J.D. Power Ranks 2012 Vehicles on Initial Quality
The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicle fell from 107 last year to 102 this year. Half of the problems reported weren't even related to defects, but rather frustrations related to high-tech features such as voice-recognition devices.
The 2012 Porsche 911 had the fewest problems: 44 per 100 vehicles reported, while Lexus had the fewest problems overall as a brand (77 per 100 vehicles).
Among the disappointments was Volkswagen, coming in No. 29 out of 34 brands and 124 reported problems per 100 vehicles. Take a look at the rankings below and make sure you consider this when shopping for a vehicle.
| 2012 J.D. Power and Associates nameplate IQS ranking | |
| Lexus | 73 |
| Jaguar | 75 |
| Porsche | 75 |
| Cadillac | 80 |
| Honda | 83 |
| Acura | 84 |
| Infiniti | 84 |
| Toyota | 88 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 96 |
| BMW | 97 |
| Mazda | 97 |
| GMC | 99 |
| Nissan | 99 |
| Ram | 99 |
| Chevrolet | 100 |
| Industry Average | 102 |
| Audi | 105 |
| Buick | 106 |
| Hyundai | 107 |
| Kia | 107 |
| Lincoln | 107 |
| Volvo | 108 |
| Subaru | 109 |
| Jeep | 110 |
| Suzuki | 115 |
| Chrysler | 116 |
| Scion | 117 |
| Ford | 118 |
| Land Rover | 119 |
| Dodge | 124 |
| Mitsubishi | 124 |
| Volkswagen | 124 |
| MINI | 139 |
| Fiat | 151 |
| smart | 151 |
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
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