A recent survey by a German motoring magazine has delivered some unwelcome news for that country's indigenous manufacturers.
The Auto Bild Quality Report, 2006 - which charts readers' satisfaction levels with cars of up to eight-years-old - has seen Asian car firms take the five top places in the survey. Japanese companies Mazda, Toyota, Honda and Nissan took first, second, third and fifth places respectively - while Korean maker Hyundai took fourth.
The survey was based on several different points, including a questionnaire enquiring of 24,583 motorists: "How do you rate the quality of your own car on a scale of one to 10?"
Other points included the number of recalls each model had, TÜV reports (equivalent of our NCT), Auto Bild long-term tests, readers' letters and complaints, an ongoing series by the magazine on dealers service facilities, and an appraisal of the guarantees and warranties offered by different makers.
The annual survey has been running for the past five years, and previously contained breakdown reports from the German automobile association, the ADAC. These were not included this time, as it was felt they could be misleading, given the fact that many manufacturers now offer their own mobility guarantees and breakdown hotlines within warranty periods. Auto Bild, therefore, claim that their survey gives a truly accurate picture of German drivers' opinions and everyday experiences.
Those experiences, according to Auto Bild, were not as positive for Germans choosing to drive native - illustrated by the fact that Volkswagen placed a lowly 16 in the poll. Even prestige maker Mercedes could only muster a disappointing 15th place, with Audi and BMW sharing joint 11th.
French maker Peugeot took the wooden spoon at joint 23rd along with Italian manufacturer Fiat, with Renault and Citroën occupying the places above.
While a good showing in the survey for Japanese makers is nothing new - Mazda and Toyota have topped it the past five years - it is cold comfort for European makers, of whom Volvo achieved the highest rating at 7th spot.
More pertinently, it would seem to provide further reason for German manufacturers to address a perceived slip of their reputation for quality in their own backyard.