MINI is Maxi When It Comes to Problems

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Overall Initial Quality Improves Considerably, With Gains Shared Across Most Manufacturers

MINI can't be too happy about the latest IQS ratings from JDPower. The brand landed only one step above bottom with 163 problems per 100 vehicles. Ford and Mercury brands each jumped two spots and both cracked the top eight, while Lincoln fell from No. 3 to No. 15, the last brand ranked above the industry average. Infiniti rose from No. 9 to No. 2 behind only Porsche, which topped the overall brand ratings for the third straight year. Audi improved the most in ranking and problems per 100 vehicles: from the bottom ranks to the top ten this year by reducing defects from 136 to 113 per 100 vehicles. Kia and Saturn were down while Mazda and Hummer notched up in the rankings.

Now, the results can be a bit misleading. It is important to note that difficult-to-use audio and entertainment controls and voice command recognition failure were among the top 10 problems most frequently reported by customers. So, don't get the idea that 163 wheels are falling off of 100 MINIs.

For your convenience, I've attached charts of both the 2007 and 2008 rankings. Click on each picture to enlarge.