| For the first time since 1999, a North American | | | | produces the BMW 3-Series Coupe and 3-Series |
| assembly plant receives the Platinum Plant Quality | | | | Sedan, received the Gold Plant Quality Award for |
| Award for producing vehicles yielding the fewest | | | | Europe. |
| defects. | | | | The Silver Quality Plant Award meanwhile went to |
| J.D. Power has given the Platinum Plant Quality | | | | the Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen, Germany, plant, |
| Award for producing vehicles with the fewest | | | | which produces the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, |
| defects to Ford's Wixom Assembly Plant in | | | | CL-Class, CLS-Class, E-Class Sedan, E-Class |
| Michigan, which stopped making cars last May 31. | | | | Wagon, and S-Class. Audi's Neckarsulm, Germany, |
| The Detroit-area plant produced the Lincoln Town | | | | plant, which produces the Audi A6 Avant, A6 |
| Car, which averages 35 problems per 100 vehicles. | | | | Sedan, A8 Sedan, RS 4 Sedan, S6 Sedan and S8 |
| Plant awards are based solely on defect counts. | | | | Sedan, received the Bronze Plant Quality Award. |
| Other honorees among North and South | | | | The 2007 Initial Quality Study is based on |
| American plants are the General Motors Oshawa | | | | responses from more than 97,000 purchasers |
| 2 plant in Ontario, Canada -- which produces the | | | | and lessees of new 2007 model-year cars and |
| Buick LaCrosse and Pontiac Grand Prix, for the | | | | trucks surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The |
| Silver Plant Quality Award; and American Honda's | | | | study is based on a 228-question battery |
| East Liberty, Ohio, plant, which produces the | | | | designed to provide manufacturers with |
| Honda Civic Sedan and Honda Element, for the | | | | information to facilitate problem determination and |
| Bronze Plant Quality Award. | | | | drive product improvement. |
| In the Asia Pacific region, Toyota's Kyushu, Japan, | | | | Aside from getting the Platinum Plant Quality |
| plant, which produces the Lexus ES 350, Lexus IS | | | | Award for producing vehicles yielding the fewest |
| 250/IS 350, Lexus RX 350, Lexus RX 400h and | | | | defects, Ford Motor Company also took five top |
| Toyota Highlander/Highlander Hybrid received the | | | | model segment awards -- more than any other |
| Gold Plant Quality Award. | | | | automobile corporation this year -- in the J.D. |
| The Silver Plant Quality Award went to another | | | | Power and Associates 2007 Initial Quality Study |
| Toyota plant -- Toyota's Fujimatsu, Japan, plant, | | | | released Wednesday last week. |
| which produces the Toyota Prius. American | | | | In the study, Ford earned model segment awards |
| Honda's Sayama, Japan, and Suzuka, Japan, plants | | | | for the Ford Mustang, Lincoln Mark LT, Lincoln |
| tied for the Bronze Plant Quality Award. The | | | | MKZ, Mercury Milan, and Mazda MX-5 Miata. |
| Sayama plant produces the Acura RL, Acura | | | | Mazda, maker of top of the line Mazda water |
| TSX, Honda Accord Sedan/Hybrid Sedan and | | | | pump, is 33.4 percent owned by Ford. |
| Honda CR-V. The Suzuka plant produces the | | | | Ford's Lincoln nameplate, which received two |
| Honda Civic Sedan/Hybrid Sedan, Fit and S2000. | | | | segment awards, improved to rank third in 2007, |
| BMW's Regensburg, Germany, plant, which | | | | climbing from the 12th spot in 2006. |