On the heels of a few troubling months, the U.S. automotive industry received some terrific news this week. On Thursday, J.D. Power and Associates unveiled their 2010 Vehicle Dependability Survey, which found that Ford, Buick and Cadillac all decreased the number of problems with their vehicles.

The annual survey, which rates 3-year old cars based on how many problems they average per 100 vehicles, found that 25 of 36 vehicle brands manufactured in 2007 showed improved long-term durability compared to the previous year, the Daily Finance reports.

Among the top 10 most reliable 2007 brands are Ford, Mercury, Honda, Toyota and Lincoln. In fact, all three Ford divisions finished in the top eight in the survey.

“These results, along with other consumer-driven indicators, show that we are making solid progress on our promise to deliver high initial quality, long-term durability and overall customer satisfaction,” said Bennie Fowler, group vice president for global quality at Ford.

Toyota also had an extremely strong showing, with the Prius and Corolla finishing first and second in the compact car segment. The Sequoia and the Tundra also earned high marks in the multi-activity and large pickup categories.