Porsche continues to hold its status as the top brand for the fewest problems in the latest J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study. For the third straight year, Porsche took honors while Infiniti also fared well, improving from No. 9 to No. 2 in the annual study that calculates problems per 100 vehicles. 

The Porsche 911 has the fewest quality issues, with 67 problems per 100 vehicles, the study noted.

Lincoln took dubious honors, falling from No. 3 to No. 15, according to the results released June 4.

Jeep is at the list, with Mini one position from the bottom. Saturn also faltered, falling to No. 33 from No. 20 in 2007. Ford and Mercury performed well both in the top 10.

J.D. Power and Associates commended the auto industry for “a continued reduction in the level of defects and malfunctions” in vehicles.

Overall quality improved by 6 percent in 2008 compared with 2007.

The study found that new-vehicle sales in 2008 shifted away from large cars and trucks toward smaller models.

The 2008 Honda Civic, CR-V and Fit captured three segment awards, more than any other nameplate in the study.

The study named the Honda Fit as the highest-ranked subcompact car. The Honda Civic was the highest-ranked compact car, while the Mazda MX-5 Miata was the highest-ranked compact sporty car.

The Mercedes-BenzCLK-Class was the highest-ranked compact premium sporty car, while the Infiniti EX-Series was the highest-ranked entry premium vehicle.

The Lexus LS was the highest-ranked large premium car, while the Chevrolet Malibu was the highest-ranked midsize car. The Pontiac Grand Prix honors as the highest-ranked large car.

Also receiving segment awards were the Ford E-Series, Lincoln Navigator and Toyota Sequoia.

The Mercedes-Benz assembly plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, won the Platinum Plant Quality Award for producing the vehicles with the fewest defects and malfunctions. The plant builds the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, CLS-Class, E-Class sedan and wagon and S-Class.