What do auto surveys really mean? And why are they so different?
An incisive piece by Paul Eisenstein in TheDetroitBureau.com addresses the question of why different auto surveys can have opposite results, with FCA on top of one survey and at the bottom of another. One answer: They often measure different things, whether problems with the car, overall ownership experience or even what Strategic Vision calls love for the product.
So rather than looking at winners and losers, it might be more useful to look at overall trends. Many are good news for the industry and may be worth pointing out to customers. Here are some that Eisenstein found:
« Overall quality has improved substantially in the past 10 years, and the gap between best and worst is much smaller.
« GM and the Koreans have dramatically improved initial quality.
« Traditional mechanical problems are much more rare than in the past, but high-tech ones are more common.
« Japanese makes tend to outrank others after several years of ownership.
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