| In South Africa, quality of new vehicles is | | | | and Volvo respectively. |
| deteriorating despite the decrease in the | | | | |
| number of problems encountered by car owners | | | | In 2006, the honorific five is comprised by |
| in every 100 vehicle of a certain model | | | | Honda with reported 150 problems followed by |
| according to data revealed by J.D. Power and | | | | BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, Audi and Hyundai. |
| Associates. | | | | |
| | | | The car with the lowest problem in the |
| J.D. Power and Associates is a leading | | | | industry is the Honda Jazz belonging in the |
| authority in vehicle quality analysis in the | | | | small car segment. Honda's little vehicle |
| global automotive industry. Yesterday, the | | | | consistently received an award for four |
| firm's initial quality study revealed that | | | | consecutive years. |
| the average problem per 100 vehicle | | | | |
| complained by owners climbed to 245 problems | | | | Out of the five worst performing cars in the |
| compared to last year's 239 problems. | | | | study, four were also ranked lowest last |
| | | | year. This year's five vehicles with the most |
| The results were based to the responses made | | | | problems are shamefully carrying the brands |
| by a total of 8,600 new vehicle owners who | | | | of Tata with a total of 567 followed by |
| purchased their vehicles for the first five | | | | Volkswagen, Fiat, Opel and Renault. |
| months for this year. The problems cited by | | | | |
| the subjects are those they encountered | | | | JD Power and Associates Vice-President Brian |
| during the first three to seven months of | | | | Walters commented that BMW had made |
| ownership. Ideally, this period, the vehicle | | | | significant improvements in its vehicles thus |
| should be at its best driving condition since | | | | climbing from the third post in 2005 and on |
| they are fresh from showrooms and | | | | top this year. |
| dealerships. | | | | |
| | | | The Mercedes-Benz East London passenger |
| J.D. Power and Associates discovered a total | | | | vehicle assembly plant that produces the |
| of 228 individual problems across nine | | | | Mercedes-Benz C-Class leads other South |
| categories. The vehicles that gained the | | | | African plants in initial quality, with 103 |
| lowest scores reflected fewer problems, | | | | problems per 100 vehicles. |
| therefore, of better quality than those with | | | | |
| higher scores. | | | | "The Mercedes-Benz East London plant was |
| | | | recently retooled to produce left-hand drive |
| This year, BMW replaced Honda as the highest | | | | vehicles, which are exported to the US. It is |
| ranking vehicle brand in South Africa. BMW | | | | particularly impressive that this plant, in |
| totaled 142 problems per 100 vehicles. Honda | | | | the face of major changes to its production |
| which makes quality Acura CL brake dust | | | | line, has been able to produce vehicles of |
| shields follows the German brand. Third, | | | | such outstanding quality," said Walters. |
| fourth and fifth are Subaru, Mercedes-Benz | | | | |