J.D. Powers: Dodge could pass Nissan by 2010

Influential research firm J.D. Powers has released a study showing that Dodge could regain fifth place among preferred automotive brands as U.S. light vehicle sales improve in 2010. Powers looks for Dodge sales to remain stable while those at Nissan, which bumped Dodge from fifth to sixth in 2008, decline. The same study said Chevrolet will probably fall behind Ford in the rankings.

Ranked by sales, the Top Ten brands in 2008 were: Toyota (excluding Scion), Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Dodge, Hyundai, GMC, Chrysler and Jeep. Chrysler was the only automaker to have all of its brands in the top ten but all three marques lost ground last year. Dodge dropped from fifth to sixth, Chrysler fell two slots, from seventh to ninth and Jeep dropped from ninth to tenth. In 2007, the Top Ten were: Chevrolet, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Dodge, Nissan, Chrysler, GMC, Jeep and Hyundai.