19 July 2011
It’s a shame we only ever hear about how amazing every car manufacturer’s latest technology is. After a while, the breakthroughs all blur into one and lose their power to impress. Time to shake it up and be a bit contrarian.
We’re always given the impression that the auto industry is very good at handling the high levels of quality that consumers have come to expect, so it’s interesting to read the results of this year’s Initial Quality Study by J.D Power and Associates. The study measures new-vehicle quality after 90 days of ownership.
So what is the most-frequently reported problem in cars?
Excessive wind noise. And apparently this issue has held the top spot in the study for years.
The second most-frequently reported problem is “hands-free communication does not recognize command” is. During the past five years, the number of owner-reported problems with hands-free communication systems has increased by nearly 240%.
Perhaps this is a sign the auto industry should go back to steam-powered cars with wooden wheels?