| Consumer Reports (CR) and J.D. Power and Associates (JDP) are two widely-known agencies that gather data on automobile quality and prepare reports on the data gathered that are related to various aspects of automobiles for different models for each manufacturer. This research has two overarching goals: The first is to determine if there are any clear differences in reliability, between the Japanese and U.S. auto-makers. The second is to determine if there is consistency between JDP and CR in the reliability ratings of vehicles. In order to attain these goals, this dissertation starts with the evaluation of these two major sources in terms of the kind of information they present, the way they collect their data, and what they measure. The result of the analysis provides a perspective on the magnitude and value of the information provided by these sources.;The first overarching goal of this research is to obtain comparable quantitative information about automobile reliability manufactured by the U.S. Big Three and their Japanese counterparts. The manufacturers surveyed include US-based companies, such as Ford Motors, GM, and Chrysler, and Japanese-based companies, such as Toyota and Honda. An approach to develop a realistic comparison of data related to a given metric for any given automobile type from the two reports is presented. Then the results from the analyses of the actual data for three American manufacturers and two Japanese manufacturers are shown. Finally, regression analysis was used to determine whether the reliability data of American and Japanese manufacturers showed statistically significant trends and gaps. The results of the regression analysis conclude the dissertation. |
