Lexus Number One for Customer Satisfaction

Lexus has been awarded the first place Gold award for customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power and Associates 2001 UK Customer Satisfaction Study.

It is the first time Lexus has been included in the results and its cars fill three of the top six places. No surprise then that Lexus is the top brand with an index of 867. The maximum score possible is 1000, with the industry average being 784.

Lexus came first in each category for which the cars are eligible. The LS400 is ranked in first position overall and also first position in the luxury segment. The GS300 is third overall and top in the executive segment, while the IS200 is fifth equal overall and top of the upper medium segment.

“It is absolutely remarkable that the entire Lexus range is to be found in the top five places of what is the most rigorous study of its type in the motor industry,” declared Stuart McCullough, Director of Lexus (GB) Ltd.

The J.D. Power and Associates Study is based on a total of 28,748 responses from owners of two-year old cars. It covers 38 brands and 182 models first registered between 1 August 1998 and 31 August 1999 (the ‘S’ and ‘T’ period). The study asks owners to rate their ownership experience in 77 different ways.

These results are grouped into four main categories: Quality/Reliability, Vehicle Appeal, Service Satisfaction and Ownership Costs to make up the final score. Lexus ranks first in Quality/Reliability and Vehicle Appeal, second in Service Satisfaction and eighth (top prestige brand) in Ownership Costs. Lexus is the only prestige brand in the top ten of each area of evaluation.

“We are pleased, of course, but we are not complacent. We look on this as a very good start – Lexus has ranked first in the J.D. Power Study in the USA for the past eight years – which gives us a standard to maintain and improve upon. It is a guide to those things we can do better,” continued Stuart.

This award has been achieved during a transitional period within the dealer network. Over this time there has been a complete overhaul of the existing network and the introduction of many new dealers resulting in 48 designated Lexus centres.

“We are committed to building a strong partnership with the dealers that invest in our business. Without their support, enthusiasm and level of service, these results would not have been achieved,” said Stuart.

Lexus has been the fastest growing premium brand in the UK over the past three years and will continue to grow with the forthcoming launches of the SC430 Sport Coupe in the summer and both the IS300 and IS300 SportCross in the autumn.

The full results are available from J.D. Power and Associates and Top Gear Magazine.

ENDS