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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

Now Mitsubishi Motors has ousted Carlos Ghosn, days after Nissan firing

TOKYO — Mitsubishi Motors said on Monday its board removed Carlos Ghosn from his role as chairman, following his arrest and ouster from alliance partner Nissan last week for alleged financial misconduct. Ghosn's sacking in a unanimous board vote marks the end of his chairmanship of Japanese automakers, just two years after he was praised for bringing a steadying hand to Mitsubishi Motors following a cheating scandal in 2016. CEO Osamu Masuko will become temporary chairman, the automaker said. "Ghosn has lost the confidence of Nissan" and it is "difficult for him to fulfill his duties," spurring the dismissal, Mitsubishi Motors said in a statement. Nissan holds a controlling 34 percent stake in Mitsubishi Motors and has two executives on the board. The move comes amid discontent over French partner Renault SA's role in the 19-year Franco-Japanese alliance of which Ghosn was the driving force. Sealed in 1999 when Nissan was rescued from near-bankruptcy, it was enlarged in 2016 to include Mitsubishi and enabled the members to jointly develop products and control costs. The alliance vies with Volkswagen AG and Toyota for the ranking of the world's biggest automaker. Even as Nissan has recovered and grown rapidly, it remains a junior partner in the shareholding structure. Renault owns 43 percent of Nissan and the Japanese automaker holds a 15 percent non-voting stake in the French firm. And Nissan is almost 60 percent bigger than Renault by sales. Top alliance executives are meeting this week in Amsterdam, aiming to shield their joint operations from the fallout of Ghosn's arrest as a power struggle between Nissan and Renault looms. Renault has refrained from firing him as chairman and CEO. Mitsubishi Motors already had plans to discuss its position in the alliance with Ghosn and, following the ouster, it needs to consider focusing on regions and technology where it can retain competitiveness, CEO Masuko told reporters after the board meeting. Cooperation among alliance members is needed amid the rise of new technology like automated and internet-connected vehicles, he said. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa told staff on Monday that power was too concentrated with Ghosn and that in future better communication between alliance board members and executives would help preserve independence and generate synergies among the automakers, a Nissan spokesman said.

Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota Prius, V earn IIHS awards, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV approved for V2H

The Toyota Prius and Prius V have earned IIHS 2015 Top Safety Pick+ ratings. The Prius V was singled out for its improved performance in the small overlap crash test. Lexus CT models built after September 2014 were also given the distinguished safety rating. In all, eight vehicles from Toyota and Lexus earned Top Safety Pick+ awards, while four more from Toyota and Scion were named Top Safety Picks. Read more in the press release below. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV can now provide power to the home in Japan. The vehicle-to-home capability requires the CHAdeMO quick charging socket and either Mitsubishi's own Smart V2H system, or the EVPower Station or Tsubaki eLINK system. The Outlander PHEV gained vehicle-to-home approval alongside all-electric vehicles because its electric motor doesn't run when used in for this purpose. The system allows owners to power their homes during outages and emergencies, and the Outlander PHEV can also directly power appliances with its 1500W AC100V power feeder. Read more at Green Car Congress. The Electric Vehicle Institute has published an updated "Plug-In Around the EV World" poster. The poster depicts the various connector types used by EVs. It shows the standard AC connectors for the US and Europe, DC and combination connectors for fast charging and, of course, Tesla's own charging connector for the Model S. It also shows the standard plug types used around the world, which are color coded by country on a world map. See the Electric Vehicle Institute's poster here, or read more at Green Car Reports. Toyota Decks the Halls with IIHS 2015 'Top Safety Pick' Awards Eight Toyota and Lexus Models Earn Institute's Highest Top Safety Pick+ Four Toyota and Scion Vehicles Named Top Safety Picks December 23, 2014 TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 23, 2014 - On the 12th day of Christmas, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave to Toyota, 12 awards awarding. In fact, the automaker won more awards than any other automaker, including the most of the Institute's highest honor. In all, eight Toyota and Lexus vehicles earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating. IIHS in particular recognized the Prius V for its significantly improved performance all-around in the small overlap crash test – naming it a Top Safety Pick+. The Toyota Sienna was also the only minivan awarded the 2015 Top Safety Pick + designation. IIHS also recognized four additional Toyota and Scion vehicles as 2015 Top Safety Picks.