Lexus LX And Toyota C-HR Top The Latest JD Power Reliability Survey

JD Power has released the results of its 2023 US Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), and Lexus tops the charts. The study looks at vehicles from the 2020 model year and evaluates several parameters, including quality and component replacement, among other things.

The Lexus LX and Toyota C-HR tied for first place, but the Lexus brand ranks highest overall, with a score of 133 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100).

Other high-ranking premium brands include Genesis (144 PP100), Cadillac (173 PP100), and BMW (184 PP100). Even though a Toyota has the honor of being the most dependable vehicle, the brand overall was easily beaten by rivals from South Korea.

Kia ranked highest with a score of 152 PP100. Last year, Korean brands dominated the survey with several top finishes. Buick scored an impressive 159 PP100, beating out sister brand Chevrolet (162 PP100) and Japanese brands Mitsubishi (167 PP100) and Toyota (168 PP100). The industry average was 186 PP100. Land Rover finished at the bottom with 273 PP100.

Toyota Motor Corporation had the most winners per category, with six vehicles walking away with top honors. BMW and General Motors walked away with four top models each, while the Hyundai Motor Group gained four category awards.

"The used-vehicle market has helped sustain dealers' profitability in the past couple of years, but they need to know which vehicles to have on their lots. Having vehicles with strong dependability scores will nurture a positive brand perception and drive foot traffic," said JD Power's Jonathan Banks.

The study also unearthed some interesting problems owners are having with their vehicles. Infotainment systems remain the most problematic vehicle component and have an average of 49.9 problems per 100 vehicles. Many of these problems center around voice recognition systems, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, cumbersome touchscreen controls, and inaccurate navigation systems.

Interestingly, 63% of vehicles surveyed needed fewer replacement parts over the past year compared to the previous study. This doesn't include wear and tear items, suggesting that manufacturers are striving to produce more robust vehicles.

Ram, Volvo, and Nissan may not have garnered the best scores, but all three brands show the greatest overall improvement in the number of problems.

Aside from the VDS evaluation, JD Power also releases an Initial Quality Study (IQS) that looks at the build quality of brand-new vehicles. Last year, General Motors topped the charts, with the Buick brand gaining the best overall score. The highest-ranked individual model was the Chevrolet Corvette C8, a vehicle built at the Bowling Green assembly plant.

"A bellwether for mass market brands looking to adopt and implement these technology features into their portfolio is in two of the industry's preeminent studies, the J.D. Power Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) and the Vehicle Dependability Study. Connecting insights from the two studies better inform automakers by substantiating trends and showcasing how some automakers are preventing problems from occurring early on and throughout the ownership experience," said JD Power's Frank Hanley.