DEARBORN -- Lincoln scored second only to Porsche in the latest three-year Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) released today by J.D. Power & Associates.
Mercury and Ford also finished in the top eight nameplates in the long-term reliability study measuring problems experienced by original owners of 2007 model year vehicles.
The study showed that Lincoln had improved six positions to come in second while Mercury remained in fifth and Ford moving up four positions to eighth, ahead of such brands as Mercedes Benz, Acura and Cadillac.
Leading all cars in the entry level premium vehicle segment was the Lincoln MKZ while the Lincoln Mark LT ranked highest in the large premium SUV category. The Ford Freestar was the highest-ranked midsize van.
In addition, the 2007 model year Mercury Milan, Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego also ranked among the models with the lowest incidence of problems in the industry, the study said.
Other segment honorable mentions included Ford F-150 LD, Ford Mustang, Ford Ranger, Ford Expedition, Ford Freestyle and Lincoln Town Car.
Based on responses from more than 52,000 original owners of 2007 vehicles, the study looked at 198 problem symptoms across all areas of the vehicle. Overall dependability is determined by the level of problems experienced per 100 vehicles with a lower score reflecting higher quality.
The industry average was 155 problems per 100 vehicles. Porsche ranked first with 110, followed by Lincoln (114), Buick (115), Lexus (115), Mercury (121), Toyota (128), Honda (132), Ford (141), Mercedes Benz (142), Acura (143) and Hyundai (148).
Cadillac and Infiniti each had 150 problems in the study. Ranking with more problems than the industry average were such brands as Chrysler (166), Chevrolet (176), Nissan (180), Dodge (190) and Volkswagen (225).
