Korean automaker Hyundai Motor America, which struggled with its quality reputation only a few years ago, has leapfrogged Detroit's automakers and is now ranked just below perennial leader Toyota in a closely watched survey of new-vehicle quality.
Hyundai tiedHonda Motor Co. for second place, and it surpassed European rivals in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Survey,released Wednesday.
Toyota Motor Sales, which includes the top-rated Lexus brand took first place in the company-wide initial quality. However, the Hyundai brand outperformed the Toyota brand. Detroit's automakers, though improved from last year, all ranked below the industry average.
J.D. Power surveyed more than 51,000 people three months after they bought or leased a new vehicle, asking about more than 100 potential problems.
Hyundai, which used to rank near the bottom of the study, made a vast improvement from a year ago, going from 143 problems reported per 100 vehicles to 102. The company attributes the improvement to a years-long commitment to advancing its quality.
In the 1999 model year, the company began putting a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty on its vehicles as an assurance that it had changed.
Toyota had 101 reported problems, compared to 115 in 2003.
Hyundai said it knew it had made dramatic quality strides in recent years, but it had no idea that it had come this far.
"We are all over the moon with happiness," said Chris Hosford, a spokesman for Hyundai. "We knew this was coming," but "very few of us knew that we would make this big of an improvement."
Hyundai soured Americans during the 1980s largely because of its poor-quality cars. But the warranty, along with better styling, has helped the automaker gain market share.
"They're doing a better job of understanding the U.S. consumer," said Brian Walters, J.D. Power's senior director of vehicle research. They know "what they like and what they don't like."
General Motors Corp., the highest-ranked domestic automaker, improved its quality score by 10 percent to 120 complaints per 100 vehicles. But it still came in just behind the industry average of 119 problems.
Gary Cowger, president of GM North America, said the automaker performed well given that it launched 13 new products last year.
Full Story HERE
Hyundai tiedHonda Motor Co. for second place, and it surpassed European rivals in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Survey,released Wednesday.
Toyota Motor Sales, which includes the top-rated Lexus brand took first place in the company-wide initial quality. However, the Hyundai brand outperformed the Toyota brand. Detroit's automakers, though improved from last year, all ranked below the industry average.
J.D. Power surveyed more than 51,000 people three months after they bought or leased a new vehicle, asking about more than 100 potential problems.
Hyundai, which used to rank near the bottom of the study, made a vast improvement from a year ago, going from 143 problems reported per 100 vehicles to 102. The company attributes the improvement to a years-long commitment to advancing its quality.
In the 1999 model year, the company began putting a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty on its vehicles as an assurance that it had changed.
Toyota had 101 reported problems, compared to 115 in 2003.
Hyundai said it knew it had made dramatic quality strides in recent years, but it had no idea that it had come this far.
"We are all over the moon with happiness," said Chris Hosford, a spokesman for Hyundai. "We knew this was coming," but "very few of us knew that we would make this big of an improvement."
Hyundai soured Americans during the 1980s largely because of its poor-quality cars. But the warranty, along with better styling, has helped the automaker gain market share.
"They're doing a better job of understanding the U.S. consumer," said Brian Walters, J.D. Power's senior director of vehicle research. They know "what they like and what they don't like."
General Motors Corp., the highest-ranked domestic automaker, improved its quality score by 10 percent to 120 complaints per 100 vehicles. But it still came in just behind the industry average of 119 problems.
Gary Cowger, president of GM North America, said the automaker performed well given that it launched 13 new products last year.
Full Story HERE
