Toyota behind Buick, Jaguar, in Dependability says J.D. Power & Associates

Buick tied Jaguar as the most dependable vehicle brands in an influential study released today by J.D. Power and Associates.

Lexus, Toyota and Mercury brands also ranked in the top five of the 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study, which measures problems experienced by owners of 2006 model year vehicles.

Ford Motor Co. netted high marks with all three of its brands ranking above the industry average. Its Mercury Grand Marquis was the most dependable large car, and two Lincoln vehicles were top-rated in their segments, according to the study.

Chrysler LLC, however, only had its namesake brand score above the industry average, while Buick and Cadillac were alone among GM's eight brands to score better than the average of 170 problems per 100 vehicles. Buick, which improved from a sixth-place ranking last year, had 122 problems per 100 vehicles.


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