After 14 years at the top of the J.D. Power and Associates' Vehicle Dependability Study, Lexus has lost out this year to Buick and Jaguar, brands that now share the top spot on the list.

Buick climbed to the top from a sixth place showing in 2008, while Jaguar rocketed upward from the number ten spot. They were followed by Lexus, Toyota, and Mercury. The study surveyed 46,000 drivers who own three-year-old vehicles (2006 models).

"Part of GM's historical challenge has been that the customer's perception of GM's vehicles has been not in line with reliability," said David Sargent, J.D. Power's vice president of automotive research. "GM, as well as Ford, has made a lot of strides recently. Maybe 10 or 15 years ago their vehicles weren't as reliable as some of the imports, but I think today they've virtually caught up."

Jaguar, which last year was sold to India's Tata Motors, has a stereotypical reputation for unreliable performance in the U.S. Original owners of Buick and Jaguar, however, reported an average of 122 problems per 100 vehicles, which is four less than Lexus.

With the recession entering its 16th month, drivers are holding on to their cars longer, on average 73 months, an increase from the 2006 level of 66 months.