Acura slipped one spot from last year to land third place in J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 Initial Quality Study of new vehicles.

Lexus took the top spot with the least amount of reported problems followed by Acura’s parent company Honda in second place.

“The Initial Quality Study serves as the industry benchmark for new-vehicle quality measured at 90 days of ownership. The study is used extensively by manufacturers worldwide to help them design and build better vehicles and by consumers to help them in their vehicle purchase decisions. Initial quality has been shown throughout the years to be an excellent predictor of long-term durability, which directly impacts consumer purchase decisions. The study captures problems experienced by owners in two distinct categories: design-related problems and defects and malfunctions.” –  J.D. Power and Associates

The 2011 Acura TSX and the 2011 Acura RDX were both listed as a Top Three Model in their respective category.

Download the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Initial Quality Study press release here.

[Source: J.D. Power and Associates]