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Lexus tops JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study again, Buick bests Toyota

It shouldn't surprise anyone, but Lexus has once again taken the top spot in JD Power's Vehicle Dependability Study. That'd be the Japanese luxury brand's fourth straight year at the top of table. The big news, though, is the rise of Buick. General Motor's near-premium brand beat out Toyota to take second place, with 110 problems per 100 vehicles compared to Toyota's 111 problems. Lexus owners only reported 89 problems per 100 vehicles. Besides Buick's three-position jump, Scion enjoyed a major improvement, jumping 13 positions from 2014. Ram and Mitsubishi made big gains, as well, moving up 11 and 10 positions, respectively. In terms of individual segments, GM and Toyota both excelled, taking home seven segment awards each. The study wasn't good news for all involved, though. A number of popular automakers finished below the industry average of 147 problems per 100 vehicles, including Subaru, (157PP100), Volkswagen (165PP100), Ford/Hyundai (188PP100 each) and Mini (193PP100). The biggest losers (by a tremendous margin, we might add) were Land Rover and Fiat, recording 258 and 273 problems per 100 vehicles. The next closest brand was Jeep, with 197PP100. While the Vehicle Dependability Study uses the same measurement system as the Initial Quality Survey, the two metrics analyze very different things. The VDS looks at problems experienced by original owners of model year 2012 vehicles over the past 12 months, while the oft-quoted IQS focuses on problems in the first 90 days of new-vehicle ownership. Like the IQS, though, the VDS has a rather broad definition of what a problem is. Because of that, a low score from JD Power is no guarantee of extreme unreliability, so much as just poor design. In this most recent study, the two most reported problems focused on Bluetooth connectivity and the voice-command systems. The former leaves plenty of room for user error due to poor design (particularly true of the Bluetooth systems on the low-scoring Fords, Volkswagens and Subarus), while the second is something JD Power has already confirmed as being universally terrible. That makes means that while these studies are important, they shouldn't be taken as gospel when it comes to automotive reliability. News Source: JD PowerImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL Buick Fiat Ford GM Hyundai Jeep Land Rover Lexus MINI Mitsubishi RAM Scion Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Auto Repair Ownership study

Chinese market Ford Taurus will be unveiled at Shanghai Motor Show

A new Ford Taurus is on the way, at least for some markets. As part of a huge unveiling of seven models for the Asia Pacific market at the Shanghai Motor Show, Ford is announcing the debut of the company's next-gen large sedan on April 18 just before the event in China begins. Unfortunately, the Taurus that we see in Shanghai might not signal too much about the future version in the US. Ford spokesperson Monique Brentley tells Autoblog that this debut is specifically for the Chinese market, and the Blue Oval isn't saying whether any of this updated look will come across the Pacific. We got a tiny preview of the new Taurus earlier this year when one was spotted wearing heavy camouflage while testing in China. That one retained the sedan's hexagonal grille but added more horizontal chrome slats. It also featured reshaped headlights and a broad, lower air dam. Previous reports have indicated the next-gen model might be built around a stretched and widened version of the Fusion platform, and a major goal during development was shedding as many pounds as possible. With little time before the official unveiling, it won't be long until we'll know much of this for sure. Related Video: NEW FORD TAURUS, FORD GT TO LEAD FORD LINEUP AT AUTO CHINA 2015 Ford to unveil seven new vehicles for Asia Pacific at Auto Shanghai 2015, underscoring its commitment to expanding world-class showrooms across the region New Ford Taurus will bring the historic nameplate to China for the first time with sophisticated design, roomy space and advanced technology Ford GT supercar will lead Ford Performance lineup in Asia Pacific debut; Focus RS, Focus ST and Fiesta ST highlight Ford's passion for performance innovation in all forms Full range of Ford vehicles for China and exciting interactive displays will greet visitors to Ford's display SHANGHAI, China, April 2, 2015 – Taking another bold step to fulfill its promise of introducing 15 new vehicles to China by 2015, Ford will unveil the new Ford Taurus at Auto Shanghai 2015, with a special pre-show event on April 18. Ford's new flagship sedan for China will take the stage at the auto show, along with six other new vehicles making their debuts in Asia Pacific. "We are looking forward to taking the wraps off seven new vehicles for our customers in China and continuing our delivery of great products and innovative technologies," said John Lawler, chairman and CEO, Ford China.

Revisiting the 2008-09 auto bailout that saved GM and Chrysler

The Federal Reserve stayed open late on December 31, 2008. There's almost no way you could remember that because barely anyone knew at the time. But General Motors had to pay its bills, and the Fed wired money so GM could still buy things in January. Without those funds, the nation's largest automaker wouldn't have seen much of 2009. It's one of many heart-stopping moments that illustrate just how close Detroit's Big Three came to extinction nearly a decade ago. They're chronicled in a new movie, Live Another Day, premiering in theaters September 16. Filmmakers Bill Burke and Didier Pietri interviewed nearly all of the key executives, federal officials, and union chiefs to recreate the auto industry's most perilous period. The movie begins in the aftermath of Lehman Brothers' demise amid the global financial meltdown. Things looked bleak for American carmakers, and their CEOs were laughed off Capitol Hill when they sought a Wall Street-style bailout. "It was a feeling that it was the end of the world," Pietri told Autoblog in an interview where he and Burke previewed the film. Saved by last-minute loans authorized by the Bush Administration after Congress refused to act, Detroit staggered into 2009 with a faint pulse. Live Another Day illustrates the downward spiral that played out that winter as President Obama and his task force – with little prior knowledge of the auto industry – wrestled over the fate of hundreds of thousands of jobs. GM's longtime CEO Rick Wagoner was fired in March. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne suddenly appeared as a savior for Chrysler, with his own motives. Obama rejected restructuring plans from the automakers. Chrysler declared bankruptcy on April 30. GM followed June 1. The sequence was very public, but Pietri and Burke showcase lesser-known events that shaped the outcome. They also seek to dispel the notion that the government rescued GM and Chrysler from incompetent leaders. "We never subscribed to the theories that the management structures of the companies were a bunch of idiots who didn't know what is going on," Pietri said. At one point, Chrysler executives were negotiating with Marchionne and Fiat. Unbeknownst to them, the government was having its own talks with the Italian automaker. The filmmakers also cast light on the bankruptcy process, which was shredded to shepherd two of America's industrial icons through reorganizations.