GM Below Average In 2010 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

by William Maley
Jun 28th, 2010

The 2010 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS) has been released and it’s chock full of surprises. The study surveys more than 82,000 purchasers and lessees of 2010 model year vehicles after ninety days of ownership and asks them about any problems during the time period.

This year, the industry average rose to 109 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) from 108 PP100 in 2009. GM received fairly aceptable scores in the study this year, with Cadillac and Chevrolet scoring 111 PP100, Buick with 114, and GMC with 126. Unfortunately, all GM brands scored below average in the study. However, several GM vehicles received top quality honors in their respective classes, including the Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Avalanche and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra.

And if that wasn’t enough to cheer you up – GM’s Grand River plant in Lansing, MI that builds the Cadillac CTS took the Bronze Plant Award for North/South America and was the top rated plant in the United States. Dan Nicholson, GM Vice President of Global Quality, Dan Nicholson had the following to say about these results:

“Delivering top-quality vehicles for our customers is our overriding priority. Our entire team is committed to improving our vehicles, and we never lose sight of the fact that the competition is also moving fast.”

GM Increases Number of J.D. Power IQS Awards
•Tahoe, Avalanche, Escalade, and Sierra 1500 receive quality awards
•Malibu, CTS, Suburban, Lucerne, Yukon XL among top three in segment
•Lansing (Mich.) Grand River wins Bronze award for plant quality in North/South America

DETROIT – General Motors Co.’s commitment to continuous vehicle quality improvement received significant recognition in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS) with 10 models ranking in the top three in their segment for quality performance in the first 90 days of ownership.

GM’s Lansing (Mich.) Grand River assembly plant – home of the Cadillac CTS family and STS – was awarded the study’s Bronze Plant Award in the North/South America region, and was the top-ranking plant in the United States.

Vehicle segment wins for the Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac models support the quality improvement trend seen in internal evaluations, which show that, since 2007, GM has reduced warranty repairs by 45 percent per vehicle in North America.

GM trucks swept the top three spots in the large crossover/SUV category with the Chevrolet Tahoe leading the way, followed by the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon/XL. The Chevrolet Avalanche was the top-ranked large pickup for initial quality, tied with the GMC Sierra. GM also took the top spot in the large premium crossover/SUV segment (Cadillac Escalade) and ranked in the top three in the midsize car (Chevrolet Malibu), entry premium car (Cadillac CTS), and large car (Buick Lucerne) segments.

“Delivering top-quality vehicles for our customers is our overriding priority,” said Dan Nicholson, GM vice president of Global Quality. “Our entire team is committed to improving our vehicles, and we never lose sight of the fact that the competition is also moving fast.”

The 2010 IQS is based on responses from more than 82,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2010 model-year vehicles surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study is based on a 228-question survey designed to provide manufacturers with information to quickly identify design-related problems, defects and malfunctions.

About General Motors: General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 205,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 157 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, FAW, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.