Porsche took top honors for the fourth time in five years with 83 problems per 100 vehicles, J.D. Power & Associates' 2010 Initial Quality Study shows.

Ford was the only domestic brand at the top, scoring 93. Toyota, which ranked in the top seven since 2006, fell to 21st place, right behind its Scion division.

According to Automotive News, the slide can be attributed to consumer fear regarding sudden acceleration.

"Clearly, Toyota has endured a difficult year," said Dave Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power. The absence of low scorers Saab and Hummer did not help to lower the average number of problems.

On the contrary, it rose from 108 in 2009 to 109 in 2010.
In other news, Ram, Dodge's recently independent truck and SUV division, scored 110 -- one point below the industry average -- and higher than either Dodge or Chrysler.

Meanwhile the company, which is being taken over by Volkswagen, said
operating profit came to €600 million in the period from August through
April, the first three quarters in its fiscal year, while sales climbed
to €5.22 billion.

Its profit margin remained above 10 percent, meaning it is still one of
the most profitable auto manufacturers in the world. Unit sales were stable meanwhile at 53,605 vehicles, a statement said.

Agencies/germerica