In India, Ford and Honda Are Most Dependable Brands

Dependability of a vehicle is an important factor while purchasing a vehicle. Usually in India people consult car owners to know their experience of the vehicle. The cost of running and repairs is also carefully examined before finalizing on the prospective car. However, dependability is subjective to climatic conditions and individual driving styles. This year JD Power Asia released the finding of a study on 2009 Indian vehicle dependability. There were some startling revelations.

JD Power measured dependability of the vehicles based on the number of complaints received per 100 vehicles of the same model. The vehicles should have completed 3 years on the road. It was surprising to find that Ford and Honda Motors scored the highest in the dependability factor. While Ford vehicles reported the least number of problems, Honda cars reported the highest satisfaction in three of the nine categories like vehicle exterior design, driving experience and engine performance.

What came as a surprise was also that, small cars reported the highest number of problems, and the number got smaller as the vehicle got bigger. The vehicle with the lowest scores got the highest rank. The study was conducted in 10 car segments in India.

In the small car segment, Maruti Suzuki topped the list. Its Maruti Suzuki Zen reported 211 complaints per 100 vehicles which was the least in the small car segment. It was followed by Maruti Suzuki WagonR and Alto with 238 and 264 problems respectively. The average number of complaints was 334 per 100 units. Since the study was conducted in the previous fiscal year, it does not include Honda Jazz and Fiat Grande Punto. Further, these vehicles are yet to complete 3-years of duty.

The entry level sedan segment reported that Ford Ikon was highest dependable vehicle. It scored as low as 228 problems per 100 vehicles, while the others like Hyundai Getz reported 138 problems. In the mid-size segment, Honda City reported as low as 155 problems and Ford Fiesta had a mere 183 problems per 100 vehicles. On an average, mid-size category reported 214 problems per hundred vehicles.

Toyota Corolla in the premium mid-size segment reported only 129 problems and Honda Civic reported only 167 problems. Chevrolet Optra fared well with 199 problems per hundred vehicles.

The MUV/MPV (multi-utility vehicle/multi-purpose vehicle) segment was a little problematic. Even as Toyota Innova clocked 182 problems, Chevrolet Tavera reported 222 problems and Mahindra Bolero has 286 problems. This is a par with the small car segment.

The SUV segment threw up most dependable vehicle. Ford Endeavour reported a mere 75 problems per 100 vehicles. Awesome! It was followed by Honda CR-V with 125 problems and Tata Safari Dicor with 344 problems. Ford Endeavour is a testimony to the best of engineering and design. It is an exemplary vehicle whose example should be followed by all Indian cars.

Homegrown majors like Tata Motors and Mahindra need to learn from the Foreign made cars that deliver a promise of great experience as well.