[RahulNagaraj]

As per J.D. Power's 2023 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), Lexus has reclaimed the lead from Kia as the 'most dependable brand'. Kia comes in third place overall, behind Genesis, which occupies the second slot. Kia, however, is still the highest-ranked among the mass-market brands. In terms of the most dependable car models, the Lexus RX and the Toyota C-HR tied for first place.

The JD Power VD study, focussed on 184 problem areas amongst nine broad categories: Climate, Driving Assistance, Driving Experience, Exterior, Controls/Features/Display, Infotainment, Powertrain & Seats. The study gave car models from 2020 a PP100 (Problems per 100 vehicles) score; fewer the problems, the lesser the score translating to better reliability. The study also showed that the industry average was 186 PP100 which is lower than that in 2022 when it got 192 PP100 - indicating that vehicles are becoming more reliable.



Starting at the top, Lexus got a score of 133 PP100, followed by Genesis with 144 PP100 and Kia with 152 PP100. Buick and Chevrolet completed the top five with scores of 159 PP100 and 162 PP100, respectively.

The study also observed that mass-market car brands fared better with a lower average score of 182 PP100, compared to the average score of premium brands which stood at 205 PP100. Popular premium brands like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Audi were far behind the average with scores of 208 PP100, 240 PP100 and 252 PP100, respectively. Reports suggest that the low average of premium brands is most likely due to the addition of newer features on offer. The study added that premium brands have more technology, which increases complexity, in turn creating a higher likelihood of having more problems.

JD Power noted that the biggest issue reported by most people was something related to the infotainment system. The study found that 6 of the top 10 problem areas found were related to infotainment, making up 49.9 PP100 on average.

Coming to the least dependable, Land Rover found itself at the bottom of the list with a score of 273 PP100, with Lincoln (259 PP100) and Audi (252 PP100) faring slightly better.

Source: JD Power

Link to Team-BHP news

[Turbanator]

Accurate report if I have to go with my ownership across Lexus, Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes, except for Tesla, which has been relatively reliable per my son, who is super happy with his Model-3.

Little surprising to see Porsche going down so much. At one time, they used to be amongst the top; maybe VW part bin is affecting them.

[V.Narayan]

Not a surprise at all if you drive a Lexus. They are what Mercedes used to be till circa 1990. I'm actually surprised at Buick and Chevrolet rating so well and wonder if it is indeed an apples to apples comparison or is there a gauge R&R issue here. These two brands rating ahead of Toyota sounds unusual but then I could be ignorant of many factors involved. If such a study were to be conducted in India I wonder what it would show!

[JoshMachine]

Like everyone else, not at all surprised to see that Lexus rules the roost when it comes to dependability.
But what's surprising is that global "premium" brands like Mercedes, BMW and Audi figure nowhere in the top 10. Infact, "mass market" brands like KIA and Hyundai have stolen the thunder from these German marquees!

Upon digging more in the article, some interesting observations and results emanate from this survey carried out for vehicles over the last 3 years.

Quoting:

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.

It is typical in the automotive industry to roll out concepts and features by putting them in premium vehicles first.

Another excerpt:

Some of the most deteriorated areas from 90 days to three years of ownership are starter battery failures, outdated maps, Android Auto/Apple Car Play and voice recognition problems. The increase in problems in the technology area shows the importance that over-the-air updates can play in correcting issues with audio systems and keeping the information in them up to date.

So, as per this survey, the mass market brands seem to have aced the dependability game atleast for vehicles over the last 3 years.