Mercedes Quality... not (JD Powers numbers)

[PTGT-NH]

Gotta love this.. so much for Mercedes bringing quality up. This is from a news report on the JD Powers numbers released today http://money.cnn.com/2003/07/08/pf/a...ex.htm?cnn=yes :

"Perhaps the study's most shocking results involve DaimlerChrysler. Since the 1998 merger, Daimler executives have contended that Mercedes-Benz's knowledge of how to build quality vehicles would be used to improve the Chrysler brands.

But Chrysler, Dodge and the now-defunct Plymouth brand all outranked Mercedes, which had 318 problems per 100 vehicles. Ivers said Mercedes' troubles were concentrated in its M-Class sport utility vehicle and its E-Class sedans, which accounted for roughly half its sales.

"The M-Class has had a lot of problems since its launch," Ivers said. "The rate of deterioration on the E-Class is greater than on any other vehicle in the industry." "

Also interesting is that JDP lowered the age of the vehicles they are monitoring, so this is the first time the Ford Focus was included. If that's the case, the PT isn't involved in these numbers yet.