DETROIT – Following best-ever results reported last month in J.D. Power and Associates’ Initial Quality Study, General Motors received eight “Most Dependable” awards and placed 18 vehicles in the top three of their respective segments – more than any other automaker – in the 2005 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study released today.

Of all brands, Buick ranked fourth, Cadillac fifth and Chevrolet received four segment awards outright – more that any other brand. Chevrolet placed another three vehicles among the top three in their respective segments.

"These results, when added to other recent quality reports, are further proof that our quality is good, it continues to improve, and our customers now recognize that GM delivers vehicles with lasting quality," said Annette Clayton, GM North America vice president for quality. "GM is pleased with the results, but our job is not done. We’re committed to achieving industry leadership in all aspects of quality – initial, long-term and perceptual."

With eight segment awards, GM outpaced all competitors. Segment award winners include Chevrolet Prizm (Compact Car) Chevrolet Malibu (Entry Midsize Car), Buick Century (Premium Midsize Car), Buick LeSabre (Full-Size Car), Chevrolet S-10 Pickup (Midsize Pickup), Cadillac Escalade EXT (Light Duty Full-Size Pickup), Chevrolet Silverado HD (Heavy Duty Full-Size Pickup), and GMC Yukon/Yukon XL (Full-Size SUV).

Taking the top two positions in both the Entry Midsize and Premium Midsize Car segment adds to GM’s quality momentum, Clayton said. “Based on recent Initial Quality Study results and today’s Vehicle Dependability Study results, GM clearly dominates the highly competitive midsize car segment – and that’s quite an accomplishment. Simply put, GM builds the highest quality midsize cars.”

Ten other GM models placed among the top three in their respective segments for dependability – also more than any other automaker.

GM had four of the top 10 best-performing models over time. The Buick Park Avenue, Regal and LeSabre and Chevrolet Prizm showed the least deterioration between Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability results. According to Buick General Manager Steve Shannon, these results demonstrate GM’s total quality efforts.

“The Buicks that performed best were built at plants that are building and will continue to build Buicks,” Shannon said. “For instance, GM’s Oshawa 2 plant built the Regal and Century and is now building the LaCrosse.”

The Vehicle Dependability Study measures problems in 3-year-old vehicles, across nine categories. The study is one of three J.D. Power and Associates quality metrics, along with the Initial Quality Study, which measures quality after 90 days of ownership, and the Automotive, Performance, Execution and Layout Study, which measures customer perceptions on the design, content, layout and performance of their new vehicles. The 2005 Initial Quality Study was released in May, and the 2005 APEAL Study is scheduled to be released in the fall.