New cars are less reliable than cars from 2010, says new study

Over the 12 years between 2010 and 2021, Lexus models were at least 10% more reliable than any other nameplate.

According to a new study, newer cars purchased in the last couple of years have twice as many problems compared to vehicles back in 2010. It is said that these quality issues could get worse in the next few years before they start to get better.

The study states that the rise in problems could be attributed to the pandemic, which resulted in cascading supply chain issues. However, another key reason for the declining quality issues is the introduction of a large number of new technologies installed in the latest cars, increasing the problematic factors that further influence the deteriorating results of the quality tests conducted.

The study also analyses the Initial Quality Study (IQS) and Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) released by J.D.Power every year. The IQS scores and ranks vehicles based on the number of problems experienced per 100 new vehicles during the first 3 months of ownership. The VDS, on the other hand, ranks vehicles according to the problems faced during the first three years of ownership.

Based on JD Power's IQS and VDS, the study states that the number of problems in cars have doubled between 2010 and 2021. The study states that the worst averages seen were models with up to five quality issues per vehicle.

The analysis of the two JD Power studies also showed that over the 12 years of ownership, 43% of the problems occurred in the first three months, with the remaining 57% of problems spread across the next 33 months.

The study also confirmed the reliability of Lexus and Toyota models. It reported that over the 12 years between 2010 and 2021, Lexus models were at least 10% more reliable than any other nameplate. Toyota is also in the mix, alongside brands like Porsche and Buick for the top spot.

Land Rover averaged the highest problems per car in 2021 compared to its cars in 2010. Following it were Chrysler, Volvo and Jeep, respectively.

Source: NewAtlas