The study, now in its 13th year, measures the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the past six months by owners of 13- to 48-month-old vehicles. A lower score reflects higher quality. The study covers 177 specific problems grouped into nine major vehicle categories: exterior; interior; driving experience; features/controls/displays (FCD); infotainment; climate; seats; powertrain; and driving assistance. 37,345 vehicle owners were surveyed between December 2017 to May 2021. The study includes 208 models from 48 different brands.

The number of design-related problems in Chinese made or branded vehicles reached 78 PP100 which accounts for 43 percent of all issues encountered. Furthermore, as the ownership period extends, so do design-related problems. During the first one to two years of ownership, design problems experienced by owners averaged 68 PP100. When the ownership period entered the stages of two to three years or three to four years, the number of problems rose to 81 PP100 and 94 PP100, respectively.

According to the study, design issues related to the infotainment system accounts for the highest number of complaints (24 PP100). The Top 5 infotainment design problems are: radio poor/no reception; not enough power plugs/USB ports; touchscreen/display screen - DTU/too much glare/gets dirty too easily; built-in navigation system – inaccurate; built-in voice recognition - frequently doesn't recognize commands.

“The number of design-related problems in long-term quality is increasing,” said Elvis Yang, general manager of auto product practice at J.D. Power China. “Design-related problems continue to affect user experience and satisfaction, both in the new-ownership period and the long-term ownership period. In fact, with the intelligence evolution, both hardware and software will affect the quality dependability. Looking ahead, automakers need to form the strategic thinking of ‘integration’ in the R&D stage to improve the ability of software and hardware collaborative iteration.”

On a positive note, Chinese vehicles are starting to become more reliable with malfunction problems not changing significantly as the ownership period extends but their dependability depends on the segments where they compete in. The score of Chinese compact cars (158 PP100) is better than the overall industry segment (164 PP100). Chinese brands still fall behind the SUV and MPV segments.

Great Wall Motor-owned WEY is the highest-ranked Chinese brand with a 177 PP100. Tied in second and third are Geely (178 PP100) and Geely-owned Lynk & Co.

Here’s the ranking of Chinese mass market brands that were found to be above the industry average.

1. WEY (177 PP100)
2. Geely (178 PP100)
3. Lynk & Co (178 PP100)
4. Chery (181 PP100)
5. Hongqi (181 PP100)
6. Baojun (182 PP100)
7. GAC (183 PP100)
8. MG (184 PP 100)