Auto reliability grows

LOS ANGELES — The auto industry is producing more reliable vehicles. That’s the finding of a J.D. Power and Associates dependability study examining problems experienced during the last 12 months by owners of 2008 model-year vehicles.

The study, released Thursday, found an average of 151 problems per 100 of the 3-year-old vehicles during the time period surveyed. That was the lowest problem rate since the inception of the study in 1990.

Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln brand had the best score —101 problems per 100 vehicles. Lexus, a division of Toyota Motor Corp., was second with 109.

Jaguar was third at 112, Porsche fourth at 114, and Toyota fifth with 122.