Are American automakers closing the "quality gap" between them and their Japanese peers? No, says a report by UC Davis researchers that documents product reliability. A study of automotive recalls by American and Japanese carmakers shows U.S. automakers have had significantly higher recall rates during the past 20 years. The research also suggested that, on average, recall campaigns led to notable losses to the shareholders of the company announcing the recall. The research analyzed the recall experiences of three American (Chrysler, Ford and GM) and three Japanese (Honda, Nissan and Toyota) car manufacturers. "There has been discussion in the media regarding the quality of improvement in American cars," say report authors Brad Barber, assistant professor, and Masako Darrough, associate professor, of the Graduate School of Management at UC Davis. "However, we find no evidence that the Japanese advantage in terms of vehicle reliability has eroded during the latest decade (1983-92)." From 1973-92, the three U.S. car companies had recall rates ranging from 44 to 50 percent of cars sold, whereas the Japanese automakers had recall rates ranging from 21 to 37 percent.