Surveys


What Reliability Surveys Has The NSX Appeared In?

J.D. Power & Associates 5-year Dependability Study (SM) (1996)

This article taken from the JD Power web site at http://www.jdpower.com/jdpower/releases/60319car.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 19, 1996

AGOURA HILLS, CALIFORNIA–The Lexus LS 400 and Acura NSX tie as the most dependable car at five years of ownership according to the 1996 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study. On the light truck side, the Toyota Pickup and the Dodge Ram 50 also tie for top honors. This dependability was measured from surveys returned by more than 33,000 car and truck owners who rated their 1991 vehicles across 89 problem categories based on their last 12 months of ownership.

The following is a list, in rank order, of the top cars after five years of ownership as reported in the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study: 

     
  • Acura NSX
  •  
  • *Lexus LS 400
  •  
  • *Infiniti Q45
  •  
  • Mercedes-Benz 300 Series
  •  
  • Mercedes-Benz 300SL/500SL
  •  
  • Cadillac Eldorado
  •  
  • Toyota Cressida
  •  
  • Buick Century
  •  
  • Cadillac Brougham
  •  
  • Porsche 911

*Tied for Best Model in Vehicle Dependability

The following light truck models head each of the six segments featured in the study: Truck Segment 1991 Model-Year Vehicle

     
  • Compact Pickup Dodge Ram 50 *
  •  
  • Toyota Pickup *
  •  
  • Full-Size Pickup: Chevrolet C/K Pickup
  •  
  • Compact Sport Utility: Nissan Pathfinder
  •  
  • Full-Size Van: Chevrolet Van/Sport Van
  •  
  • Compact Van: Toyota Previa
  •  
  • Full-Size Sport Utility: Toyota Land Cruiser

(* Tied for Best Truck Model in Vehicle Dependability)

With new vehicle prices at a premium and an influx of cars coming off lease, used cars are more attractive than ever. After five years of ownership, 1991 model-year vehicles are prime candidates for this used car market.

One of the main questions that plague a new-car buyer is whether their car will hold up over the long run-which cars will still be in good condition by the time they pay off their loan? "If you’re looking at vehicles that are four to five years old, the Vehicle Dependability Study is an excellent gauge to determine which vehicles will have the least problems. This study is particularly valuable because it measures the number of problems experienced by original owners," commented Bill Wallis, Senior Account Executive at J.D. Power and Associates.

Obviously the current manufacturer focus on vehicle options, and ABS in particular, is a worthy pursuit. The Vehicle

 Dependability Study reveals that close to 60 percent of consumers with ABS said they want  their next vehicle equipped with this system. The implication is that safety continues to  be a key consumer issue. Despite concern in the industry that anti-lock brakes have more  problems than traditional brakes, car owners of vehicles with ABS are more satisfied with  their brakes and report fewer brake problems than those without. (Of the top ten car  models, all, with the exception of the Buick Century came equipped with ABS.) 

The focus of the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study is the past-year problem experience of owners who bought a new personal-use vehicle during the 1991 model year and have retained it. The study looks at durability of specific items, incidence of warranty work, rating of work performed and the amount spent in the past year on non-routine repairs. In addition, the study addresses a wide variety of manufacturer and dealer issues as well as information of value to manufacturer engineers and product designers.

J.D. Power and Associates is an international market research firm specializing in measuring and analyzing consumer opinion and behavior. The firm conducts syndicated and proprietary studies in the telecommunications, automotive, airline, office products, and financial services industries. Headquartered in Agoura Hills, California, the company also has offices in Torrance, California; Detroit, Michigan; Westport, Connecticut; Toronto, Canada; London, England; and Tokyo, Japan. Additional information about J.D. Power and Associates can be accessed through the World Wide Web at http://www.jdpower.com. Media E-mail contact: john.pepitone@jdpower.com

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