Move over, Hyundai. You had a nice run while it lasted, but it is time to yield the left-hand lane to Toyota (yet again).
Korean "comeback kid" Hyundai stunned the automaking world in May with its second-place finish to perpetual uber-automaker ToyotaMotors
Back in May, I noted that "The only real caveat to Hyundai's results lies in the nature of the report itself. The J.D. Power new-car survey only reviews problems that surface within the first 90 days of ownership of a new vehicle. Still, Hyundai's vaunted 10-year limited warranty, and the cost of honoring that pledge, give the company a big incentive to ensure that the autos it produces remain relatively problem-free for much longer than 90 days."
Sadly, "incentives" don't always work the way they should in the auto world. The J.D. Power report shows that Hyundai still has some work to do on the long-term quality front. Out of 16 car companies surveyed for the number of problems reported with their products over the course of the last year, Hyundai came in a lackluster 13th. Its score of 375 problems per 100 vehicles was nearly twice as bad as Toyota's 207 (or Honda's
Meanwhile, aside from Toyota and Honda, the only other companies to beat the industry averages were Porsche, Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick BMW (BMW, traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange), and... wait for it... General Motors
Detroit, I take back what I said before about your city only being able to produce white rappers. Stick with making quality cars, try to keep the recalls under control, and in no time you can win back both percentage points of Hyundai's U.S. market share, to the great rejoicing of your shareholders.
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Fool contributor Rich Smith owns no shares in any company mentioned in this article. He buys his trucks from GM and his commuter cars from Nissan.
