As vehicle dependability continues to rise, your chances of being stranded by the side of the road with a dead car are down.

But some car brands are finding that consumer perception lags behind their dependability story.

That’s the big news out of this year’s edition of the just-released J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. Apparently, 25 of 36 vehicle brands improved in long-term dependability in 2010 compared with their performance in 2009, continuing a steady uptrend of industry-wide vehicle dependability. But according to the research firm, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Lincoln and Mercury are just not getting the props they deserve.

Car Brand Perception vs. Reality
The study measures problems that original owners of three-year-old (in this case, 2007 model year) vehicles experiment, including 198 different 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.

This year, Porsche led the “nameplate” rankings with a mark of 110. Lincoln was second at 114, and Buick and Lexus tied at 115. But perhaps the bigger news is that several brands that scored above industry average — among them Lincoln, Buick, Mercury, Ford, Hyundai and Cadillac — still find themselves shunned by a portion of the buying public, due to concerns about their dependability.

According to J.D. Power and Associates, among brands included in the study, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Lincoln and Mercury have the greatest discrepancy between actual dependability and consumer perception. At the same time several brands that are generally well-regarded for dependability — including BMW, Volvo, Nissan, Mazda and Scion — were ranked below the industry average.

“Producing vehicles with world-class quality is just part of the battle for automakers; convincing consumers to believe in their quality is equally important,” said David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power and Associates. “It takes considerable time to positively change consumer perceptions of quality and dependability — sometimes a decade or more — so it is vital for manufacturers to continually improve quality and also to convince consumers of these gains.”

What Car Brand Manufacturers Can Do
According to Sargent, car manufacturers can take several approaches to help reinforce perceptions of high quality in consumers’ minds. They can provide extended warranties, which demonstrate a brand’s faith in its products; incorporate features, materials and finishes in cars that have a rich feel; and ensure that new car models launch with better quality than their predecessors. In addition, automakers need to increase communication efforts about their high quality and dependability through social media, like blogs, Facebook and Twitter, aside from traditional channels.

The vehicle dependability study is used extensively by vehicle manufacturers worldwide to help design and build better vehicles, which typically translates to higher resale values. Consumers can benefit from the study by making more informed choices for both new- and used-vehicle purchases. Among new-vehicle shoppers, perception of quality and dependability is the most influential factor in their decision to purchase a specific vehicle model.

The 2010 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from more than 52,000 original owners of 2007 model-year vehicles. The study was fielded in 2009, between October and December.

Based in Cleveland, Driving Today Contributing Editor Luigi Fraschini writes frequently about vehicle dependability and reliability.

Related posts:

1. Big Cars Remain Big Winners With Americans
2. Will Small Cars Hit It Big?
3. Will 2010 Be a Better Year to Buy a Car?

Do you remember when the first Taurus was introduced?  It was 1985.  My best friend’s family had just gotten a new Ford station wagon–one of the big Country Squire wagons that ended production that year.  The thing was a beast.  But the new wagon in the driveway wasn’t was my friend was excited about.  He was excited about the Ford Taurus he had seen at the dealership.

It was all he could talk about.  It was the coolest car he’d ever seen.  When he grew up, he was gonna get a Ford Taurus.

It was an amazing car for its time.  Advanced features and cutting-edge design, something usually reserved for luxury cars, were now available in a family sedan, and Ford built on that reputation to make the Taurus the best-selling car in America.  Somewhere around 1999, though, the Taurus became just another vanilla US-made sedan.  No longer a showplace for new technology or edgy design, the Taurus faded from prominence, with the badge disappearing altogether in 2006.

Ford reintroduced the Taurus badge for 2008 model year, but it was just a renaming of the Ford 500–yet another uninspired car.  At the Detroit auto show this week, though, Ford introduced the brand-spankin’ new 2010 Ford Taurus.  And this is no vanilla sedan.

The 2010 Taurus easily stole the show in Detroit.  The styling is aggressive and upscale.  The technology is cutting edge.  It is exactly what the Taurus was supposed to be all along.

On the tech side, available features include Ford’s “Intelligent Access” keyless entry system; push-button start; Ford’s voice-activated SYNC system for media control, cell phone calls, navigation, and emergency service; radar that monitors your blind spots; a capless fuel tank (why did it take until 2009 for someone to figure that one out!); parental controls that can limit top speed and audio volume; automatic high beams and windshield wipers, adaptive cruise control that matches the speed of traffic around you, and massaging seats with six-way lumbar controls.

Under the hood, the Taurus drivetrain is based on the Lincoln MKS.  You’ll find a base 3.5 liter V6 good for 263 h.p. with a six-speed automatic transmission.  All wheel drive is an option, as are steering-wheel mounted shift paddles.  A performance-tuned EcoBoost 3.5 liter V6 will also be an option.  Suspension and handling for the car are also said to be more in line with performance expectations.

All of the expected safety equipment is there, including stability control, traction control, and a bevy of airbags.  The interior is also well-spoken of, with words like “high quality,” “rich,” and “upscale” regularly used by those who have actually seen the car first-hand.

For a kid who still remembers the Taurus as the “car of the future,” it is definitely cool to see Ford move back to making their flagship sedan a showplace of technology and design.   And, in keeping with tradition, the Taurus is not a luxury car, but a mid-level family sedan, complete with a starting price around $25,000.  The 2010 Taurus is expected in showrooms by mid-year. 

Related posts:

1. Big Cars Remain Big Winners With Americans
2. Tesla Takes Big Step
3. Will 2010 Be a Better Year to Buy a Car?