USA: Fuel consumption complaints place Hummer last in JD Power survey

USA: Fuel consumption complaints place Hummer last in JD Power survey - report

Author: just-auto.com editorial team | 7 May 2003

Hummer owners, frustrated with the vehicle's excessive fuel consumption, ranked the SUV last in the latest JD Power initial quality survey, according to Reuters.

In the survey of consumers during the first 90 days of ownership, General Motors’ highly profitable Hummer brand had 225 complaints per 100 vehicles. By comparison, the top-ranked Toyota-built Lexus had 76 complaints per 100 vehicles, Reuters said.

GM North America president Gary Cowger told Reuters the H2's fuel consumption was the No. 1 complaint among owners, outpacing the No. 2 gripe -- that the SUV's headlights were aimed too high -- by a 2-1 margin. GM has fixed the headlight problem, Cowger added.

According to Reuters, at 6,400 pounds (2,903 kg), the Hummer H2 is so heavy it falls outside US. regulations on fuel economy. Unlike other passenger cars and trucks, GM does not have to display the fuel consumption figures on the window sales sticker of the H2 at dealerships. Hummer estimates the military-inspired SUV gets 11 to 13 miles (18 to 21 km) per gallon.

Reuters said that JD Power conducted its survey of 52,000 US owners and lessees earlier this year when the price of petrol climbed higher.

"There's a very close correlation between the price of gasoline at the pump and the incidence of excessive fuel consumption problems," Brian Walters, director of product research with JD Power, told Reuters.

But Reuters noted that Hummer's thirst for petrol certainly has not hurt sales. Hummer is the only GM division that has sold vehicles this year without costly sales incentives, such as the zero percent financing offer that has swept the industry, the report said.

Companies: JD Power, GM, Toyota, Lexus

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There are currently 5 comments on this article

quote:
Then the Hummer could make sense as a road vehicle.

Even with the fuel truck, the Hummer will never make sense as a road vehicle. As the bright colors would suggest, it's a toy for the Arnold Schwarzenegger wannabees who can't quite pony up the cash for the Hummer H1 and don't think the Escalade projects the right image of virility. After all, if they were really rich, they wouldn't be complaining about the high cost of fuel. I keep waiting for DaimlerChrysler to give up on hoping for government purchases of the recently-introduced North American Unimog and start promoting it as a Hummer-cruncher. After all, Arnold owns one of them, too.

TexasBill said at 9:04 pm, May 8, 2003

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