JD Power conducts various surveys each year to calculate vehicle quality and reliability scores. The organization recently released the results of its 2023 Vehicle Reliability Study. Among other things, respondents reported a surprising number of issues with the vehicle’s technical features.
JD Power rates vehicles based on the average number of problems encountered per 100 vehicles (PP100). The overall average score improved by 6 PP100 from 2022, but the number of infotainment-related issues outnumbered the next closest issue by almost 2 to 1. The infotainment category reached an average of 49.9 PP100. That’s half of all owners reporting significant issues with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity, and outdated navigation maps.
Lexus was the overall best brand with a total of 133 issues per 100 vehicles, followed by Genesis with 144 PP100, Cadillac with 173 PP100 and BMW with 184 PP100 in the premium segment.
In the mass market, Kia was the top with 152 PP100, Buick was second with 159 PP100, followed by Chevrolet, Mitsubishi and Toyota.
JD Power said Ram, Volvo and Nissan have improved the most from the 2022 survey, dropping 77, 41 and 35 PP100 respectively.
Tesla was formally included in the investigation for the first time, even though it did not grant JD Power full access to all state customer records. The brand scored 242 PP100.
Toyota and Lexus win the most reliable models in each of the two groups, as the C-HR and RX SUV scored 111 PP100 each. The Lexus NX, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Sienna and Toyota Tacoma also received model awards.
The top-ranking BMW AG models were the BMW 4 Series, X2, X5 and MINI Cooper. General Motors has won acclaim for the Chevrolet Blazer, Chevrolet Silverado HD, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Sierra. The Kia Forte, Kia Optima and Kia Sportage were also chosen for their reliability.
Compared to 2022 results, 63% of vehicles had fewer replacement parts in the past year. The organization looks at non-wear items for that data point, excluding brakes, tires, oil, and lighting elements.
The categories of issues investigated in this study are:
- exterior
- driving experience
- Functions/Controls/Display
- driving assistance
- infotainment
- Number of seats
- climate
- interior
- Power train
JD Power surveyed over 30,000 original owners of 2020 model year vehicles to calculate their scores. His three-year ownership period used in the study provides insight into the first ownership experience after a new car’s shine has worn off, usually before the warranty expires.
