The GS is built in car plant claimed "Standard of the World"(the Quality thread)
04-04-05, 11:38 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
The GS is built in car plant claimed "Standard of the World"(the Quality thread)
This thread is something GS owners and potential buyers should know. Lexus clearly is the stardard for auto quality. In this thread, I'll compile date supporting how the GS is possibly one of the highest quality cars in the world, every built. The GS is not plauged with electronic issues (German competition) and not put together from cheaper cars (Japanese competiton). What you have is a car built to the highest standards of quality. The previous GS has won best quality awards multiple times and this trend should continue.
Below, you see multiple awards for quality:
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
* May 1994 - The GS 300 takes the second spot (between LS 400 and ES 300) in J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS).
* June 1996 - Toyota Motor Corporation's Tahara Plant, home of the GS 300 (and LS 400) captures the J.D. Power and Associates Gold Plant Award among Asian manufacturing facilities.
* February 1997 - The research firm IntelliChoice names the GS 300 a "Best Overall Value" in the Luxury Car category.
* October 1997 - The all-new GS 400 named a "Best Buy" in the Luxury Car category by Consumers Digest.
* October 1997 - The GS 400 is given "Best of What's New" status by Popular Science.
* November 1997 - The GS 400 wins the American Automobile Association (AAA) "Top Car" award for best all-around car in the $40,000 to $50,000 category.
* December 1997 - The GS 400/300 high performance sedan series is named Motor Trend's "Import Car of the Year."
* January 1998 - The GS 400/300 are honored as one of Car & Driver's "10 Best."
* December 1998 - Consumer Digest names the GS 400/300 a "Best Buy."
* December 1998 - The GS 400 wins the American Automobile Association (AAA) "Top Car" award for the best all-around car in the $40,000 to $50,000 category.
* January 1999 - The GS 400/300 is honored as one of Car and Driver magazine's "10 Best."
* January 2000 - Car and Driver magazine again honors the GS 400/300 as one of its "10 Best."
* October 2001 - The GS sedans are named "Most Appealing Mid-Luxury Sedans" in J.D. Power and Associates' APEAL Study.
* April 2001 - Consumer Guide rates the GS 300 a "Best Buy."
* March 2002 - Consumer Reports rates the GS 300 and GS 430 a Luxury Car "Best Buy."
* May 2002 - The GS 430/300 ranks first in the Mid-Luxury Car segment of the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study.
* November 2002 - The GS 430/300 ranks first in the Entry Luxury Car segment of the 2003 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Index (VDI).
* May 2003 - The GS 430/300 ranks first in the Mid-size Luxury segment in the J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Study. J.D. Power and Associates also awarded the GS 300/430 manufacturing facility, the Tahara Plant in Japan, the worldwide Platinum Plant Award.
* June 2004 - The GS 430/300 ranks first in the Mid-Luxury Car segment of the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Initial Quality Study.
So how exactly does this car prove to be one of the best built autos you can buy?
Below, you see multiple awards for quality:
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
* May 1994 - The GS 300 takes the second spot (between LS 400 and ES 300) in J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS).
* June 1996 - Toyota Motor Corporation's Tahara Plant, home of the GS 300 (and LS 400) captures the J.D. Power and Associates Gold Plant Award among Asian manufacturing facilities.
* February 1997 - The research firm IntelliChoice names the GS 300 a "Best Overall Value" in the Luxury Car category.
* October 1997 - The all-new GS 400 named a "Best Buy" in the Luxury Car category by Consumers Digest.
* October 1997 - The GS 400 is given "Best of What's New" status by Popular Science.
* November 1997 - The GS 400 wins the American Automobile Association (AAA) "Top Car" award for best all-around car in the $40,000 to $50,000 category.
* December 1997 - The GS 400/300 high performance sedan series is named Motor Trend's "Import Car of the Year."
* January 1998 - The GS 400/300 are honored as one of Car & Driver's "10 Best."
* December 1998 - Consumer Digest names the GS 400/300 a "Best Buy."
* December 1998 - The GS 400 wins the American Automobile Association (AAA) "Top Car" award for the best all-around car in the $40,000 to $50,000 category.
* January 1999 - The GS 400/300 is honored as one of Car and Driver magazine's "10 Best."
* January 2000 - Car and Driver magazine again honors the GS 400/300 as one of its "10 Best."
* October 2001 - The GS sedans are named "Most Appealing Mid-Luxury Sedans" in J.D. Power and Associates' APEAL Study.
* April 2001 - Consumer Guide rates the GS 300 a "Best Buy."
* March 2002 - Consumer Reports rates the GS 300 and GS 430 a Luxury Car "Best Buy."
* May 2002 - The GS 430/300 ranks first in the Mid-Luxury Car segment of the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study.
* November 2002 - The GS 430/300 ranks first in the Entry Luxury Car segment of the 2003 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Index (VDI).
* May 2003 - The GS 430/300 ranks first in the Mid-size Luxury segment in the J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Study. J.D. Power and Associates also awarded the GS 300/430 manufacturing facility, the Tahara Plant in Japan, the worldwide Platinum Plant Award.
* June 2004 - The GS 430/300 ranks first in the Mid-Luxury Car segment of the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Initial Quality Study.
So how exactly does this car prove to be one of the best built autos you can buy?
04-04-05, 11:41 PM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
http://www.detnews.com/2004/specialr.../a15-70498.htm
Well we can't yet have a Clublexus meet in Tahara, Japan, but I'll try to bring it to you.
Auto Plants: Battle to Be the Best
Robot-filled Tahara sets standard for Toyota, world
Japanese facility puts focus on details
By Christine Tierney / The Detroit News
Comment on this story
Send this story to a friend
Get Home Delivery
It is the benchmark of benchmarks: Toyota Motor Co.p.痴 untouchable Tahara plant on Japan痴 eastern coast.
In 2003, for the second year in a row, J.D. Power and Associates bestowed its highest honor ・the platinum award for best quality worldwide ・on the Tahara factory that produces Lexus and Toyota vehicles.
Owners of models built at the plant, including the Lexus GS 300 and 430 and LS 430 luxury sedans, reported 63 defects per 100 vehicles ・about one-third fewer than owners of premium cars built at the best BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz auto plants in Germany, according to J.D. Power data.
Conceived during Japan痴 economic boom, the plant was filled with robots, amid fears of labor shortages and Toyota痴 great faith in automation. As one of the automaker痴 newer plants, it also allowed Toyota to experiment with new manufacturing ideas and production methods.
Set on a small peninsula on the Mikawa Bay, the factory was designed to be 努orker friendly・to attract a new generation of workers who had viewed factory work as dirty, arduous and dangerous.
的t痴 one of the most beautiful plants, and very neat and tidy,・said Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Koji Endo in Tokyo. The setting is lovely, too, with fishing on the quays outside.
Built in 1979, 典ahara was actually considered a mistake because it was much too automated,・said auto analyst Maryann Keller of Maryann Keller and Associates in Greenwich, Conn. In terms of costs, 妬t was not a competitive factory when they built it.・
The sprawling plant is air-conditioned. Computer-controlled robots do the heavy lifting and dirty work. More than 95 percent of the stamping, welding and painting operations are automated, while plant workers focus on the trim and final assembly ・the details a customer notices.
Today, Tahara produces 460,000 vehicles a year in its two body shops and three assembly plants. In addition to Lexus exports, the plant complex assembles Toyota痴 domestic luxury car, the Crown, the RAV4 sport-utility vehicle and three other models.
Rival luxury automakers may murmur that Lexus cars are merely 都ouped-up Toyotas・because the two brands share a wide array of parts. But suppliers to Toyota know better.
Tahara sets and demands the highest standards.
Toyota, already a stickler for quality, will not accept components if defects exceed 50 per million parts shipped. In contrast, for Lexus vehicles, Tahara managers insist on fewer than 10 defects per million parts.
From the outset, former plant manager Kousuke Shiramizu, now executive vice president in charge of product and product engineering, established that the margin for error for Lexus vehicles would be half what it was at Toyota.
On average at Toyota, air leaks from car exhaust systems are held to 100 liters per minute, to reduce noise. On Lexus models produced at the Tahara plant, the ceiling is a stingy 8.6 liters of air per minute.
The plant痴 strict quality checks include a final stretch of inspections for cars coming off the line under the unforgiving glare of very bright lights.
Toyota also tinkered with changes in the assembly line organization at Tahara, establishing several sub-assembly lines so temporary stoppages would not halt all production.
典ahara痴 the next plateau,・said consultant Dennis Pawley, former manufacturing chief at Chrysler. 迭ather than having one continuous line, they池e going against the old adage and breaking up the line.・
Living up to Tahara痴 standards keeps everyone at Toyota plants around the world on their toes.
Well we can't yet have a Clublexus meet in Tahara, Japan, but I'll try to bring it to you.
Auto Plants: Battle to Be the Best
Robot-filled Tahara sets standard for Toyota, world
Japanese facility puts focus on details
By Christine Tierney / The Detroit News
Comment on this story
Send this story to a friend
Get Home Delivery
It is the benchmark of benchmarks: Toyota Motor Co.p.痴 untouchable Tahara plant on Japan痴 eastern coast.
In 2003, for the second year in a row, J.D. Power and Associates bestowed its highest honor ・the platinum award for best quality worldwide ・on the Tahara factory that produces Lexus and Toyota vehicles.
Owners of models built at the plant, including the Lexus GS 300 and 430 and LS 430 luxury sedans, reported 63 defects per 100 vehicles ・about one-third fewer than owners of premium cars built at the best BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz auto plants in Germany, according to J.D. Power data.
Conceived during Japan痴 economic boom, the plant was filled with robots, amid fears of labor shortages and Toyota痴 great faith in automation. As one of the automaker痴 newer plants, it also allowed Toyota to experiment with new manufacturing ideas and production methods.
Set on a small peninsula on the Mikawa Bay, the factory was designed to be 努orker friendly・to attract a new generation of workers who had viewed factory work as dirty, arduous and dangerous.
的t痴 one of the most beautiful plants, and very neat and tidy,・said Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Koji Endo in Tokyo. The setting is lovely, too, with fishing on the quays outside.
Built in 1979, 典ahara was actually considered a mistake because it was much too automated,・said auto analyst Maryann Keller of Maryann Keller and Associates in Greenwich, Conn. In terms of costs, 妬t was not a competitive factory when they built it.・
The sprawling plant is air-conditioned. Computer-controlled robots do the heavy lifting and dirty work. More than 95 percent of the stamping, welding and painting operations are automated, while plant workers focus on the trim and final assembly ・the details a customer notices.
Today, Tahara produces 460,000 vehicles a year in its two body shops and three assembly plants. In addition to Lexus exports, the plant complex assembles Toyota痴 domestic luxury car, the Crown, the RAV4 sport-utility vehicle and three other models.
Rival luxury automakers may murmur that Lexus cars are merely 都ouped-up Toyotas・because the two brands share a wide array of parts. But suppliers to Toyota know better.
Tahara sets and demands the highest standards.
Toyota, already a stickler for quality, will not accept components if defects exceed 50 per million parts shipped. In contrast, for Lexus vehicles, Tahara managers insist on fewer than 10 defects per million parts.
From the outset, former plant manager Kousuke Shiramizu, now executive vice president in charge of product and product engineering, established that the margin for error for Lexus vehicles would be half what it was at Toyota.
On average at Toyota, air leaks from car exhaust systems are held to 100 liters per minute, to reduce noise. On Lexus models produced at the Tahara plant, the ceiling is a stingy 8.6 liters of air per minute.
The plant痴 strict quality checks include a final stretch of inspections for cars coming off the line under the unforgiving glare of very bright lights.
Toyota also tinkered with changes in the assembly line organization at Tahara, establishing several sub-assembly lines so temporary stoppages would not halt all production.
典ahara痴 the next plateau,・said consultant Dennis Pawley, former manufacturing chief at Chrysler. 迭ather than having one continuous line, they池e going against the old adage and breaking up the line.・
Living up to Tahara痴 standards keeps everyone at Toyota plants around the world on their toes.
Last edited by LexFather; 04-05-05 at 12:14 AM.
04-04-05, 11:43 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
As you can see the top 3 plants in the world are Toyota plants.
http://www.lexus.com/about/press_rel...r_05_06_a.html
May 6, 2003
Toyota And Lexus Dominate J.D. Power And Associates 2003 Initial Quality Study
TORRANCE, Calif., May 6, 2003 - Toyota and Lexus once again dominated the annual J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study which measures problems per 100 vehicles in the first 90 days of ownership. Toyota and Lexus vehicles ranked highest in 6 of 16 segments with Lexus vehicles topping every segment in which they compete.
The Lexus LS 430 premium luxury sedan had the fewest problems of any vehicle in the study for the seventh consecutive year. Other Lexus vehicles at the top of their respective segments included the GS 430/300 sport sedans, ES 300 luxury sedan and the Lexus RX 300 luxury utility vehicle.
Toyota vehicles at the head of their segments were the Toyota Prius in the compact car segment and the Toyota Highlander in the midsize SUV segment.
"We are passionate about building quality into our vehicles," said Mark Templin, Lexus vice president of service, parts, customer satisfaction and training. "It's not merely a process for us…it's our culture. This study is one of the leading indications that our efforts are effective."
In addition to awards for individual models, Toyota plants also scored well in the study, sweeping the Asia Pacific Plant awards including the Platinum Award for the Tahara plant which makes LS and GS, the Motomachi Plant that builds Prius and the Tsutsumi plant where the ES 300 and Camry are built.
04-04-05, 11:51 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
http://www.lexus.lv/en/news/?id=118
Lexus leads the way in the 2004 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study
15.07.2004
Lexus received the highest ranking in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study in the United States: four models received the awards and two other models were ranked second best.
Lexus set a new IQS record with the Lexus SC430 hardtop convertible, for the fewest problems ever reported. It was followed by the LS430 luxury sedan which had been the initial quality leader for seven consecutive years. The GS300/430 was the third highest vehicle in the study and led its segment. The LX470 luxury utility vehicle was the highest-ranked premium luxury SUV in the study and the RX 330 led the entry-luxury SUV segment.
Highest ranked 2nd place
Mid Luxury Car Lexus GS300/430
Premium Luxury Car Lexus SC430 Lexus LS430
Entry Luxury SUV Lexus RX330
Premium Luxury SUV Lexus LX470 Lexus GX470
The Initial Quality Study measures a broad range of quality problems, heavily weighted toward defects and malfunctions, quality of workmanship, drivability, human factors in engineering (i.e. ease of use) and safety-related problems. IQS is based on responses from more than 51,000 drivers of new 2004 model-year cars and trucks, who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. Results are presented using a problems-per-100 vehicles (PP100) metric. The study includes quality comparisons by manufacturer, assembly plant and model.
Lexus remains this year the top-ranked nameplate with a score of 87 whilst industry average is 119.
Lexus top quality performance has been further rewarded also from a manufacturing point of view: in fact, for the fourth year running, Tahara Plant in Japan, which produces the Lexus GS300/430 and the Lexus LS430, received the IQS Assembly plant Platinium award whilst the Higashi-Fuji plant, which among others manufactures the SC430, received the Asia Pacific Bronze award.
This industry benchmark study for new-vehicle initial quality is now in its 18th year.
Lexus leads the way in the 2004 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study
15.07.2004
Lexus received the highest ranking in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study in the United States: four models received the awards and two other models were ranked second best.
Lexus set a new IQS record with the Lexus SC430 hardtop convertible, for the fewest problems ever reported. It was followed by the LS430 luxury sedan which had been the initial quality leader for seven consecutive years. The GS300/430 was the third highest vehicle in the study and led its segment. The LX470 luxury utility vehicle was the highest-ranked premium luxury SUV in the study and the RX 330 led the entry-luxury SUV segment.
Highest ranked 2nd place
Mid Luxury Car Lexus GS300/430
Premium Luxury Car Lexus SC430 Lexus LS430
Entry Luxury SUV Lexus RX330
Premium Luxury SUV Lexus LX470 Lexus GX470
The Initial Quality Study measures a broad range of quality problems, heavily weighted toward defects and malfunctions, quality of workmanship, drivability, human factors in engineering (i.e. ease of use) and safety-related problems. IQS is based on responses from more than 51,000 drivers of new 2004 model-year cars and trucks, who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. Results are presented using a problems-per-100 vehicles (PP100) metric. The study includes quality comparisons by manufacturer, assembly plant and model.
Lexus remains this year the top-ranked nameplate with a score of 87 whilst industry average is 119.
Lexus top quality performance has been further rewarded also from a manufacturing point of view: in fact, for the fourth year running, Tahara Plant in Japan, which produces the Lexus GS300/430 and the Lexus LS430, received the IQS Assembly plant Platinium award whilst the Higashi-Fuji plant, which among others manufactures the SC430, received the Asia Pacific Bronze award.
This industry benchmark study for new-vehicle initial quality is now in its 18th year.
04-04-05, 11:53 PM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/040429-2.htm
April 29, 2004
Lexus plant in Japan is tops in quality, again
Westlake Village, California - Toyota's Tahara, Japan, car plant, which produces the Lexus GS 300/GS 430 and the Lexus LS 430, received the Platinum award for worldwide plant quality for the third consecutive year, with a score of 53 PP100 (problems per 100 vehicles) in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study Assembly Plant Awards.
Honda and Toyota plants also received awards in the Asia Pacific region, while Porsche, Honda and Ford plants received honours in Europe.
04-05-05, 12:07 AM
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Here are 2003 results, they are in Adobe format, so I cannot post the graphs.
http://www.cwnewsroom.de/data/attachments/101078.pdf
http://www.cwnewsroom.de/data/attachments/101078.pdf
Last edited by LexFather; 04-05-05 at 12:14 AM.
04-05-05, 12:49 AM
#10
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Missouri
Posts: 894
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX
Tahara sets and demands the highest standards.
Toyota, already a stickler for quality, will not accept components if defects exceed 50 per million parts shipped. In contrast, for Lexus vehicles, Tahara managers insist on fewer than 10 defects per million parts.
Living up to Tahara's standards keeps everyone at Toyota plants around the world on their toes.
To sum it up, quality in....quality out. If Toyota/Lexus is going to put its name on a vehicle, it is going to be confident that the final product will compliment the highest standard in the auto industry.Nice read. Thanks for info Sick.
04-08-05, 10:28 PM
#13
I would pay money to visit that place...birthplace of all Lexus cars (except those in Canada).
Remember seeing a pic of final inspection, with white-suited technicians standing watch underneath a giant Lexus logo which hung above the inspection line...
Remember seeing a pic of final inspection, with white-suited technicians standing watch underneath a giant Lexus logo which hung above the inspection line...
04-09-05, 08:17 PM
#14
Pole Position
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: OK
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great job putting together this info
Makes you proud to own one of these wonderful cars. I always knew there was something special about Lexus ever since my first ES. The info you have put together proves that the longevity that I have had with ES and GS is no fluke.
Makes you proud to own one of these wonderful cars. I always knew there was something special about Lexus ever since my first ES. The info you have put together proves that the longevity that I have had with ES and GS is no fluke.