Department of Transportation Car 'Quality' Report - Non-Wakeboarding Discussion

(ripr) · (ripr) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 02-22-2010, 7:44 AM

I figured since there are alot of car guys on here that I would post this.

Recent Department of Transportation data for complaints they received per 100,000 cars sold from 2001 to February 3, 2010 (reported in Newsweek)

VW: 235
Nissan: 154
Chrysler: 138
Ford: 122
GM: 99
Honda: 97
Hyundai: 96
Toyota: 65
BMW: 37
Mercedes-Benz: 26

So, to clarify this data, VW owners complained at an approximate 10 times higher rate than did MB owners. Different sales volumes are not relevant, as this rate is based on per 100,000 cars sold. This is not warranty nor repair data, but complaints to the DOT, and all sorts of variables may be involved (e.g. propensity to complain to the government, for example)

(puckinshat) · (puckinshat) **Join Date: Sep 2003** 02-22-2010, 7:51 AM

Are Infniti, Acura, and Lexus mixed in with Nissan, Honda, and Toyota? And then would Audi be mixed in with VW?

Interesting data.

(timmy) · (timmy) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 02-22-2010, 8:20 AM

I don't know anybody who has ever complained to the DOT about their car

(sidekicknicholas)

Toyota is the 2nd lowest eh?... I guess you can't complain if you're dead.

(zo1) · (zo1) **Join Date: Aug 2002** 02-22-2010, 8:29 AM

I don't know anybody who has ever complained to the DOT about their car

Agreed, I did not even know that you could do this, and on top; of it, I never would as it is a total waste of time IMO.

I will also say that we have had numerous VW's and had no reason to complain about them.

(ripr) · (ripr) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 02-22-2010, 9:26 AM

I don't know anyone who has either, but apparently people complain to the DOT. For instance, if Honda sold 1.7 million cars in the U.S. in 2007, it's safe to say they sold 'about' 14 million units from 2001 to 2010. Therefore, about 14,000 people complained to the DOT about their Honda.

Just some interesting stuff for conversations sake.

(wake77) · (wake77) **Join Date: Jan 2009** 02-22-2010, 9:40 AM

yeah, haven't any of you ever gotten behind a VW bus in the fastlane of the interstate or going up a hill?

(guido) · (guido) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 02-22-2010, 11:10 AM

Both BMW and MBZ have been working on quality issues for the last few years. As far as I can tell it's beginning to pay off. There was a period of time in the early 2000's that BMW's quality significantly dropped off as they jumped into the price wars with the Japanese luxury marque's.

As their consumer ratings dropped, they've refocused on quality and long term customer satisfaction. BMW needed this. Back in the 80's and early 90's their cars were bomb proof. Mercedes on the other hand has focused more on streamlining vehicle operation and ergonomics (which IMO, they've got a pretty good handle on). In my recent training for MBZ the factory material stated they were (in their own words) done playing the technology leapfrog game and that they were getting back into building quality cars.

Kind of funny that in the same training they also intro'd the new E-class that has lane deviation sensors and driver alertness alarms. Billed as the most advanced automobile ever built. Funny stuff, but a nice car none the less.

I've also never heard of anyone complaining to DOT, but I will say that if I were jumping in a car to drive across the country it'd be a MBZ. They just never break down. I'd gladly do it in a BMW or Audi, too, but I'd want to have a full vehicle inspection first. Ha, ha, ha.