Toyota’s Lexus brand retains No. 1 ranking
August 14, 2007
DETROIT — The Detroit 3 made the biggest improvements in customer satisfaction, while Asian automakers struggled to maintain quality amid continued sales growth, according to a University of Michigan survey released today.
Still, Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus brand scored highest in the survey, with 87 on the 100-point scale. General Motors’ Cadillac and Buick brands, along with Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln and Mercury brands, tied for second, just one point behind.
The industry as a whole averaged 82, up one point from last year.
The University of Michigan’s National Quality Research Center produces its American Customer Satisfaction Index by gauging customers’ response to vehicles they own. The survey covered the 12-month period leading up to June 30, 2007.
For the second straight year, the Detroit 3 saw a positive sign: The study attributed more of the domestics’ gains to improved quality rather than incentives, according to the index’s founder, Claes Fornell.
Up 3.9 percent from last year to 80, Ford Motor’s Ford brand posted the biggest improvement, although it remained in the bottom half of the list. The results further bolster Ford Motor, which in June fared well in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study, which ranks new vehicles based on their performance in the first 90 days of use.
Fornell said that Ford’s cutbacks in production and work force might have helped its performance.
“Smaller production runs may allow for a better focus on quality, and a smaller customer base means the most satisfied (and therefore most loyal) customers are those that are most likely to remain,” Fornell wrote in his commentary on the study.
GM saw all but its GMC brand improve in the study. Last week, GM scored well in J.D. Power’s Vehicle Dependability Study, which measures problems reported by owners in vehicles 3 years old.
But the Detroit 3 still have much further to go. Along with Ford, all three of Chrysler’s brands sat near the bottom of the list.
Despite falling, Toyota Motor Corp.’s Toyota brand and Honda Motor Co.’s Honda brand held onto spots near the top of the list, tied with a score of 84. But Toyota fell 3.4 percent from last year, more than any other brand.
“Toyota is faced with the challenge of managing growth and quality at the same time,” Fornell wrote. “The number of recalls has increased and there are issues with dealership service.”
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Source:
Reuters
Jack Herman
