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US Cars Catch Foreign Makers in Dependability

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 19, 2009 4:31 PM CDT

(Newser) – Buick and Jaguar are the most dependable all-around car brands this year, the Detroit News reports. A study by JD Power and Associates looked at the average number of problems that crop up in 2006 models to make its estimation, which could be more influential as the recession has drivers holding onto cars longer. Joining Buick and Jaguar—which tied—in the top five are Lexus, Toyota, and Mercury.

All Ford brands had fewer than the average of 170 problems per 100 vehicles, while only Chrysler’s eponymous label and two of General Motors’ beat that. Each had a best-in-segment entry, though no one could touch Toyota, which grabbed five. Buick’s ascendancy signaled a shift for one analyst. “There’s more of a blurring between the quality of imports and the quality of domestics,” he said.

[Images (6)]

[Quotes (1)]

An unidentified shopper looks through the window of an unsold 2008 Lacrosse sedan at a Buick dealership. (AP Photo)

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse. (AP Photo)

The new Jaguar XK. (AP Photo)

A Toyota logo and cars are seen at a dealer. (AP Photo)

The company logo shines on the chromed grille of a 2007 Lexus LX470 sports utility vehicle. (AP Photo)

Unsold 2007 Mercury Milan sedans. (AP Photo)

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Where the domestics have the greatest challenge is in the average consumer's perception of quality and reliability, which is still lagging reality. - David Sargent, JD Power

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