CarSeekBlog

Well, it’s official. Clawing their way up from sixth and tenth place respectively last year, Buick and Jaguar have kicked Lexus out of a 14-year reign at the top of the J.D. Power and Associates’ Vehicle Dependability Study. Buick and Jaguar owners reported an average of 122 problems per 100 vehicles, four less than Lexus. (The next three spots on the list were held by Lexus, Toyota, and Mercury.)

The survey interviews 46,000 drivers of 2006 models of the participating cars. This really blasts the stereotypical image most Americans have of Jaguar as a brand constantly in need of repair. Jaguar was bought last year by Tata Motors of India, and it will be interesting to see how the cars continue to stack up against the competition.

Buick’s showing reflects nicely on embattled General Motors. In a story for Automotive News, David Sargent, J.D. Power’s vice president of automotive research said, “Part of GM’s historical challenge has been that the customer’s perception of GM’s vehicles has been not in line with reliability. GM, as well as Ford, has made a lot of strides recently. Maybe 10 or 15 years ago their vehicles weren’t as reliable as some of the imports, but I think today they’ve virtually caught up.”

A reputation for reliability and some guidance in what to look for in a previously-owned vehicle is more important than ever as the recession drags into its 16th month. People are holding on to their cars an average of 73 months, up from 66 months in 2006.

Filed under: Buying Trends, GM, Lexus by Shorty