THE results of the JD Power 2017 Malaysia Initial Quality Study was released on Monday and four manufacturers - Perodua, Toyota, Honda and Isuzu - came up tops, with fewer defects and better quality than their competitors in their respective segments.
First off, the previous generation Perodua Myvi ranked best in the compact segment with 84 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) as opposed to the segment average of 88.
A lower number indicates better quality.
With sales to date in excess of 15,000, it seems the JD Power findings tally strongly with the general market sentiment in Malaysia.
In the entry mid-size segment, the Vios was the clear winner, with 62 PP100, as opposed to an overall average of 93.
The BR-V was the leader in the sport utility vehicles (SUV) segment, with 27 PP100 (as opposed to an average of 48) , while in the pick-up truck segment, the Isuzu D-Max led with 52 PP100 as opposed to the average of 59 PP100 for the segment.
According to the report, compared with last year, the overall reported problems went up to 79 PP100 from 69 PP100 last year.
Manufacturing quality problems increased by seven PP100, while design-related issues increased by two PP100.
The report also found that the younger generations (Generation Y and Z) were reporting more faults with their cars as compared with their older car-buying counterparts.
“Although only 37 per cent of younger owners indicate having experienced a problem with their new vehicle, as compared with the study average of 43 per cent, the actual number of problems reported is notably higher.
“Owners younger than 30 years old report an average of 83 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), compared with 77 PP100 reported by older owners,” said the report.
J.D. Power country head for Malaysia Muhammad Asyraf Bin Mustafar said it was essential that manufacturers take note of the higher number of problems reported by younger car owners.
“Ignoring the problems experienced by car owners in this age group not only affects future sales, but can also cause them to defect from the brand at an early stage and influence their decision to recommend the brand to their peers,” he said in a statement.
The report went on to state that 24 per cent of these younger owners who experienced problems with their cars would not return to buy vehicles from the same carmaker in the future - which was 10 per centage points higher than the overall study average.
Other key findings of the study included the fact that Malaysian brands had more problems on average, with 95 PP100 versus 59 PP100 for non-Malaysian brands.
The SUV segment, which is represented by only non-nationals, recorded the lowest average problem count, at 48 PP100.
Overall, wind noise is the most common problem reported, with 4.3 problems per 100 vehicles.