paying for "the sins of the past," and set aside $1 billion for safety recalls, addressing customers' complaints, and warranty costs on older models, as well as paying for an extended warranty on new models.
Despite the improving quality scores, Detroit still performed poorly in the magazine's recommendations. Of its top 10 picks, four were from Toyota Motor Corp., while BMW AG and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. claimed two each.
Among the 101 vehicles given "recommended" grades -- based on magazine driving tests and earning at least average scores on reader quality reports -- 23 were from Toyota and its Lexus brand, while the Big Three as a group landed just 16, none of which were for pickups or sport utility vehicles.
Consumer Reports executives said reliability scores kept several Detroit models from earning recommended grades, and that the quality of Detroit's SUVs and pickups, especially four-wheel-drive versions, still trailed that of passenger cars.
The rankings are "an objective judgment," said David Pittle, Consumer Reports' senior vice president for technical policy in a conference call. "This is the real-world experience of people who have these cars ...and the data fall where they fall."
The magazine also used the issue to call for expanded federal crash testing, including a wider variety of tests and testing of all new vehicles.
Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union, a non-profit organization that does not take advertising or sponsorships, and buys the vehicles it tests anonymously.
Get Quote, Company Info: GM, F, DCX
By Justin Hyde
Reuters
DETROIT (March 12) - Detroit's automakers are closing the quality gap with foreign competitors, according to an influential survey, but that hasn't enhanced their standing among many U.S. buyers, Consumer Reports magazine said Tuesday.
The magazine's annual study found Japanese automakers continued to have the most reliable vehicles, with the magazine's subscribers reporting an average of 15 serious problems per 100 vehicles in their first year of ownership of 2001 models. European automakers averaged 23 problems per 100, while American automakers averaged 24.
As recently as last year, domestic automakers still had more than twice the number of problems that some Japanese competitors had.
Among Detroit's Big Three, the Chrysler arm of DaimlerChrysler AG did best, with 22 problems per 100, followed by General Motors Corp. at 23 and Ford Motor Co. with 26.
The results are based on experiences with 512,000 vehicles from surveys of the magazine's 4 million subscribers.
But the magazine also said initial quality was not the whole story. Chrysler's 300M sedan was the highest-rated American vehicle in 2001, but the 1999 versions have worse-than-average reliability.
Chrysler executives have said they were paying for "the sins of the past," and set aside $1 billion for safety recalls, addressing customers' complaints, and warranty costs on older models, as well as paying for an extended warranty on new models.
Despite the improving quality scores, Detroit still performed poorly in the magazine's recommendations. Of its top 10 picks, four were from Toyota Motor Corp., while BMW AG and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. claimed two each.
Among the 101 vehicles given "recommended" grades -- based on magazine driving tests and earning at least average scores on reader quality reports -- 23 were from Toyota and its Lexus brand, while the Big Three as a group landed just 16, none of which were for pickups or sport utility vehicles.
Consumer Reports executives said reliability scores kept several Detroit models from earning recommended grades, and that the quality of Detroit's SUVs and pickups, especially four-wheel-drive versions, still trailed that of passenger cars.
The rankings are "an objective judgment," said David Pittle, Consumer Reports' senior vice president for technical policy in a conference call. "This is the real-world experience of people who have these cars ...and the data fall where they fall."
The magazine also used the issue to call for expanded federal crash testing, including a wider variety of tests and testing of all new vehicles.
Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union, a non-profit organization that does not take advertising or sponsorships, and buys the vehicles it tests anonymously.
#2
I wonder why they don't mention that with the US car makers buying up more of the import car companies they could change the management style and lower the quality of the others cars to make their own numbers reflect in a more positive light. Just a thought though. I mean how many Japanese companies are still seperate entities and not owned either in part or completely by a US automotive company.
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