GM - Great Quality News from J.D. Power Study

Great news for GM: on Monday, J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study announced that Cadillac was the highest-ranked domestic brand, jumping from 25th to third  place overall in two years.  Moreover, Chevrolet has almost eliminated a long-criticized gap in new car quality with Toyota, as Chevrolet finished just two rankings below Toyota, considered by many to be a statistical dead heat.  Overall, GM has improved in initial quality by 10%, outpacing the eight-percent rate of improvement by the industry overall, marking this the first time that GM is above industry average since 2002.  

“Even in the face of unprecedented challenges, the Detroit automakers are keeping their focus on designing and building high-quality vehicles, which is a precondition for long-term success,” David Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power and Associates, said in a statement.  “Have the leading domestic nameplates caught up with Toyota? The answer is almost.”

J.D. Power and Associates announced the results of its Initial Quality Study, which is considered the benchmark study for new-vehicle quality.  It was based on over 80,000 registered new-vehicle owners responding to the survey and reporting on the quality of their new vehicles during the initial 90 days of ownership.  

Here are some news articles from about the announcement:
Reuters, “Detroit closes in on Toyota in key quality measure” http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSN2250152620090622
USA Today, “Domestic automakers make gains in quality survey”http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2009-06-22-powers-survey_N.htm
Lastly, if you are interested in today’s webchat with Rick Spina, GM North America VP of Quality, I’ve attached it for you to read.