What are they talking about?

[Bob Hubbard]

I am sure we have all seen and heard the ads for one particular car or another, and some were rated by J.D.Power and associates.
Power always states"rated number #1 in initial quality".
Just what do they mean by "initial quality?
Does that mean that at first glance the cars are great, and that after a closer analyses, they are determined to be a piece of crap?
I could never understand this term "initial quality".
What does it mean?
Does anybody know"
Bob.

[Barry Wolk]

I believe they are talking about the number of service complaints on new cars.

[Dan Szwarc]

Initial quality is the number of defects on the car from the factory and/or the first three months, year, etc. Something like that.

[toddallen]

Dan is right. IMO the intial quality rating (90 days) is pretty lame, tells you if the trim is going to fall off. The Mechanical Dependability rating is more important, which rates car repair records after 3 years.

[Stuart M. Cohen]

From the J.D. Power website:

http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases/pr ... ID=2005069

What IQS Measures

IQS is a model-level study. It measures 135 attributes across nine categories, including ride/handling/braking, engine and transmission, and a broad range of quality problems symptoms reported by vehicle owners.

The 2005 Initial Quality Study is based on responses from more than 62,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2005 model-year cars and trucks, who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. This industry benchmark study for new-vehicle initial quality is now in its 19th year.

Hope this helps.

Stu

[Bob Hubbard]

Thanks Stu, That pretty well sums it up.
Bob.

[gmiguy]

I have to wonder how much the "newness" of the car affects the owners' perceptions of quality. Ive never met somebody with a 60 day old car who didn't think it was the greatest thing ever.

[Barry Wolk]

Then you haven't met me. I bought the first 1988 V-12 7-series BMW shipped into this country. It was so horribly defective I didn't get to drive it the first two weeks I owned it.

They replaced the car with one that's radiator blew on the way home. They replaced that car just 'cause I was pissed. I put 11,000 miles on that car before I picked up it's replacement in Germany at BMW's expense.

I still have that third car.

I also bought the first year of the second generation Mazda RX-7. Big mistake. I need to let them sort out new model problems before I jump in.

I also bought one of the latest V-10 Ford trucks that was a piece of junk right out of the box.

[phantomcobra]

My question has always been... shouldn't a brand new car be perfect for at least 6 months to a year (assuming normal wear and tear, not a teenager drag racing every weekend)?

A friend of mine got a brand spanking new car in 1985 or so and in less than a week some of the plastic parts on the doors were falling off. At the time, I was driving a 69 Valiant and nothing had ever fallen off it at 16 years old! But according to the "experts" the 85 was a better car?

Consumer Reports is the ONLY guide I go by and even then only as a reference!