Toyota Tops J.D. Power Survey

Toyota’s Lexus brand has come in first in the latest J.D. Power and Associates quality
survey. According to Power, overall initial quality problems dropped 11 percent since last
year, and the industry average of 119 problems per 100 vehicles in 2004 was the lowest
since the study was redesigned in 1998. Toyota Motor’s models had 101 problems per 100
vehicles, but the most significant improvement in quality came from Hyundai and Kia
vehicles built in South Korea. They had an average of five less problems per 100 vehicles
than European cars, and six fewer than U.S. vehicles. All U.S. automakers had improvements,
while Cadillac made the largest gains, moving up to the second spot with 93 problems per
100 vehicles, just behind Lexus’ 87 problems per 100 vehicles.