|
|
/analysis/ We don't place much credence in J.D. Power's 90 day "quality" results as an indication of total vehicle quality, since we think it confuses the issue of "good dealer and manufacturer inspection" with "how long will this car last, and how much trouble will I have while it does." /end analysis/
Given that, we'll make hay of one result (courtesy of John D. Harmon): the problems per vehicle for minivans.
Honda Odyssey 134
Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan 127
Chrysler Voyager 128
Chrysler Town & Country 128
In short, if you consider 90 days adequate time to measure quality, Chrysler is beating Honda in minivans. Indeed, there were a number of above-average Chrysler models.
The rest of the news was not as good for Chrysler, which came in as the fourth best manufacturer overall (including Mercedes). No Chrysler topped any categories - but Toyota cleaned up across the board, in both Toyota and Lexus trim. GM did well too, with four top places, as well as all four of the top American assembly plants. The only category where Chrysler even got an "honorable mention" was second and third place in minivans, after Toyota.
Last year, Chrysler did much better - but we note that it was Plymouth which tended to end up as top dog.
According to the Wall Street Journal (thanks, Carter), a soon to be released 90-day initial quality study shows that Toyota is the automaker with the fewest reported problems in the first three months of ownership. They netted the best score ever recorded in the survey, with 107 problems per 100 vehicles. Honda took second place, followed by General Motors. Honda's score beat Toyota's prior-year score, and, more significantly, GM's score beat Honda's prior-year score - in short, had Honda stayed in place, they would have been beaten by American corporation General Motors. DaimlerChrysler AG ranked fourth, beating Ford's fifth place. Volkswagen is in sixth.
Overall, initial reported problems per vehicle fell to 133 problems per 100 vehicles, down from 147 last year. On a brand level, Lexus is in first, followed by Acura, Infiniti, and Volvo. No word on where Mercedes is, or the rather more meaningful results of the long-term survey. (editorial note: we've always felt 90 days to be a moderately meaningless definition of quality, since it is more a reflection of how well a vehicle is inspected than how well it is built.)
MOPAR PARTS NHRA CALENDAR ROUTE 66 --- JOLIET, ILLINOIS CHICAGOLAND DODGE DEALERS NHRA NATIONALS WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 7:15 AM WJOL Call In (Skuza) 10:30 AM Skuza car in place at Presser (Skuza Motorports) 11:30 AM NHRA Press Conference (Skuza, Funny Car) NOON Chicago Tribune Interview (PC) (Skuza) 12:15 PM WLS-ABC (Skuza & Funny Car) 12:30 PM WGN-TV (Skuza & Funny Car) 2:30 PM Dodge NHRA Seminar at Track (Skuza, Alderman, Morgan) THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2002 2:00 PM Trinity Charity Homes (Skuza, Alderman, Wilson, Morgan) 7:30 PM WJOL Live Broadcast (Skuza, Alderman, Wilson, Morgan) FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2002 4:15 PM Pro Stock Qualifying Session (Alderman, Wilson, Morgan) 5:00 PM Nitro Qualifying Session (Skuza) 6:15 PM Hospitality Autograph Session (Skuza, Alderman, Wilson, Morgan) 7:15 PM Pro Stock Qualifying Session (Alderman, Wilson, Morgan) 8:00 PM Nitro Qualifying Session (Skuza) SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2002 8:00 AM At-Track Radio Call-In (Skuza, Alderman, Wilson, Morgan) 10:00 AM Chicago Star Newspaper (Alderman) 11:30 AM Pro Stock Qualifying Session (Alderman, Wilson, Morgan) 12:15 PM Nitro Qualifying Session (Skuza) 1:30 PM Hospitality Autograph Session (Skuza, Alderman, Wilson, Morgan) 2:30 PM Pro Stock Qualifying Session (Alderman, Wilson, Morgan) 3:15 PM Nitro Qualifying Session (Skuza) SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2002 9:00 AM Mopar Performance Parts Caravan (Skuza, Alderman, Wilson, Morgan) 10:30 AM NHRA Driver Introductions (All Qualified Drivers) 11:00 AM Final Eliminations (TF/FC/PS) (All Qualified Drivers) *Schedule Subject to Change WEEKEND TELEVISION: (ALL TIMES EASTERN) QUALIFYING: Sat., May 18; 5-7 p.m.; ESPN REPEAT: Sat., May 18; 10 p.m.-12 a.m.; ESPN2 FINAL ROUND: Sun., May 19; 7– 10 p.m.; ESPN2 REPEAT: Tues., May 20; 2-4 p.m.; ESPN2
Dodge has released preliminary specs for the redesigned Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500. Click here to see them. No major surprises.
Mopar Motorsports NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series teams completed eliminations for the O'Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kan.
Dean Skuza made it to the second round of competition before falling to Tim Wilkerson. The Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T driver clocked a 5.040-second elapsed time at 296.57 mph, but Wilkerson ran a 4.946-second lap at 309.56 mph.
Skuza defeated Ron Capps in the first round of eliminations, after running a 4.974-second lap at 306.46 mph.
Mark Whisnant knocked out Gene Wilson, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T, in the first round of eliminations. Whisnant clicked off a 6.916-second lap at 199.29 mph, which was quicker than Wilson's 6.928/199.37, combination. "We had identical reaction times," Wilson said. "We slipped a little in that right lane had he got me at the top end. The team has been doing a great job, and we'll get them at the next one."
The red light flashed and Darrell Alderman's day ended in round one. The three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion fell to J.R. Carr. "When I went wide open, my foot slipped off the clutch," said a disappointed Alderman, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T. "There really isn't much more to say."
An internal report released by Bloomberg News shows that GM's new vehicle owner complaints have dropped by ten percent over the past year, but that a quarter of potential customers find quality to be an issue. GM was the lowest-place domestic automaker in Consumer Reports ratings (/rant/ and you know what we think of those! /rant off/). GM has been gaining market share over Ford and Chrysler, but has been gaining less quickly than Asian, Korean, and German automakers.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently tested nine-mid-sized cars, from the Hyundai XG350 to the Jaguar X-type. Of the bunch, the Jaguar had the highest expenses, $6,770, earning a "poor" rating from a five mile per hour collision. The "poor" rating was also given to the Hyundai XG350, Volvo S60, Lexus IS 300, and Saab 9-5 (soon to be replaced by a brand new model), while the Acura TL and Nissan Altima were rated "marginal." The only car to achieve an acceptable rating was the Toyota Camry and related Lexus ES300.
The 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab was ranked first in owner satisfaction among all four-door pickup trucks in AutoPacific Inc.'s 2002 Vehicle Satisfaction Score (VSS) study. The survey is conducted each year, and involves 34,000 new vehicle owners.
Honda is voluntarily recalling 1.3 million 1997-2000 Honda and Acura models, including the Civic, Accord, and Odyssey, to replace a faulty ignition switch which would cause the engine to stall.
| To view older news, go to page: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 - 49 - 50 - 51 - 52 - 53 - 54 - 55 - 56 - 57 - 58 - 59 - 60 - 61 - 62 - 63 - 64 - 65 - 66 - 67 - 68 - 69 - 70 - 71 - 72 - 73 - 74 - 75 - 76 - 77 - 78 - 79 - 80 - 81 - 82 - 83 - 84 - 85 - 86 - 87 - 88 - 89 - 90 - 91 - 92 - 93 - 94 - 95 - 96 - 97 - 98 - 99 - 100 - 101 - 102 - 103 - 104 - 105 - 106 - |
| =Please read the terms of use.Mopar, Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler are trademarks of DaimlerChrysler, AG. We are not affiliated with DaimlerChrysler. We are not responsible for the consequences of actions taken based on this site and make no guarantees regarding validity or applicability. Copyright (c) 1999-2000, David Zatz; copyright © 2001-2002 Allpar,LLC. All rights reserved. Owned by Allpar LLC. Recommend this page! |
