Mazda Ranks First in Auto Bilds 2007 Quality Report

By: Kraig Johanssen

Germany's largest car magazine, Auto Bild, has ranked Mazda in first place in its highly respected "Quality Report" for 2007, published on June 8. This was the third straight year that Mazda has been awarded first place in this annual report. Mazda finished ahead of 24 car brands including second-place Toyota and domestic luxury brands Mercedes and BMW.

First conducted in 2001, Auto Bild's Quality Report compiles the result of seven criteria - endurance tests, car owner surveys (22,795 Auto Bild subscribers), recalls, Germany's Technische Uberwachung Verein (TUV) report, customer complaints at Auto Bild, type of warranties and the quality of dealerships based on secret service tests - for a comprehensive picture of quality in Europe's largest market according to brand. Germany is Europe's largest new car market with annual sales of around 3m units.

As was the case during the previous two reports, Mazda quality was evident in all aspects of the survey. Especially strong results were achieved in categories reflecting long-term quality: on the TUV report (roadworthiness inspections for cars that are two and three years old) and on Auto Bild's 100,000 kilometer Endurance Test - where the new Mazda5 is currently halfway through the test with no breakdowns. The 6 - due for a redesign soon - has been ranked first since 2004, being the only car ever to come through with no breakdowns in the magazine report's history.

Mazda - maker of top of the line , also scored high on the owner survey for low repair frequency and high body build quality, which enabled the brand to improve on 2006's excellent result. Results in this year's report reflecting customer satisfaction and warranty performance -traditional strengths of Mazda models - were once again very positive.

According to Dan Morris, Mazda's senior managing executive officer in charge of marketing, sales and customer service, the company was especially honored that in 2007 Mazda was chosen the winner of Auto Bild's Quality Report for the third time, "This prestigious award is a recognition of the quality of the design and manufacturing built into every Mazda vehicle. And it gives us more confidence as we move forward with our plans to bring even greater levels of quality to all aspects of the Mazda Zoom-Zoom car owning experience for our customers worldwide."

Since the launch of the Mazda6 in 2002, Mazda's new generation vehicles have been awarded numerous prizes throughout the world. Only recently the Mazda MX-5 Miata was ranked first in the "compact sporty car" segment of the 2007 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study which looks at both manufacturing defects and design problems in new cars as reported by their owners.

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