All About Japan Autos

J.D. Power announced that Lincoln tops the list of their 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study. “This year’s study was based on responses of almost 44,000 owners of 2008 model vehicles,” says the New York Times. “The survey covers 202 different problem areas that may occur within eight major vehicle categories, like engine and transmission, seats and exterior.” J.D. Power then determines there rankings by the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles.

2010 dependability champ Porsche was knocked down the lineup in this year’s ratings. “Lexus followed Lincoln as runner-up in the J.D. Power rankings, with Jaguar, Porsche and Toyota Motor Corp. rounding out the top five in the three-year new-car dependability study,” reports the Detroit News. “The average dependability rate, which measures the frequency of problems occurring in 2008 model vehicles over three years, hit its lowest level since the study began in 1990, California-based J.D. Power said.”

That’s good news if you’re on the lookout for a new car, but that doesn’t mean that automakers don’t still have room to improve. “The study noted that overall vehicle dependability continues to improve, although automakers ‘are experiencing some challenges in overcoming problems with newer technologies and features,’” writes Edmunds. “These include ‘audio, entertainment and navigation systems and new safety features, such as tire-pressure monitoring systems.’”

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