GM is missing the point again

Rising Sun · 2007-06-08T20:24:17+00:00

The Autobeat ..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:

Jun 08, 2007 22 Replies

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Joe LaVigne 19 years ago

Hmmm. Recall rate... I have an 06 Si. No recalls yet, and not a single service visit. I've never had an American car with that kind of reliabilty. A few oil changes in 20,000 miles, and a tire rotation.

Yep, that damned Japanese reliability just sucks...

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80 Knight 19 years ago

Toyota had the most recalls of any auto manufacture in 2006. This isn't an "opinion" either, it's a fact. Enjoy your reliability.

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Mike Marlow 19 years ago

Hell - I've owned several American cars over the years that have met that realiability standard.

Yep, that damned American reliability just sucks...

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