Ford Tops J.D. Power and Associates' Survey, Unseats Toyota

Ford Motor Co. has unseated Toyota from thethere's no clear answer for Toyota's drop.
top spot in J.D. Power and Associates' annual initialSeveral vehicles however, brought its quality
quality rankings released Wednesday last week,performance down this year, including the Corolla,
grabbing more individual awards than any otherPrius and Lexus models.
automaker for the first time since 1998, when itToyota spokesman Mike Michels said the
tied for the top spot.company was pleased with its results, adding that
Ford ranked highest in five of 19 segments in thisToyota was the second-ranked non-luxury brand
year's survey. The last time a U.S. automakerand stayed in the top 10 overall. Lexus also
was on top was in 1998, when Ford tied withmaintained its second-place ranking overall.
Toyota and Honda. The Dearborn automakerThe LS460 was for the first time not the
earned segment awards for the Ford Mustang,top-ranked in its segment, coming in a close
Lincoln Mark LT, Lincoln MKZ, Mercury Milan andsecond to the Audi A8 and Mercedes Benz
Mazda MX-5 Miata. Mazda, maker of top of theS-Class, which tied for first. Toyota appears
line Mazda timing belt kit, is 33.4 percent ownednonplussed with that showing, since it was a
by Ford.redesigned model and had just been shipped to
Ford's Lincoln brand, which jumped from 12th todealers before the survey-taking began.
third in overall vehicle quality, averaged 100In the J.D. Power survey, Hyundai fell from third
problems per 100 vehicles -- just behind Porscheoverall to 12th. Oddes said relaunched vehicles
and Toyota's Lexus luxury brand, which averagedsuch as the Santa Fe did not do as well as the
94 problems per 100 vehicles.automaker had hoped. The redesigned Elantra
In the overall ranking of brands, Porsche againhowever, performed well in its segment.
dominated -- averaging 91 problems per 100Lincoln was followed by Honda, Mercedes-Benz,
vehicles, as it had last year. That compared withJaguar and Toyota. Honda, with the fewest
a 2007 industry average of 125 problems per 100problems per 100 vehicles among non-luxury
vehicles. Last year it was 124.brands, improved in the ranking to fourth from
Meanwhile world’s current number onesixth in 2006.
automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., captured onlyThe most improved nameplates in the study are
four this year -- the 4Runner, Sequoia, TacomaLand Rover, Saab and Mercedes-Benz.
and Lexus RX350/RX400h. The JapaneseJ.D. Power also gave the Platinum Plant Quality
automaker grabbed the top spot in 11 segmentsAward for producing vehicles producing the
last year.fewest defects to Ford's Wixom Assembly Plant,
Toyota had seen its list of quality leaders drop inwhich stopped making cars last May 31. The
a quality study released Monday by StrategicDetroit-area plant produced the Lincoln Town Car,
Vision Inc., a San Diego-based market researchwhich averages 35 problems per 100 vehicles. It
company and consultant to automakers. Despitewas the first North American assembly plant to
improving its overall quality, Toyota led in onereceive the honor since 1999.
category in that study - down from four in 2006.For the study, Westlake Village, Calif.-based J.D.
South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. led inPower collected responses from more than
five categories, outperforming its Japanese,97,000 buyers and lessees of new 2007 model
European and U.S. competitors. Last year, it hadyear vehicles after 90 days of ownership.
no winners.This year's survey included 228 questions and
According to Joe Ivers, J.D. Power's executiveasked for information specifically about design and
director of quality and customer satisfaction,production, such as defects and malfunctions.