Mumbai: Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc earned eight segment awards to take top slot among all car companies in the 2006 J D Power vehicle dependability study. Toyota''s luxury vehicle Lexus was the top brand for the 12th consecutive year with 136 problems per 100 vehicles. Toyota and Lexus scored four points each.

The J D Power and Associates vehicle dependability study (VDS) tracks the number and type of problems owners have with a three-year-old vehicle. Toyota improved in 2006 by 15 PP100 and Lexus improved by three PP100.

"VDS is one of the most telling measures of long-term vehicle quality and reliability," said Jim Lentz, TMS executive vice president. "A vehicle''s dependability is a significant factor in overall cost of ownership and resale value. It also affects whether a customer is likely to repurchase or recommend a vehicle," he added.

The Lexus LS 430 premium luxury sedan was the top-performing model in the industry for the 12th consecutive year with 88 PP100. Last year, with a score of 90 PP100, the LS 430 was the first model in VDS history to receive fewer than 100 PP100s. The Lexus GX 470, in winning the midsize premium multi-activity vehicle (MAV) segment, had the fewest PP100s of any truck / SUV in the study. Other Lexus segment leaders include the GS 300 / GS 430 for mid-size premium car and SC 430 in the premium sporty segment.

For 2006, Toyota ranked fifth overall with 179 PP100, up from seventh place in 2005. The Toyota Tundra was placed first in the large pickup segment with 141 PP100. Other segment leaders include the Highlander in the mid-size MAV segment, RAV4 in the compact MAV and ECHO was the top sub-compact car.

GM''s flagship brand Chevrolet was ranked below the industry average of 227 problems per 100 vehicles, as was DaimlerChrysler AG''s Chrysler group.

The Ford brand was ranked above industry averagewith its British luxury model Land Rover being ranked as the least reliable with 438 problems per 100 vehicles.

Other European luxury models like DaimlerChrysler''s Mercedes, Ford''s Volvo, Porche and Volkswagen AG''s Audi all scored well below the industry average.

BMW''s MINI and Hyundai Motor Co.''s Kia brands achieved the largest reduction in problems though they remained at the industry average.