Gasgoo.com (Shanghai November 7) - The latest study from J.D. Power Asia Pacific on the status of new car quality in China shows that the problem rate for new models from domestic manufacturers has fallen slightly, the Beijing News reported today. The annually published study shows that the average industry rate for vehicle problems (per 100 vehicles) has fell six percent this year. Meanwhile, incidences of problems in Korean brand vehicles have increased a staggering 42 percent.

The study focused on buyers who reported having car problems two to six months after purchasing a new vehicle. According to the study, the average failure rate this year was 162 times for every 100 vehicles purchased, six percent lower than last year. Japanese brands had the best overall rate at only 108 times, followed by US and European brands at 131 times. Domestic Chinese brands ended up last at 224 times, a slight improvement of eight percent from 2010.

According to Chris Chen, automotive research manager for J.D. Power Asia Pacific, the most common problem for Chinese brands was transmission system failure. Another frequently occurring problem was engine damage when turning on air conditioning, which caused vehicle fuel efficiency to drop.