Great news from Mazda, and I must admit I'm a bit surprised, although pleasantly. The Mazda product line is coming along well, and apparently reliability is excellent. It is very tough to attain both a regular flow of updated models and quality statistics - just look at the trouble Nissan and Toyota have been having with this challenge. We've seen reports of quality issues in Toyotas recently as well as press reports detailing the unhappiness of Toyota executive management with these issues.
This is certainly good news for Mazda and it positions them very well in the marketplace. It would be interesting to see a breakdown by individual product - looking closely at the older products such as the Mazda6 (due for replacement next year) and the Tribute (built in North America and about to be replaced by an updated model - although still powered by the original - and dated - engine and transmission).
The Mazda3 is an impressive product (particularly the MazdaSpeed3) and is probably the "driver" behind most of these good statistics. Some of the mid-term updates for 2007 were undoubtedly targeted at improving these stats even further. Hopefully over-enthusiastic MazdaSpeed3 drivers (I'd be challenging the traction control system every day if I owned one) won't negatively impact the reliability stats...
Mazda Press Release follows:
MAZDA CLAIMS TOP SPOT IN RECENT RELIABILITY REPORT
IRVINE, Calif. - Mazda vehicles have claimed the top place in one of the world's largest- ever reports on vehicle reliability. Nearly 92 percent of the Mazda cars studied, including the MX-5 Miata, aged between three and nine years old, suffered no mechanical failure of any type - outperforming all other brands. The report, which was issued by independent automotive extended-warranty specialists, Warranty Direct, looked at the reliability of more than 450,000 vehicles from 33 manufacturers, across the United States and United Kingdom. The resulting 'Reliability League Table' shows the number of failures reported for every 100 vehicles covered by Warranty Direct's policies. Mazda was rated number one with a failure rate of just 8.04 percent of vehicles aged between three and nine years old.
"The exceptional build-quality and long-term reliability of Mazda vehicles is something we have been proud of for quite some time," said Jim O'Sullivan, President and CEO, Mazda North American Operations. "The findings of this recent report reinforce what we've believed all along - that Mazda reliability is not just very good, it's the best. These results are proof that Mazda builds stylish and exciting vehicles without sacrificing quality or reliability."
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Mazda North American Operations oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario, Canada, and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.
Warranty DIRECT 'Reliability League Table'
2007 TOP 10 RESULTS
Manufacturer Incidence Rate %*
- Mazda 8.04
- Honda 8.90
- Toyota 15.78
- Mitsubishi 17.04
- Kia 17.39
- Subaru 18.46
- Nissan 18.86
- Lexus 20.05
- Mini 21.90
- Citroen 25.98
* Number of mechanical failures reported by policy holders for every 100 vehicles aged between three and nine years old.
Note to Editors 1. Warranty Direct was launched in 1997 and is the first and only direct personal warranty company operating in the United Kingdom and United States. As a privately owned insurance intermediary, the firm operates within the automotive and household electrical markets.
