NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- As the auto industry heads to the 2011 Detroit Auto Show next week, the home team may finally have something to cheer about.
After decades of making disappointing cars, American carmakers earned higher scores in 2010 than imported cars in separate J.D. Power surveys of initial quality and owner satisfaction.
While the domestics' lead over imports was small in both surveys, the scores were still reasons for American automakers to feel good. In terms of quality, American products, overall, are now at least neck-and-neck with foreign competitors.
Meanwhile, Consumer Reports magazine reports similar improvements in the dependability and desirability of American cars.
The improvements are finally beginning to sink in with car buyers, contributing to some respectable sales increases for Detroit.
Ford takes the lead
Ford Motor Co. (F, Fortune 500) can take credit for much of Detroit's recent success.
"All three of the domestics have improved quite a bit over the past few years in initial quality, but Ford has been more consistent and more notable," said David Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power.
A recent Consumer Reports survey found that car owners' views of the Ford brand are virtually tied with their perceptions of perennial brand-image leader Toyota. (Toyota's recent recall troubles, which have caused its brand image to slip, also helped.)
The effort to improve quality at Ford has involved training thousands of white collar and blue collar employees in quality improvement methods, said Bennie Fowler, vice president for global quality.
Those who learn to effectively solve quality problems can earn the title of "black belt," of which Ford has about 10,000 worldwide, or "master black belt," of which there are about 1,000.
It has also involved improvements in internal communication so problems can be resolved quickly.
"If you put a warranty claim in at your dealership, I can see that claim within 24 to 48 hours," Fowler said.
Computer technology also allows Ford engineers to look for quality problems earlier, he said.
According to Consumer Reports, all of Ford's newer car and crossover SUV models have at least average or better dependability.
"With Ford, they put a lot of focus on building cars that are reliable and they put a lot of focus on fuel economy," said David Champion, head of auto testing at Consumer Reports.
