According to this years J.D. Power & Associates annual U.S. automobile quality study, 2011 model year automobiles have ten percent more problems than last years models. While the overall quality of vehicles has improved, consumer complaints seemed to focus on significantly redesigned cars and trucks. The Ford Motor Co. took the biggest hit, falling to 23rd from 5th place just a year ago. Most complaints, however, were about the on board MYFord Touch infotainment system offered on the 2011 Edge and Explorer crossovers. According to Dave Sargent, vice president of vehicle research at J.D. Power, Ford would have been one of the top contenders in reliability if it wasn’t for MyFord Touch. “They made the decision to be a leader in this area, leaving them in a vulnerable position.”
The top of the list was controlled by luxury automakers and foreign brands, Japanese vehicles moved up ahead this year but played it safe by not introducing too many new models to its already established line up. Lexus lead the pack with Honda close on it’s heels receiving seven segment awards. Toyota saw an impressive increase in reliability after being plagued by problematic recalls of previous years.
The top 10 most reliable auto manufacturers, based on the least number of problems reported in the first three months of operation were:
- Lexus
- Honda
- Acura
- Mercedes-Benz
- Mazda
- Porsche
- Toyota
- Infiniti
- Cadillac
- GMC
