After a 14-year reign at the top of JD Power and Associates Dependability Study, Lexus has been supplanted by Buick and Jaguar, who tied for the top spot.

JD Powers and Associates polled 46,000 owners of 2006 model year vehicles about problems with their cars. The results are measure in PP100, or problems per 100 vehicles. Buick and Jaguar tied for the fewest problems per 100 vehicles: 122 for each. Compare this to an average of 170 PP100.

This is the 19th year that JD Powers and Associates has conducted their annual study. The results are widely used by consumer to make informed decisions and by manufacturers to improve the reliability of their products.  Indeed, the average PP100 is 170 in 2009, down from 206 in 2008.

The current recession has made reliability more important than ever. Car owners are keeping their cars longer than in the past, and a better dependability rating means decreased car repaircosts. Even if the repairs are covered by warranty during the first few years, it’s an inconvenience to the owner. It also speaks to the car’s probable reliability after the warranty period expires.

Buick has been in the top 10 every year since the study was redesigned in 2003. In 2007 they tied with Lexus for the top honor. Jaguar, previously plagued with a reputation for unreliable vehicles, moved from tenth place in 2008 to tie for the first spot in 2009.

Winners of segment awards for individual models include Toyota, Lexus, Lincoln, Ford, Honda, Mazda and Mercury. Toyota took the majority of the awards for its Prius, Highlander, Solara, Sequoia and Tundra.

Source: JD Powers and Associates