MOST DEPENDABLE AUTOMAKERS BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - J.D. Power VDS 2008

THE 2009 VEHICLE DEPENDABILUTY STUDY HAS BEEN RANKED BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN NOW, TOO. CHECK IT OUT.

National pride will come to the forefront of all our minds beginning tomorrow. The 2008 Beijing Olympics will display just what China is made of - especially in stadiums, on courts, and in pools - while the U.S.A.'s Michael Phelps will attempt to win eight gold medals and Canada's summer athletes set an example for what's expected by the host country in the winter of 2010.

For some people, the Olympics have nothing to do with national pride. It's all about cars. Transportation made America what it is today: a vast nation so amazingly interconnected that an energy crisis has taken over all presidential campaign conversations. Japan was revolutionized after the Second World War and arguably holds the crown as the builder of the planet's most thoroughly engineered automobiles. Europe builds cars for America; but doesn't build them cheap. Expectations are always high for German manufacturers.

J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study has been hashed out in three posts on GoodCarBadCar.net (click here for the highlights, or here for the dependable powertrains, or here for the not-so-dependable powertrains) but The Good Car Guy loves an intercontinental battle. So much more regarding the nation of origin can be seen below, all in the context of 2005 model year automobiles built for American consumption (many a Japanese car being built in America, remember) and the problems encountered by vehicle owners over the last twelve months.

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GERMANY: average 206 problems per 100 vehicles

Best rank: 7 (BMW)

Worst rank: T31 (Volkswagen)

Average rank: 16

Total brands above industry average: 2/5

Segment winners: 0

JAPAN - average 210 problems per 100 vehicles

Best rank: 1 (Lexus)

Worst rank: 37 (Suzuki)

Average rank: 17

Total brands above industry average: 6/12

Segment winners: 14 (Lexus IS, ES, LS, SC, LX, and GX; Toyota Prius, RAV4, Highlander, Tundra & Sequoia; Mazda Miata, Honda Element & S2000)

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: average 210 problems per 100 vehicles

Best rank: 2 (Mercury)

Worst rank: T31 (Jeep)

Average rank: 18

Total brands above industry average: 5/13

Segment winners: 5 (Buick Century; Ford Crown Victoria & Ranger; Chevrolet Monte Carlo; Mercury Monterrey)

KOREA: average 239 problems per 100 vehicles

Best rank: 13 (Hyundai)
Worst rank: 35 (Kia)
Average rank: 24
Total brands industry above average: 1/2

Segment winners: 1 (Hyundai Accent)

SWEDEN: average 249 problems per 100 vehicles

Best rank: 29 (Volvo)

Worst rank: 33 (Saab)

Average rank: 31

Total brands industry above average: 0/2

Segment winners: 0

UNITED KINGDOM: average 252 problems per 100 vehicles

Best rank: 10 (Jaguar)

Worst rank: 37 (Land Rover)

Average rank: 24

Total brands industry above average: 1/3

Segment winners: 0