I recently received an Initial Quality Survey Questionaire from JD Powers for our '07 MC. They enclosed a dollar bill and an extensive multi-part form which took an hour to complete. I know the results of this are pretty important, so took my time completing. I rated everything very high except for the sunroof sunshade, the huge speedometer and radio complexity. The next day, I received a similar one from Maritz Research. Anyone else being surveyed?

 

I received the JD Power survey, but not the Maritz one.

Why do you say the results of the Power survey are important? I didn't find the questions were asked in a way that would yield useful information. I view their surveys as more of a marketing tool for the auto manufacturers and a way for Power to sell them the information they glean.

For me, a JD Power rating carries no value.

 

By important I meant this is the one that is always bragged up by the manufacture as you noted. Because of this, I thought the areas for improvement noted might carry a little more weight with the MINI organization and maybe, just maybe, they would fix those minor annoyances that keep the MINI from being a perfect car. These surveys use a very small sampling, then project the results over thousands, if not tens of thousands of customers.

 

I have always questioned the validity of the JD Power ratings. Have you ever noticed that even all of the American manufacturers have plenty of their awards to tout? Everyone seems to get something out of it.

That's why I've always seen it as a marketing hook and not as valuable research. The fact the companies pay JD Power to be able to advertise its findings seems to bear that out.

I also like the studies that Mini commissions. I was told by my MA that unless they were given "excellent" ratings on every question, that would be seen as a failing grade.

So here you have the dealerships trying to influence the results rather than wanting an honest opinion. I told the company conducting the survey that I didn't want to participate. I also informed Ask Mini of that. I never got any kind of followup response to that.

 

I work for a major truck (class 8) manufacturer, several years ago we commissioned JD Power to begin surveying our customers, and the customers of our competitors. As I understand it, we payed to initiate the survey, and our competitors are able to pay to see the results.

I can't speak for other manufacturers, but my company takes the survey very seriously, and the results of the survey actually direct the active engineering projects.

This survey is different from the surveys that most auto manufacturers commission on their own, and that the salesmen always "encourage" you to answer Excellent for every question.

 

That's interesting. It sounds like those surveys are very useful, then.

What I've never understood on the auto satisfaction surveys is their margin of error. They don't seem to provide any information on the size of the samples, so it's difficult to judge the percentage of new owners they have obtained information from.

Also, short of a complete meltdown, I can't imagine too many owners that would disparage their new cars in the first three months of ownership. Even with some problems, I think you still want to convince yourself you made the right choice and may ignore any warning signs. I think a more accurate picture would be obtained after the first year.

 

yes. the initial satisfaction is relative. therefore, if 95% of MINI buyers rated "excellent initial satisfaction" and 90% of KIA buyers rated "excellent initial satisfation" and the rest rated "very good initial satisfaction", KIA will still be considered an underachiever. I have filled them out in the past but now with two little kids in the house, I doubt I will this time. If there was a $20 bill, maybe..

 

But I still think most new car buyers are very happy in the first three months. After the honeymoon ends, though, I think they're more likely to see the car for what it is rather than through their hearts.

I wondered how they account on the books for the dollar bills they put in the survey envelopes. And how many of those envelopes are snagged from the mail room before they get to the post office. Oh, I don't mind taking these 5,000 envelopes to the post office on my way home. Really, it's no bother.

 

Speak of the devil, I just found a story on the New York Times website, reporting on JD Power's 2007 vehicle dependability study.

Mini was ranked 27th, behind such stellar brands as Ford, GMC, Hyundai, Jaguar and Mercedes. It was one slot below Hummer and one above Chrysler. At least it beat out Rover, listed at 38th.

The study reported 247 problems per 100 Mini vehicles, with an industry average of 216. The cars surveyed are three years old.

 

I should have also mentioned, our surveys are sent out to owners of the model year 2 years previous to the current year. So the data reported for this years' awards, actually apply to 2 year old models.

 

Consumer Reports and JD Powers & Associates give valuable information.

Consumers Digest is the ***** of the industry that sells it's "best buy" nods.

 

That would also seem to be better data. Where you analyze them after they've been driven a while and then come back to see what the experience has been.