GM is missing the point again

The Autobeat

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..General Motors and Chrysler tumbled down the list in J.D. Power and Associates? annual Initial Quality Study. The study measures problems found in the first 90 days of ownership after interviewing 97,000 consumers.

GM did poorly and a company spokesman argued that the survey doesn?t matter. All of GM?s brands finished below the industry average, which is 125 problems per 100 vehicles...

The reason it doesn?t matter, says the spokesman, is that the difference between top performers and the middle of the pack is statistically irrelevant. Toyota, which tied Jaguar for sixth with 112 problems per 100 vehicles, beat Chevy by just 17 problems per 100 cars. He makes a point. Few consumers will notice 17 problems per 100 vehicles. The Power study, he told me, is becoming less and less relevant because quality is reaching parity.

There's some truth to that. But the argument naively misses a huge point. While some brands like Mercedes moved way up the charts this year and others, like Chrysler, tumbled way down, hot names like Honda and Toyota are in the top 10 every year. Every year!

Consumers love and trust those brands. And those companies have been dining on Motown?s market share for decades now. Sure, Detroit is close, by the numbers anyway. But consumers won?t believe that Detroit is as good as Honda and Toyota until they beat them and beat them consistently in J.D. Power surveys, Consumer Reports studies, word-of- mouth recommendations and just general buzz. I?m sorry, why should a guy who?s on his third Toyota or Honda buy a Chevy? Because the initial quality is almost as good and the disparity is statistically minuscule? There?s a great sales pitch... ========== Rising Sun:

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Reply to
Rising Sun
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The fact is most ALL of the vehicle manufacturers fall within the statistical average of 2%, which is the average number of faults for ALL manufactured products. Naturally one will be on top and one will be on the bottom in ANY list but a variation of .05% to 1% is in indeed meaningless.

What the customers should be more concerned about is the total cost to drive the vehicle home, dealer service, shop rates for that service, insurance, and parts costs, not whose brand in on the grill.

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

That is why the best vehicle, a Lincoln, had 37 problems per 100 vehicles.

I guess 98% of the vehicles have no problems, but 2% of the vehicles have at 17 problems, on average.

What's meaningless is your 2% statistic. The average was 125 problem per

100 vehicles. How that works to 2% is beyound me.

Including the cost of taking those cars, with average 1.25 problems per car, back to the dealer.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Valid point. It is - after all - the total time behind the wheel that matters.

Oh, and Mike - *PLEASE* stop top posting. It is very annoying.

Reply to
PerfectReign

Mike, I agree, that's why you should try a cost to own comparison on edmonds.com. They compare on a 4 year basis, Maintenance, think repairs before and after 90 days, more like about the time the warranty ends, Resale Value (you know about that one Mike ), and yes original sale price and regular maintenance. Try for example comparing Camry, Accord, Malibu, and any other comparible domestics, and see what you come up with.

Most people don't own their only cars 90 days. I had a 92 Saturn SL2 that rated high in JD Powers and it was a terrible car. Three brake jobs before the warranty ran out (obviously my fault per the dealer). Used non-GM brakes after the warranty and never replaced them again up to 73k miles. Alternator died at 37k, dealer said can't help, rarely happens, parts guy said they fail all the time, hmmmm. Rattles, loose trim parts, noisy engine, bad body panels. Real quality car for the first 90 days, after that, well, downhill from there. In the end, trade in value was horrible too. The folks at saturn basically said too bad, so I say too bad when I don't consider them in the future.

Can't say that for my 3 Toyotas and my wife's 2 Hondas.

Reply to
Roadrunner NG

What is meaningless is your 2% number. 2% of what? 2% of all transmissions fail every day? 2% of cars will need a repair if driven

300,000 miles?

If you keep cars for two years (like you do) and have connections in the industry and/or enough money that you don't care about resale value, then it may not matter. For people who want to drive a car for

5 - 10 years and don't want to be making monthly trips to the garage, it makes a difference.

Economical car ownership is most dependent on avoiding depreciation costs and finance charges. High-quality, durable and reliable cars are best for this.

Reply to
Gordon McGrew

It is quite obvious that it is beyound you LOL

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

You are entitle to your own opinion but I know that since I switched from buying Toyota / Lexus vehicles to domestics I have saved thousand of dollars every time I buy another new car and I have been saving hundreds of dollars annually on the maintenance costs at the dealerships.

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Can't prove it by me. Of all the cars I have owned, only two were problematic over time, a '51 Chevy and a '97 Lexus. Although I do not keep my cars ten years most of them have gone to relatives and friends, some of whom keep then even longer than ten years. If one does the proper preventive maintenance any brand today will run to 200K or more.

I also own a '41, '64, '71, and a '83 domestics. All but the '41, where purchased new and currently have from 100K to 300K on the clock and they all look and run just fine.

Since I was in the fleet service business I have learned to do what corporate fleet mangers do. I look at the total cost over time to acquire, insure, maintain, repair and replace my vehicles. That is the reason why I no longer buy imports

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

For you so say that, the '97 Lexus must have been a lemon. In my case, it would take a really good deal to get me back into a Big Three car. My three Toyotas (and my daughter's Matrix) have made me realize that going to a repair shop with a problem is not necessarily a two-or-three times a year thing, it can become an "every two years, whether it needs anything or not" kind of thing. Now and then, I read the used car ads for amusement, and continually see 3 or 4 year old Cads which the owner states "85K miles, new transmission" and such ads for other American iron. I still like my American car, built in Georgetown, KY with the badge "Avalon" on it. ...And my Japanese Camry, now pushing 138K miles where only the starter, the water pump, timing belt and brake pads have been replaced. And the transmission is still smooth as silk.

Reply to
mack

Blah Blah Blah. What does 2% mean?

Reply to
Gordon McGrew

It is obviously beyond you as well since you can't explain it.

Reply to
Gordon McGrew

Really? My '64 domestic has 165K on the Clock and my, '71 has nearly 300K on the clock. My '83 domestic only has around 100K on the clock, but all three still have their original starters and water pumps. Like I said, todays cars are even better, 200k should be a cake walk if one does the maintenance ;)

mike

(M)y Japanese Camry, now pushing 138K miles where only the starter, the water pump,

Reply to
Mike Hunter

It is what left after one subtracts 98% from 100%, Blah, Blah, Blah. LOL

Reply to
Mike Hunter

I never said 125 problems per 100 vehicles was 2%. Who ever did, does not understand how to figure statistical averages. LOL

Reply to
Mike Hunter

IOW, it has nothing to do with automotive reliability, it is just a number you pulled out of your ass. Thanks for confirming that.

Reply to
Gordon McGrew

It is there for all to read. in the various survey reports. Apparently you can't see it LOL

mike

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Reply to
Mike Hunter

Sure Mike. Domestics are great. That's why their market share keeps declining.

I've owned cars since the '60s and think you're lying. Never replaced a starter? After 40 years of car ownership? That makes you the only one. My '83 domestic required a water pump replacement under warranty while still running the factory coolant. Warranty covered the faulty fuel pump, too.

None of my Honda or Toyota cars required as much repair or were as costly to maintain as my domestics. Why do you think GM was forced to go with a 100K mile powertrain warranty?

Reply to
ACAR

Reply to
Speedy Pete

IOW, it is just a number you pulled out of your ass. Thanks for confirming that.

Reply to
Gordon McGrew

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