Toyota Plant in Indiana Named Best for Quality

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lafayette B plant in Lafayette, Ind., produces vehicles with fewer defects or malfunctions than any other of the 135 assembly plants evaluated by this year's J.D. Power Initial Quality Study.

The plant averaged just 14 problems for every 100 Toyota Camry sedans made there.

The next-best plant in North America is General Motors Co.'s Oshawa, Ont., facility (20 problems/100 units), which makes the Buick Regal, Cadillac XTS and Chevrolet Camaro and Impala.

The rankings use reports from buyers during the first 90 days of ownership. Results ignore design-related complaints that are included in the IQS's assessment of the vehicles themselves and the companies that make them.

Power announced this year's results on Wednesday at a meeting of the Automotive Press Assn. in Detroit.

In Asia, Toyota's assembly plant in Yoshiwara, Japan, which makes the Lexus LX and Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs, scored best with only 18 defects per 100 units.

The top factory in Europe/Africa is Audi's big complex in Neckarsulm, Germany (A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 models) with a score of 23. It is closely followed by Mercedes-Benz's South Africa plant in East London (24), which makes C-Class sedans; and Sindelfingen, Germany (25), which builds C-, E- and S-Class cars.