Keeping The Customers Satisfied

The J.D. Power and Associates 2001 UK Car Customer Satisfaction Study brings a resounding vote of confidence from Toyota drivers across the board.

Toyota is ranked as the highest volume manufacturer in fourth place overall. This high position is reinforced by the Toyota Yaris holding second place overall in the model listing behind the Lexus LS400. The closest small car to the Yaris is its predecessor, the Starlet, in fifteenth place.

The J.D. Power and Associates study is based on a total of 28,748 responses from owners of two-year old cars. It covers 38 brands and 182 models first registered between 1 August 1998 and 31 August 1999 (the ‘S’ and ‘T’ period). The study asks owners to rate their ownership experience in 77 different ways in terms of quality/reliability, cost of ownership, dealer service and vehicle appeal.

The Yaris has been awarded first place in the Small car segment, but it wasn’t Toyota’s only success. The Corolla – first in the survey for four years from 1994 to 1997 – ranked second in the Lower Medium segment.

The Large MPV and Large SUV segments also see Toyota cars emerge as the most satisfying with the Picnic and the Land Cruiser respectively. The MR2, Camry and RAV4 all score well too. In fact, Toyota have five models in the top 20.

Commenting on the results, Toyota (GB) PLC’s Managing Director, Graham Smith said: “Toyota, from the factory to the dealership, is committed to providing the best quality and customer service and it is reassuring to see that our customers are

feeling the benefit. Of course, we can always do better and we will be sharing the details of the J.D. Power study results with all our dealers to identify the ways in which we can improve.”

Full results will be issued by J.D. Power in conjunction with BBC Top Gear.

ENDS