As the level of technology in today’s new cars and trucks
increases, so too does the challenge for automakers to design and build
vehicles with the high levels of initial quality that consumers have
come to expect. In recent years, features such as adaptive cruise
control, lane-departure warning, side blind-zone alert, reverse-parking
assist systems, and many others have become standard equipment in many
luxury car models. Some technologies, such as navigation and
tire-pressure monitoring, can now be found in even the most
economy-minded models. While all of this technology certainly has
advanced the automobile as a concept, it often has presented challenges
for automakers when it comes to new-vehicle quality.
Hands-free Communication Systems
One tech feature, in particular, that can give automakers headaches is
hands-free communication systems. Indeed, in the recently released J.D.
Power and Associates 2011 Initial Quality StudySM (IQS),
which measures new-vehicle quality after 90 days of ownership, Hands-free
communication does not recognize command is the
second-most-frequently reported problem (Excessive wind noise is
first and has been for many years).
To illustrate how significant the issue has become, in 2006 Hands-free
communication does not recognize command did not even appear among
the top 20 industry problems in the IQS study. During the past five
years, the number of owner-reported problems with hands-free
communication systems has increased by nearly 240% (to 6.1 problems per
100 vehicles (PP100)* in 2011 from 1.8 PP100 in 2007). This increase in
problems mirrors the increase in the number of models equipped with a
hands-free communication system, to 31% in 2011 from 10% in 2007.
The issue is gaining more attention in the industry, as an increasing
number of models are equipped with hands-free technology. Unlike
features such as tire-pressure-monitoring systems, however, hands-free
communication isn’t federally mandated. Manufacturers have been adding
the feature to improve driver safety and lessen the possibility of
driver distraction as well as in response to laws in some states
barring the use of handheld devices while driving. As of June 2011,
eight states and the District of Columbia have banned the use of
handheld cell phones while driving.
*Note: Study results are communicated using a “problems per 100
vehicles (PP100)” metric, where a lower PP100 indicates higher initial
quality.
2011 Initial Quality Study Results
Advertisement
