Buick Recognized by J.D. Power for Reliability

The respected marketing firm J.D. Power and Associates recognized the Buick brand of vehicles as being some of the most reliable cars in the industry today. The recognition came as part of the 2014 Vehicle Dependability Study that J.D. Power performs each year. Buick managed to win one category and place highly in others. This has made Buick the fifth most reliable brand of cars today. Buick and General Motors managed to outperform many other large automakers and luxury vehicles.

What the Study Measured

The J.D. Power 2014 Vehicle Dependability Study measures the experiences of car owners. The study actually focuses on 2011 model year cars in order to see how they have performed over the last three to four years. Customers are asked about the different problems that were experienced over time. This includes mechanical, interior and exterior issues. The study is intended to reveal which cars on the roads today have the best long-term qualities. The customer responses are aggregated so that the cars receive a rating of between one and five in each category.

Winning Buick Models

The top Buick model in the study was the Lucerne. The Lucerne was the main luxury sedan produced by Buick in 2011. The Lucerne won the top position in the large car category of the survey. This was the fourth study to award the Lucerne this position. Buick was able to win second place in the midsize car category with the spacious LaCrosse. These models also scored very highly in the previous Initial Quality Survey held by J.D. Power. It is important to note that parent company General Motors was the top scoring manufacturer. They managed to beat all the other Detroit automakers in the survey.

Why Buick Was Recognized

Buick was recognized for several dependable features on the cars. Owners of models like the Lucerne and LaCrosse have very few issues with the mechanical components. This resulted in a five-star rating when it came to overall vehicle dependability. The cars also scored high when it came to the dependability of the interior features. This includes safety features and optional or luxury features on the dashboard. The body and exterior of the Buick models were rated high as well. This indicates customers had few problems with the paint, chassis and noise levels of the vehicles over time.

Customer Perceptions of Buick Vehicles

Customers who took part in the study had very high opinions about Buick vehicles. Owners primarily named the quality of the interior and exterior of the cars as a reason for high ratings. Buick owners also enjoyed the styling and appearance of the vehicles more than many other luxury models. Buick is hoping this latest recognition from J.D. Power will increase sales of the newest models.