American brands deserve better perception in their home market
For the first time in a decade, American automakers have topped J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study as the most dependable car in the U.S. market. The Cadillac DTS sedan won top honors, surpassing the Japanese cars that have claimed the title of most reliable car for years. Even more surprising is the fact that seven of the top ten cars in the study came from either General Motors or Ford Motor Co.
The VDS is conducted on cars that are three years old, ensuring significant miles have been logged in each car. This year, over 52,000 auto owners were asked to identify almost 200 problem areas in their vehicle. These areas don’t simply include breaks or mechanical problems; annoyances are also recorded by owners.
The 2010 VDS had an industry standard of 155 problems per 100 cars. This number is the lowest ever reported in any year of the study. The Cadillac DTS beat every other car in the field with only 76 problems per 100 vehicles. Porsche stole top honors as the most dependable auto brand, logging only 110 problems per 100 vehicles. This is a significant improvement over 2009’s study, where they were 11th. Ford’s luxury brand, Lincoln, came in second place. It was followed by Buick, Lexus, Mercury, Toyota, and Honda, in that order.