Quality report cites U.S. automakers’ improvement

Quality improvement processes at firms like General Motors and Ford “are beginning to close the gap with their import competitors,” according to the American Society for Quality’s Quarterly Quality Report, although “Japanese manufacturers like Toyota and Honda continue to exploit their competitive distinction.”

Report author Jack West said consumers are giving the auto industry its highest perceived quality rating in a decade, and the GMC division of General Motors experienced the highest increase in perceived quality. Buick and Cadillac rank with the reigning quality leaders.

West credited Hyundai with the “best turnaround story,” noting that the brand “emphasizes process improvement to refine problem areas such as its electrical systems and automatic transmission design.”