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'It's An Historic Shift': Japanese Brands Overtaken In JD Power Quality Study

DETROIT (WWJ) - Japanese brands are no longer alone at the top when it comes to car and truck quality.

The 2015 JD Power Initial quality study showing American, Korean and European brands making greater gains than Japanese owned car companies.

"It's an historic shift," says Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive quality at JD Power.

Korean brands saw the best gains, in an industry that saw quality improve overall, after slipping last year.

Stevens said the Japanese brands showed improvement, but not as much as others. "It was really the first time in 29 years that Japanese brands were below average."

Porsche continues to lead the study, which examines problems experienced by vehicle owners during the first 90 days of ownership.

Kia was the top mass market brand.

General Motors did best among the domestic brands, with Ford showing great gains, mostly because of improvements in its much criticized My Ford Touch system.

Fiat Chrysler saw mixed results, with gains at Fiat and a solid launch for the Chrysler 300.  Launch problems brought down the important Chrysler 2000 mid-size car.

Most of the issues are with connectivity systems,  Stephens said there are very few problems related to the actual operation of the vehicles.

The study comes as all carmakers have renewed efforts to improve quality problems that have led to a record number of recalls.

"This is a clear shift in the quality landscape," said Stevens ."For so long, Japanese brands have been viewed by many as the gold standard in vehicle quality. While the Japanese automakers continue to make improvements, we're seeing other brands, most notably Korean makes, really accelerating the rate of improvement."

Connect with Jeff Gilbert
Email: jdgilbert@cbs.com
Facebook: facebook.com/carchronicles

Twitter: @jefferygilbert

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