The latest survey shows consumers which car brands they should opt for if they want dependability.
The excitement of purchasing a new car eventually wears off, and the once-new car begins to reveal its true colours, that’s when many realize that not all cars are made equal, and some of them are simply not worth the hefty price tag.
Most owners will have at least a few complaints about their car after a few years, ranging from how well the infotainment system functions to how much maintenance the car needs.
Every year, J.D. Power conducts a three-year post-purchase survey of thousands of new car, truck, SUV, and van owners to determine which vehicle makes and models hold up the best.
This year, J.D. Power surveyed more than 30,000 original owners of cars from the 2020 model year for the 2023 VDS. The company uses PP100 to quantify trouble spots; a lower PP100 score indicates fewer issues and more dependable vehicles.
Despite their reputation for durability, Land Rovers may cause owners problems when it comes to car issues, this year’s edition of the survey found.
Top of the list for vehicle dependability for 2023 are some of the usual suspects, with Lexus taking the top spot overall with a score of 133 PP100.
With 152 PP100, Kia is the best-performing mass-market brand. With 111 PP 100, the Toyota C-HR and Lexus RX are tied for the most dependable overall model. Ram, Volvo, and Nissan show the greatest reliability improvements in the “most improved” category, with gains of 77, 41, and 35 PP100, respectively.
This is Kia’s third year of leading the mass market segment, followed by Buick, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, and Toyota.
Genesis, Cadillac, and BMW joined Lexus at the top of the list for premium brands.
The bottom of the list included Lincoln, Audi, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz.
According to the study, there were six fewer problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) in 2018 than there were in 2022.
The 2023 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) shows an overall industry improvement from the previous year. The study also shows that the reliability gap between mass-market and premium brand vehicles is widening.
