Better cars

Just as the Republican political debate is focusing on the federal bailout of the U.S. auto industry, a new report shows that vehicles made by two Detroit companies are becoming more dependable.

The annual reliability survey by J.D. Power and Associates shows Japan's Toyota leading 32 brands for cars and trucks with the fewest problems. But Ford and General Motors made big gains as well.

The entire industry did better, averaging 132 problems per 100 vehicles. That's down from 151 and 155 problems in the prior two years. Toyota's Lexus luxury brand finished first on the new list, with 86 problems per 100 vehicles.

GM, which along with Chrysler used federal aid to weather the 2008-2010 financial crisis, saw improvements in Cadillac and Chevrolet reliability. Ford, which didn't take a bailout, showed 11-percent improvement. Its Lincoln luxury model did even better.

Chrysler was the big domestic-industry disappointment in the study. Its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram models were the four worst brands.

The most precipitous fall in the rankings came not from an American automaker, but from the British brand Jaguar. In 2008, when the luxury line was owned by Ford, it ranked third in the survey. A year later, after it was acquired by the Indian company Tata Motors Ltd., it dropped to 28th.

Let the Republican presidential candidates fight about whether the U.S. companies were worth a taxpayer bailout. Ford and GM appear to be making more- reliable products, and Chrysler appears ready to rebound. Detroit isn't all the way back, but it's getting there.