Ford Takes Top Plant, Tops Five Model Segments

For the first time since 1999, a North American assembly plant receives the Platinum Plant Quality Award for producing vehicles yielding the fewest defects.

J.D. Power has given the Platinum Plant Quality Award for producing vehicles with the fewest defects to Ford's Wixom Assembly Plant in Michigan, which stopped making cars last May 31. The Detroit-area plant produced the Lincoln Town Car, which averages 35 problems per 100 vehicles. Plant awards are based solely on defect counts.

Other honorees among North and South American plants are the General Motors Oshawa 2 plant in Ontario, Canada -- which produces the Buick LaCrosse and Pontiac Grand Prix, for the Silver Plant Quality Award; and American Honda’s East Liberty, Ohio, plant, which produces the Honda Civic Sedan and Honda Element, for the Bronze Plant Quality Award.

In the Asia Pacific region, Toyota’s Kyushu, Japan, plant, which produces the Lexus ES 350, Lexus IS 250/IS 350, Lexus RX 350, Lexus RX 400h and Toyota Highlander/Highlander Hybrid received the Gold Plant Quality Award.

The Silver Plant Quality Award went to another Toyota plant -- Toyota’s Fujimatsu, Japan, plant, which produces the Toyota Prius. American Honda’s Sayama, Japan, and Suzuka, Japan, plants tied for the Bronze Plant Quality Award. The Sayama plant produces the Acura RL, Acura TSX, Honda Accord Sedan/Hybrid Sedan and Honda CR-V. The Suzuka plant produces the Honda Civic Sedan/Hybrid Sedan, Fit and S2000.

BMW’s Regensburg, Germany, plant, which produces the BMW 3-Series Coupe and 3-Series Sedan, received the Gold Plant Quality Award for Europe.

The Silver Quality Plant Award meanwhile went to the Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen, Germany, plant, which produces the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, CL-Class, CLS-Class, E-Class Sedan, E-Class Wagon, and S-Class. Audi’s Neckarsulm, Germany, plant, which produces the Audi A6 Avant, A6 Sedan, A8 Sedan, RS 4 Sedan, S6 Sedan and S8 Sedan, received the Bronze Plant Quality Award.

The 2007 Initial Quality Study is based on responses from more than 97,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2007 model-year cars and trucks surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study is based on a 228-question battery designed to provide manufacturers with information to facilitate problem determination and drive product improvement.

Aside from getting the Platinum Plant Quality Award for producing vehicles yielding the fewest defects, Ford Motor Company also took five top model segment awards -- more than any other automobile corporation this year -- in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Initial Quality Study released Wednesday last week.

In the study, Ford earned model segment awards for the Ford Mustang, Lincoln Mark LT, Lincoln MKZ, Mercury Milan, and Mazda MX-5 Miata. Mazda, maker of top of the line Mazda water pump, is 33.4 percent owned by Ford.

Ford's Lincoln nameplate, which received two segment awards, improved to rank third in 2007, climbing from the 12th spot in 2006.

The Initial Quality Study serves as the industry benchmark for new-vehicle quality measured at 90 days of ownership and captures problems experienced by owners in two distinct categories -- quality of design and quality of production.