2008 Vehicle Dependability Study Results

Fortunately for used-car shoppers, finding a quality used vehicle is getting easier each year. Vehicle history reports, manufacturer certified pre-owned vehicle programs and third-party quality ratings such as those available on JDPower.com can take a lot of the guesswork out of buying a used car or truck. And with new-vehicle quality improving each year, the prognosis for used-vehicle quality is good. After all, high-quality new cars typically become high-quality used cars.

In addition to its extensive research on new-vehicle quality, each year J.D. Power and Associates surveys owners of three-year-old vehicles and asks them to report the types of problems they’ve experienced with their vehicle during the preceding 12 months. The problems are grouped into nine categories:

Ride, handling and braking
Sound system
Features and Controls
Seats
Engine
Transmission
Heating, ventilation and cooling
Vehicle interior
Vehicle exterior

Read the rest of this article and more at JDPower.com.