Rate Car Quality Your Own Way

By Bill McLauchlan

A couple of weeks ago I reported on the 2014 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study in which the Lexus and Mercedes-Benz brands led the industry rankings – though General Motors sent a strong overall message with eight segment award winners and all of its individual brands (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC) scoring at or above the industry average.

Well, that and the seasonal spate of auto shows this time of year, got me thinking of a way you can come up with your own vehicle quality rating system.

Auto Show vs Showroom
If you’re in the market for a new car, auto shows are a great way to conduct one-stop, head-by-head comparisons of vehicles on your purchasing radar. That’s good for checking out individual content and features. But bear in mind that car companies finesse their display cars to make them look their best which could unduly influence your perception of a particular vehicle’s build quality.

That’s certainly something to keep in mind if you’re a first-time buyer. But it’s even more important if advancing years mean it could be the last new-car you buy and must live out your remaining driving years along with you.

So, do your build-quality comparisons at the dealership of your choice.

High-Tech vs Hands-on
First of all, forget that old adage: “They don’t build ’em like they used to.” Today’s cars are better engineered, use better materials and are machined to closer tolerances than was the case before. Precision lasers, robots and state-of-the-art paint booths can weld, braze, screw, bolt, glue and paint cars together like never before.

Yes there are highly precise automated systems in place today delivering more consistent assembly quality than ever before, but there are still men and women at many other work stations. And to err is human. Though you can’t blame those line workers for sloppy panel fits if the stamping dies that form the part become worn and in need of replacement.
Nor can you blame an interior trim piece’s poor fit if the person who installs it needs two minutes to do it right and he/she is allowed only one minute to do it.

Sam VarnHagen/Ford Motor Co.

That said, there are things you can do to make your own quality rating system – just like the audit system car companies use to assess the quality of their market competitors.

Make your own check list. Assess demerits for major or minor flaws. Is the hood out of line? Give that five demerits, for example. What you’ll get is a fair evaluation allowing you to look at any car with the same set of eyes.
  
A Critical Eye
First make a list of items you can check visually. Walk around the car. Look at the body fits and finish. Are all of the panel gaps the same? Are the trim pieces and moldings straight and properly aligned? Make sure the bumpers fit, especially the modern molded plastic kind.

General Motors/Tyler Mallory

Examine the paint surface closely. Look for colour differences, visible orange peel and any areas where excess paint wasn’t rubbed out. Overall, the vehicle should have a bright, shiny finish.

Squeaks, Rattles and Groans
Then it’s time to get physical. Open and close doors. Listen for rattles or anything else that doesn’t sound right. Take a good look at the instrument panel. Are the gaps between major elements the same? Do all the individual pieces butt together properly? Look for missing screws. Make sure the seat tracks work and perform smoothly. See if the adhesive around window glass areas is smeared. Open the hood and trunk to check inner panel lightening holes and lips for rough edges or burrs that indicate stamping dies weren’t well maintained.

It may not be as convenient as a one-stop auto show visit but you can be sure some extra leg work conducting up-close personal showroom inspections will be more reflective of how well built, or not, is any car that attracts your interest.