J.D. Power and Associates has announced that Lincoln has the highest score for vehicle long-term dependability amongst all vehicle brands in their 2011 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). Below is a summary of the press release the company issued regarding this report.
The respondents of the survey are consumers who own three-year old vehicles (2008 model-year). In the survey, the respondents (close to 44,000) were asked questions that would pin point any problems they have encountered with their vehicle within the past year. Problems were divided into eight categories with a total of 202 problems that respondents could indicate experiencing. This annual study began in 1990.
Ranking high in this study is very important to everyone involved in the automotive industry. According to J.D. Power and Associates, “perception of quality and dependability is the most influential factor in their (new shoppers) decision to purchase a specific vehicle model”. More and more, customers are looking for vehicles from brands that they can trust. More than 60% of consumers who are purchasing new vehicles “say reliability/durability is one of the most important factors in choosing a new vehicle”. Whether or not the customer’s car is perceived as dependable has an affect on whether or not a customer will purchase their vehicle from the same dealership again. It is also noteworthy to mention that if a customer is experiencing problems with their car, they are less willing to go back to the dealer for service work.
Lincoln was ranked as this year’s most dependable vehicle. Lincoln took first place with Lexus, Jaguar, and Porsche following behind in their respective positions. Even though Ford was not in the top five, the brand did rank higher than the industry average. Those ranking the lowest were MINI, Jeep, Land Rover and Dodge.
Ford Motor Company had many vehicles rank in the top three of their segments. The Lincoln MKZ ranked the highest in the Entry Premium Car segment and the Lincoln Navigator was the highest ranked in the Large Premium Crossover/SUV category. The Ford Fusion was the highest ranked in the Midsize Car segment. Some other winners for FMC was the Ford Edge, Ford F-150, Ford Mustang and Ford Taurus.
How important do you consider dependability when purchasing a new vehicle?
J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study
Lincoln Inventory
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