Bill Pierre Ford

Ford Motor Co. said the end of the year would also be the end of the road for Escape vehicles production in Missouri, a union local president said.

Jeff Wright, president of the United Auto Workers Local 249 said Ford intended to switch production in Missouri to a newer sport utility vehicle if the state came up with $15 million annually in tax breaks for the company, the Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday.

Production of the Escape is moving to Kentucky, he said.

Ford spokesman John Stoll would not comment on the auto giant’s plans for the Escape or its Claycomo, Missouri, assembly plant, where 3,700 workers produce the Escape, the Mercury Mariner and the F-150 pickup truck, the newspaper said.

Wright said, “The Escape’s already gone. They’ve announced that, and I think if they haven’t already started to retool Louisville, Ky., it’s close.”

“What we’re looking for is a new product,” he said.

Toyota Motor Corp. suffered a dramatic drop in a closely watched automotive-quality study, while Ford Motor Co. posted one of the top scores, a reflection of the recent fortunes of the two auto makers.

The Japanese company’s Toyota brand has been a perennial leader in the J.D. Power & Associates annual Initial Quality Survey. But in the 2010 study, Toyota was rated below average, falling to 21st place from seventh the year before, and trailed several U.S. nameplates it has traditionally bested, including Ford, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Lincoln.

Ford, which has risen steadily for the last several years, was ranked fifth overall, and was topped only by four luxury brands.

Toyota’s reputation was hurt earlier this year by a massive recall related to defects that could cause the company’s cars to accelerate on their own. Ford managed to return to profitability without needing a bailout by the federal government, boosting its standing with many Americans.

The rankings are based on responses of 82,000 people who were surveyed within 90 days of buying or leasing a vehicle from the 2010 model year. The survey was conducted between February and May.

Porsche, which is owned by Volkswagen AG, ranked first in the survey, with only 83 complaints per 100 vehicles. It was followed by Honda Motor Co.’s Acura brand, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Toyota’s Lexus division.

Ford had 93 problems per 100 vehicles, a slight improvement over 2009, when it ranked eighth and owners found 102 problems in every 100 vehicles. “We’ve really been working hard on this,” said William C. Ford Jr., the company’s chairman, at a conference organized in New York by The Wall Street Journal.

After Ford came Honda, Hyundai Motor Co., Lincoln, Nissan Motor Co.’s Infiniti, and Volvo, all finishing better than the industry average of 109 issues per 100 vehicles.

Participants in the survey reported 117 problems per 100 Toyota vehicles. In the 2009 survey, the Toyota brand was ranked seventh overall, with 101 problems per 100 vehicles, which was better than the industry average of 108 for that year.

Dave Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power, said the company’s recall and quality troubles earlier this year affected owners’ view of the company. Just before the survey started, Toyota recalled more than eight million vehicles globally and came under intense scrutiny for its handling of defects and complaints of sudden acceleration.

The company was eventually fined $16.4 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in connection with the matter. “Clearly, Toyota has endured a difficult year,” Mr. Sargent said. “Recent consumer concerns regarding Toyota’s quality are reflected in the nameplate’s performance in the 2010 study.”

General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, which were reorganized in bankruptcy with the help of billions of dollars in taxpayer aid last year, had all of their brands finish below the industry average. This was a reversal for GM’s Chevrolet and Cadillac divisions, both of which ranked in the top half in 2009.

Chrysler’s Ram brand, which includes its Ram pickup trucks, was close to the average with 110 problems per 100 vehicles. But the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands were all well below average.