Every year, vehicle shoppers are showered with reports and advice, but much of it needs to be treated with skepticism.
Reports by the well-known consumer research company, J.D. Power and Associates, are a good example.
Inside the auto industry, Power's highly watched initial quality study, which measures consumer reactions during the first 90 days of vehicle ownership, has been criticized because it can muddle vehicle quality and customer satisfaction, two very different issues. Nor has Power weighted customer-reported problems based on their severity; bad wipers count the same as a bad engine. Power says it plans to improve the methodology.
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