<p>Filed under: <a href=&quot;http://www.autoblog.com/category/etc/" rel="tag">Etc.</a></p><em><big>Why No One Quality Report Tells The Whole Story</big></em><br /><br /><a href="/2012/06/29/whats-the-right-way-to-read-an-automotive-quality-report/#continued"><img alt="Auto mechanic turning a wrench under a vehicle" src=&quot;http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/06/auto-mechanic.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 628px; height: 418px; " /></a><br /><br /><blockquote class="pull-quote pull-quote-right">

<p>

Quality remains one of the most significant factors for folks buying a new car.</p>

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There's no question that fuel economy has become a critical consideration for most folks looking to buy a new car. But quality remains one of the single most significant factors in closing the deal.<br /><br />Once upon a time, word of mouth was the only way to differentiate between one brand and another, an important yet oftentimes unreliable approach. Then, back in the 1970s, a one-time <a href=&quot;http://autoblog.com/ford">Ford</a> analyst by the name of <a href=&quot;http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/06/who-exactly-is-j-d-power/">J. David Power</a> revolutionized the industry with his first quantitative studies of vehicle quality and reliability. Today, <a href=&quot;http://autoblog.com/tag/j.d. power">J.D. Power and Associates</a> is the quality field heavyweight, with all sorts of wannabes chasing for a piece of its multi-million-dollar consulting business.<br /><br />Earlier this month, Power released its <a href=&quot;http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/20/j-d-power-initial-quality-study-highlights-infotainment-woes-p/">26th annual Initial Quality Study</a>, perhaps the single-most widely quoted survey of its kind, which tallies up the results of a lengthy questionnaire filled out by tens of thousands of recent vehicle buyers. To understand the significance of the IQS, consider that Ford <a href=&quot;http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/20/ford-tempers-expectations-of-improvement-in-j-d-power-quality-s/">held a separate news conference a day earlier</a> to address the likelihood of its downward slide in the survey. Makers who did well blitzed the media with news releases trumpeting their performance.<br /><br /><hr style="width: 628px !important;" />

<div style="text-align: right;">

<em><img alt="Paul Eisenstein" class="right border" src=&quot;http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/07/eisenstein-driving-thumb.jpg" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 0px 6px; float: right;" /></em><em>Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of </em><a href=&quot;http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/"><em>TheDetroitBureau.com</em></a><em> and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.</em></div>

<br /><hr style="width: 628px !important;" /><p><a href=&quot;http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/29/whats-the-right-way-to-read-an-automotive-quality-report/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>What's the right way to read an automotive quality report?</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href=&quot;http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/29/whats-the-right-way-to-read-an-automotive-quality-report/">What's the right way to read an automotive quality report?</a> originally appeared on <a href=&quot;http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our <a href=&quot;http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=&quot;http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/29/whats-the-right-way-to-read-an-automotive-quality-report/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=&quot;http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20269019/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=&quot;http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/29/whats-the-right-way-to-read-an-automotive-quality-report/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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