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Technology Woes Continue to Drive Up Problems: J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study
Press Releases: February 24, 2016
- Lexus Ranks Highest in Vehicle Dependability for Fifth Consecutive Year;
- General Motors Receives Eight Segment Awards;
- Toyota Motor Corporation Receives Six
TROY, Mich.: 24 February 2016 — Problems with technology continue to affect vehicle reliability according to the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS), released today. The number of problems with infotainment, navigation and in-vehicle communication systems -- collectively known as audio, communication, entertainment and navigation or ACEN -- has increased and now accounts for 20% of all customer-reported problems in the study. ACEN is now the most problematic area on most vehicles and is the cause of the industry’s 3% year-over-year decline in vehicle dependability.
“The increase in technology-related problems has two sources,” Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive at J.D. Power, noted. “Usability problems that customers reported during their first 90 days of ownership are still bothering them three years later in ever-higher numbers. At the same time, the penetration of these features has increased year over year.”
The problems most often reported by owners are Bluetooth pairing/connectivity and built-in voice recognition systems misinterpreting commands. Navigation system difficult to use and navigation system inaccurate are also among the 10 most frequently reported problems.
Building Trust in Technology
While automakers, suppliers and even the U.S. government are enthusiastically moving toward putting fully autonomous vehicles on the roads, consumers need to have confidence in the technologies currently in vehicles before they will be willing to take their hands off the wheel of self-driving cars.
“If you think about the technology problems from the study in the context of conversations around autonomous vehicles, the industry clearly has more work to do to secure the trust of consumers,” said Stephens. “Right now, if consumers can’t rely on their vehicle to connect to their smartphone, or have faith that their navigation system will route them to their destination, they’re certainly not yet ready to trust that autonomous technology will keep their vehicle out of the ditch.”
Expected reliability remains critical in today’s automotive market. More than 50% of owners cite expected reliability as one of the most influential reasons for choosing a specific make and model.[1] At the same time, concerns about reliability have risen this year as a reason to avoid particular models.
“The decline in reliability coupled with a record number of vehicle recalls and safety-related complaints[2] affect consumer confidence,” said Stephens. “Dependability has a direct impact on purchase decisions and brand loyalty.”
Among owners who experienced no problems with their vehicle, 55% purchased the same brand again. In contrast, only 41% of owners who experienced three or more problems with their vehicle stayed with the same brand for their next purchase. Additionally, only a third of owners who had to replace a component outside of normal wear items said they would definitely repurchase or lease the same brand again.
Highest-Ranked Nameplates and Models
Lexus ranks highest in vehicle dependability among all nameplates for a fifth consecutive year, with a score of 95 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100).
Porsche (97 PP100) follows Lexus in the rankings, moving up from fifth in 2015.
Following Porsche in the rankings are Buick (106 PP100), Toyota (113 PP100) and GMC (120 PP100).
General Motors Company receives eight segment awards and Toyota Motor Corporation six.
GM models receiving an award include the Buick Encore; Buick LaCrosse; Buick Verano; Chevrolet Camaro; Chevrolet Equinox; Chevrolet Malibu; Chevrolet Silverado HD; and GMC Yukon.
Toyota awardees include the Lexus ES; Lexus GS; Lexus GX; Toyota Prius v; Toyota Sienna; and Toyota Tundra.
Others models to receive segment awards are the Fiat 500; Honda Fit; Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class; MINI Cooper; MINI Coupe/Roadster; and Nissan Murano.
Key Study Findings
The overall industry average is 152 PP100 this year, compared with 147 PP100 last year.
Among owners who experienced a Bluetooth pairing/connectivity problem, 53% said the vehicle didn’t find/recognize their mobile phone/device.
Among owners who indicate having experienced a voice recognition problem, 67% say the problem was related to the system not recognizing/misinterpreting verbal commands.
The number of engine/transmission problems decreases to 24 PP100 in 2016 from 26 PP100 in 2015.
Seven of the top 10 problems are design-related. Design-related problems account for 39% of problems reported in the study (60 PP100), a 2-percentage-point increase from 2015.
The 2016 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from 33,560 original owners of 2013 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study was fielded from October through December 2015.
The study, now in its 27th year, examines problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of 2013 model-year vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality. The study covers 177 specific problem symptoms grouped into eight major vehicle categories.
My grandmother just traded in her 06 Murano for the new one, and it's a beautiful car. The interior reminds me of a Lexus. Glad to see it highest ranked.
Something's DEFINITELY wrong when both Acura and Honda are behind multiple GM marques. I'm sure the guys at Honda HQ in Tokyo are looking at this and saying to themselves the Japanese equivalent of "WTF?".
Something's DEFINITELY wrong when both Acura and Honda are behind multiple GM marques. I'm sure the guys at Honda HQ in Tokyo are looking at this and saying to themselves the Japanese equivalent of "WTF?".
They have been lax and relying on their old brand image for everything for far too long.
Something's DEFINITELY wrong when both Acura and Honda are behind multiple GM marques. I'm sure the guys at Honda HQ in Tokyo are looking at this and saying to themselves the Japanese equivalent of "WTF?".
Nothing wrong with it. GM is trying harder than Honda right now and making their best products since the 60s. It's no coincidence that their CEO is an engineer and not a corporate drone.
Nothing wrong with it. GM is trying harder than Honda right now and making their best products since the 60s. It's no coincidence that their CEO is an engineer and not a corporate drone.
No doubt. 2G CTS-V is probably in the top five best cars I've ever driven in this life. GM's been tightening up the quality the last few years, and in particular since the ignition debacle. All I can say is, at least in the case of GM, it's now OK to buy American.
No doubt. 2G CTS-V is probably in the top five best cars I've ever driven in this life. GM's been tightening up the quality the last few years, and in particular since the ignition debacle. All I can say is, at least in the case of GM, it's now OK to buy American.
How many lives have you had and what were you driving in those lives?
Mercedes, Hyundai, BMW, Jaguar join Top 10; GMC, Acura, Ram and Lincoln fall from Top 10
UPDATED: 2/22/17 10:54 am ET - Lexus and Porsche are the most dependable brands after three years of vehicle ownership, while Toyota leads non-premium labels, according to a J.D. Power study.
It is the sixth consecutive year that Lexus topped J.D. Power’s annual U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, released Wednesday. The streak puts Lexus halfway to tying its record of 12 consecutive titles for most dependable brand between from 1997 to 2008.
Toyota, Buick and Mercedes-Benz rounded out the top five brands overall (see table below or click here). Mercedes, Hyundai (No. 6), BMW (No. 7) and Jaguar (No. 10) were newcomers to the Top 10 this year, while GMC, Acura, Ram and Lincoln dropped out.
<snip>
Interesting to note that both the RDX and ILX are in the top three of their segments, so which model is dragging down the Acura average?
Last edited by IntegraVT; 02-22-2017 at 11:54 AM.
Reason: Image
ok, so I haven't been following them all that closely, but it does seem really farfetched.
Yeah, these initial quality studies are kind of weird. They tend to favor longer in the tooth cars and the variability in ratings are higher among makes with less models in their lineup. That's why I think Acura is so variable. If they screw up one model, that's a quarter of their lineup (I don't even count the RLX).
And these are initial quality, so who really cares? Yeah, it's kind of annoying to go to the dealership, but it goes without saying that most of these issues will be corrected by the dealership for free.
It's weird in a sense that, it's mixing reliability and user-friendliness into one category. The "issues" with most Acura models nowadays are the 9AT and two-tier screen setup that is confusing and takes time to get accustomed to. Also, IIRC, people say these cars don't have buttons for controlling basic things like AC, volume, etc. As far as I know, these things are considered as "issues" in the JD power survey.
Yeah, these initial quality studies are kind of weird. They tend to favor longer in the tooth cars and the variability in ratings are higher among makes with less models in their lineup. That's why I think Acura is so variable. If they screw up one model, that's a quarter of their lineup (I don't even count the RLX).
And these are initial quality, so who really cares? Yeah, it's kind of annoying to go to the dealership, but it goes without saying that most of these issues will be corrected by the dealership for free.
If you look at Ford, it's that low partly because of the MyFord touch system, not that it's unreliable.
If you look at Ford, it's that low partly because of the MyFord touch system, not that it's unreliable.
Good point. This crap happens all the time on JD Power and Consumer Reports. You hear the experts at Consumer Reports talk about reliability and dependability but regardless of what they are talk about, they harp on the MMI way too often.
JD Power says Lexus is most dependable auto brand, ranks Tesla 30th out of 33
Published Thu, Feb 18 202111:00 AM ESTUpdated Thu, Feb 18 202111:05 AM EST Lora Kolodny@lorakolodny Share
Key Points
According to a new J.D. Power study, the 3 most dependable auto brands in the U.S. are now Lexus, Porsche and Kia.
Chrysler, Tesla, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo and Land Rover are in the bottom 5 when it comes to dependability.
The 2021 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study by J.D. Power looked into 33 different auto brands, and about 150 different models including cars, SUVs and trucks.
The 2018 Lexus LC 500
Mack Hogan | CNBCThe three most dependable auto brands in the U.S. are now Lexus, Porsche and Kia, according to a new J.D. Power study. The 3 least dependable are Jaguar, Alfa Romeo and Land Rover.
Tesla, which was profiled for the 1st time in this year’s vehicle dependability study, came in 30th out of 33 automakers. It landed 1 place behind Chrysler and 1 ahead of Jaguar.
J.D. Power studies serve as an industry benchmark, and its results can drive sales and impact insurance premiums for owners. The 2021 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study analyzed responses from 33,251 verified owners of 2018 model-year vehicles sold in the U.S. The study assessed around 150 different models including cars, trucks and SUVs.
Tesla’s ranking in the 32-year-old annual study this year is considered unofficial, said Dave Sargent, J.D. Power’s vice president of automotive quality. That’s because Elon Musk’s electric vehicle venture doesn’t grant J.D. Power permission to survey its owners in 15 states that require this.
One of the excluded states is California, Tesla’s home base and a massive market for the company. However, the J.D. Power study included 756 Tesla respondents from 35 different states including major markets with comparably warm weather like Florida and Texas.
While Tesla rated unofficially low on the dependability survey, it unofficially topped J.D. Power’s 2020 APEAL survey, which rates vehicle brands by owners’ emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicles.
Who’s up, who’s down
The dependability survey asks drivers how many and what kind of problems their cars, trucks or SUVs experienced in the past year and assigns a score based on problems reported per 100 vehicles. The lower the score, the more dependable the automaker.
The greatest number of problems reported by vehicle owners across all makes and models concerned audio, communication, entertainment and navigation systems.
“With smartphone apps increasingly giving owners an alternative, some will give up on the vehicle’s built-in systems that caused that initial frustration. That’s problematic for automakers, as a lot of the vehicle’s value is tied up in these systems and they don’t want to hand this business over to third parties,” said Sargent.
The Porsche 911 was the highest-ranked model in the 2021 study.
Toyota-owned Lexus topped the list among all brands, with a score of 81 problems per 100 vehicles.
Kia vehicles have notably risen from among the least dependable auto brands in the U.S. to most dependable in just a decade, with 97 problems per 100 vehicles on average. Toyota was near the top of the list with 98 problems per 100 vehicles.
Volkswagen, which introduced two new models in 2018, slid in the dependability rankings. Sargent noted: “Results can be affected by whether a manufacturer has just launched a bunch of new products. They tend to be the most problematic their first year out.”
Owners of 3-year-old Teslas reported 176 problems per 100 vehicles, compared with the industry average in the U.S. of 121 problems per 100 vehicles. Tesla owners reported more problems with their exterior and interior than with other systems like propulsion, battery or infotainment and navigation. However, some did complain about troubles with Tesla’s in-vehicle voice recognition.
Overall, vehicle dependability improved by about 10% year over year, J.D. Power found. Part of this was due to lower use and abuse of vehicles amid a Covid pandemic that has restricted commuting and travel in 2020 stateside.
“We know the more people use a vehicle the more problems they’re going to have,” Sargent said. Last year, on average consumers had driven about 32,000 miles over 3 years of new vehicle ownership. This year, they had driven 29,000 miles -- representing a 10% reduction over a three-year period, and an implied 30% reduction in the last year.
-- CNBC’s Michael Wayland contributed to this report.
The Porsche 911 ranks as the best performer in J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, a closely followed annual list that automakers often trumpet in their marketing campaigns.
It’s not a big surprise. The Porsche brand overall ranked as the second most dependable lineup of vehicles, trailing only Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand.
But you don’t have to buy a luxury car to get a reliable ride these days. In fact, vehicle dependability reached an all-time in the 2021 study as the number of problems reported by owners fell by 10% from the previous year.
The 32nd annual study tracks 177 specific problems in eight categories, including powertrain issues, exterior flaws, infotainment defects and HVAC problems.
Going electric:Jaguar to transition to all electric vehicles This year’s study assesses the 2018 model year, allowing for 3 years of road experience to assess how 33,251 owners say their vehicles have held up.
On average, owners reported 121 problems per 100 vehicles, down from 134 in 2020.
Lexus was best at 81, Porsche second at 86, Kia third at 97, Toyota 4th at 98 and Buick and Cadillac tied for fifth at 100.
Tesla was assessed for the first time and had more problems than all but 3 brands: Jaguar, Alfa Romeo and Land Rover. Owners reported 176 problems for every 100 Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power also names the most dependable model in each major vehicle segment. Toyota won five categories, while General Motors won four and Hyundai four. (Scroll down for the full list.)
J.D. Power’s 2021 Vehicle Dependability Study brand rankings (problems per 100 vehicles)
Lexus (81)
Porsche (86)
Kia (97)
Toyota (98)
Buick (100)
Cadillac (100)
Hyundai (101)
Genesis (102)
Lincoln (106)
Acura (108)
BMW (108)
Chevrolet (115)
Mitsubishi (116)
Mazda (121)
Mercedes-Benz (122)
Ram (123)
Dodge (125)
Mini (125)
Subaru (125)
Audi (127)
Nissan (128)
Ford (130)
Infiniti (137)
Jeep (141)
GMC (143)
Volvo (143)
Honda (145)
Volkswagen (163)
Chrysler (166)
Tesla (176)*
Jaguar (186)
Alfa Romeo (196)
Land Rover (244)
*Tesla did not allow its vehicle owners to be surveyed, so it did not technically meet J.D. Power’s ranking criteria, but the study leaders independently obtained enough data to give the brand a score.
J.D. Power 2021 Vehicle Dependability Study most dependable models, by segment (assesses 2018 models)
Initial quality is the one that's 'meh' to me. Majority of that should be evident in an extended test drive.
Extended quality holds a much relevance to me..
For the first year ever, Kia leads J.D. Power's annual Vehicle Dependability Study with a score of 145 problems per 100 vehicles. Buick (147) and Hyundai (148) round out the top three. The highest premium brand on the list is Genesis, with a score of 148. It's common for so-called "mass market" brands to lead this particular study, according to J.D. Power, as "premium" brands "typically incorporate more technology in their vehicles, which increases the likelihood for problems to occur" and aren't necessarily built to a higher standard that less-expensive brands.
The highest-rated single nameplate is the Porsche 911. It's the third time out of the past four years and the second year in a row that Porsche's quintessential sports car has taken top honors. Porsche as a brand sits in seventh place (162) just behind Lexus (159) and ahead of Dodge (166).
At the very bottom of the list is Land Rover with a dismal score of 284; the SUV specialist held the same unfortunate distinction on last year's list. Ram (266), Volvo (256), Alfa Romeo (245) and Acura (244) also performed poorly. The overall industry average score sits at 192 — mass market brands average a score of 190 while premium brands sit 14 points lower at 204. While Tesla is unofficially included in some of J.D. Power's results, the agency says the sample size it has access to for this study is too small to include.
As has been the case for the past several years, infotainment systems dominate the list of problems reported by owners. Popular (or unpopular, depending on your point of view) complaints include built-in voice recognition (8.3 PP100), Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity (5.4 PP100), built-in Bluetooth system (4.5 PP100), not enough power plugs/USB ports (4.2 PP100), navigation systems difficult to understand/use (3.7 PP100), touchscreen/display screen (3.6 PP100), and navigation system inaccurate/outdated map (3.6 PP100).
While problems with the car's infotainment and technology packages are indeed bothersome, it's important to remember that such issues aren't usually leaving owners stranded with an immovable vehicle like a broken transmission or blown engine would. Culling infotainment complaints from the results would reduce the average problem-per-100-vehicle score by a staggering 51.9 points.
The vehicles included in this study are from the 2019 model year. That means owners have had three years to get to know their cars and trucks. It's the 33rd year that J.D. Power has surveyed owners regarding dependability, but the study has evolved with the times. It was redesigned for this year to include "184 specific problems areas across nine major vehicle categories." For 2022, these categories include driving assistance technologies for the first time. You'll notice that this year's scores are dramatically different from last year's, reflecting the change in the study's format.
"Automakers are increasingly looking at owners’ relationships with their vehicles as having similarities to other consumer technology," David Amodeo, director of global automotive at J.D. Power, said in a statement. "For instance, cellphones update all the time with over-the-air software releases and, increasingly, automakers must take advantage of this approach to fix problems, improve features and add capabilities to keep owners satisfied. Automakers that are able to do this best will have a huge advantage."
Individual models earning top honors in their segments:
It still baffles me that Land Rover is always consistently dead last. It's like they have zero motivation to try and improve and are just embracing the shit reliability as a marketing or PR thing.
It still baffles me that Land Rover is always consistently dead last. It's like they have zero motivation to try and improve and are just embracing the shit reliability as a marketing or PR thing.
The [Range Rover] have that built on Friday by a drunk 3rd shift reputation.
Coworker's husband has a RR & had a Disco before it, and both have been fine.
I've always heard the LRs are more reliable & the RRs were the ones that you need 2 [to have one to drive while the other's in the shop]
It still baffles me that Land Rover is always consistently dead last. It's like they have zero motivation to try and improve and are just embracing the shit reliability as a marketing or PR thing.
Its dependability is so good (or bad) that it’s off the charts.
02-24-2016 | 04:47 PM
How many lives have you had and what were you driving in those lives?
2021
This year’s study assesses the 2018 model year, allowing for 3 years of road experience to assess how 33,251 owners say their vehicles have held up.
