Lexus is once again the most dependable car brand, based on the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study or VDS. And in results that echo last year’s, Kia remains the highest rated mainstream brand for the second year running.
The 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from 30,062 original owners of 2020 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study examines how these vehicles are currently performing in terms of quality, component replacement, and appeal. In turn, it should help car manufacturers design and build better vehicles to stand the test of time and promote higher resale value.
The study was redesigned in 2022 to include features and technology that are available in current vehicles. It now covers 184 specific problem areas across nine major vehicle categories: climate; driving assistance; driving experience; exterior; features/controls/displays; infotainment; interior; powertrain; and seats.
Lexus ranks highest overall in vehicle dependability with a score of 133 PP100 (Problems Per 100 vehicles), followed by Genesis (144 PP100), and Kia—the highest ranked mainstream brand in third (152 PP100). Buick (159 PP100) and Chevrolet (162 PP100) complete the top five.
The most improved brands are: Ram (77 PP100 improvement), Volvo (41 PP100 improvement), and Nissan (35 PP100 improvement).
The five lowest ranked brands in the 2023 study are Mercedes-Benz (240 PP100), Ford (249 PP100), Audi (252 PP100), Lincoln (259 PP100), and Land Rover (273 PP 100).
A lower PP100 (Problems Per 100 vehicles) indicates higher performance. See below for the full brand results.
On average, the auto industry reports 186 PP100 in 2023—an improvement of 6 PP100 from 2022.
Leading the industry’s improvement for fewer problems are mass market brands with 182 PP100, 8 PP100 lower than a year ago and 23 PP100 lower than for premium brands (205 PP100). The gap between the two segments is at its widest since the study launched 34 years ago and mirrors a trend that began in 2016. A driving force for the dependability disparity between the two segments is new technology introduced in vehicles. Premium brands usually have more technology, which increases complexity and the inherent likelihood of additional problems.
The most problematic aspect found were infotainment systems which had an average 49.9 PP100—almost twice as many problems as the next-highest category, which is exterior. Six of the top 10 problem areas in the study are infotainment-related, including built-in voice recognition (7.2 PP100); Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity (5.5 PP100); built-in Bluetooth system connectivity (4.0 PP100); touchscreen/display screen difficult to use (4.0 PP100); not enough power plugs/USB ports (3.8 PP100); and navigation system inaccurate/outdated map (3.3 PP100).
When it came to mechanicals, there are far fewer issues. However, 63 percent of vehicles included in the survey still required some sort of component replacement such as key fob/key fob battery, brake rotors, and headlight components/light bulbs.
The Lexus RX (pictured at the top) is the most dependable model with a 111 PP100 score, tied with the Toyota C-HR.
J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (Problems Per 100 Vehicle or PP100)
- Lexus – 133
- Genesis – 144
- Kia – 152
- Buick – 159
- Chevrolet – 162
- Mitsubishi – 167
- Toyota – 168
- Hyundai – 170
- MINI – 170
- Nissan – 170
- Dodge – 172
- Cadillac – 173
- Mazda – 174
- GMC – 175
- BMW – 184
- Ram – 189
- Jeep – 196
- Honda – 205
- Infiniti – 205
- Porsche – 208
- Acura – 211
- Subaru – 214
- Volvo – 215
- Volkswagen – 216
- Chrysler – 226
- Jaguar – 229
- Mercedes-Benz – 240
- Tesla – 242*
- Ford – 249
- Audi – 252
- Lincoln – 259
- Land Rover – 273
* not included in ranking due to not meeting study criteria.
Many Toyota's are rebadged Daihatsus. I wonder where Daihatsu would be if included in the survey. Same question with Suzuki.
ReplyDeleteWhat specific Lexus and Kia vehicles?
ReplyDelete