Car Brands With the Fewest Problems

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Do you find yourself driving down the road shouting at your Siri, stabbing at your touchscreen, or constantly drifting into the other lane?

You’re not alone. There were more problems with new cars this year than ever.

Thanks to the disruptions caused by the pandemic—problems like supply chain issues and record-high vehicle prices, initial vehicle quality has declined, according to J.D. Power’s most recent U.S. Initial Quality Study.

The study found that vehicle problems reached a record high in the 36 years that the research and data company has been conducting it. Compared with 2021 results, the industry experienced an 11% increase in the number of problems per 100 vehicles.

The study is based on responses from 84,165 purchasers and lessees of new 2022 model-year vehicles who were surveyed early in the ownership period. The survey consists of 223 questions asking about infotainment, vehicle features, controls and displays, vehicle exterior and interior, driving assistance, powertrain, seats, driving experience and climate.

The category with the largest number of problems was infotainment, with six of the top 10 issues being related to infotainment systems such as Apple  (AAPL) – Get Apple Inc. Report CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, touchscreens, voice recognition systems, inconsistent audio volume, and not enough plugs or USB ports, J.D. Power said.

Problems with driver-assistance systems also increased over last year, with lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist proving to be the most problematic.

Owners of fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars also had more issues than those of gas-powered cars. EVs averaged 240 problems per 100 vehicles and plug-in hybrids averaged 239 problems per 100 vehicles, while gas cars averaged 175.

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The study is designed to help manufacturers with product improvement and was fielded from February through May 2022.

Mass market vehicles had fewer problems than luxury vehicles, however, luxury vehicles do tend to have more technology. Genesis is the luxury brand that scored the best, with an average of 156 problems per 100 vehicles.

This is the first time Tesla Motors  (TSLA) – Get Tesla Inc. Report was included in the study. Tesla received an unofficial score of 226 problems per 100 vehicles, based on limited data available. With that it would rank No. 28 alongside Mitsubishi among the six worst, but because Tesla does not allow J.D. Power access to owner information in states where permission is required by law, the data was incomplete, so it was not included in the ranking.

Polestar  (PSNY) – Get Polestar Automotive Holding UK Limited Report, the Swedish EV company that recently went public via SPAC, was given an asterisked 328 problems per 100, but the brand was also excluded from the ranking for not meeting the study criteria.

Buick, owned by General Motors  (GM) – Get General Motors Company Report, is the highest-ranking brand with the fewest problems; Buick scored 139 problems per 100 vehicles.

The Chevrolet Corvette was the model with the fewest problems at just 101. Chevrolet is also owned by GM.

Here are the results from J.D. Power, with the brands that had the fewest problems ranking first.

1. Buick

Problems per 100 vehicles: 139

2. Dodge

Problems per 100 vehicles: 143

Chevrolet

3. Chevrolet

Problems per 100 vehicles: 147

4. Genesis

Problems per 100 vehicles: 156

Genesis ranks highest among the premium brands.

5. Kia

Problems per 100 vehicles: 156

Lexus

6. Lexus

Problems per 100 vehicles: 157

GMC

7. GMC

Problems per 100 vehicles: 162

8. Cadillac

Problems per 100 vehicles: 163

9. BMW

Problems per 100 vehicles: 165

10. Ford

Problems per 100 vehicles: 167

Lincoln

11. Lincoln

Problems per 100 vehicles: 167

Nissan

12. Nissan

Problems per 100 vehicles: 167

Mini USA

13. MINI

Problems per 100 vehicles: 168

Toyota

14. Toyota

Problems per 100 vehicles: 172

15. Mazda

Problems per 100 vehicles: 180 (industry average)

16. Honda

Problems per 100 vehicles: 183

17. Hyundai

Problems per 100 vehicles: 185

Ram

18. Ram

Problems per 100 vehicles: 186

19. Mercedes-Benz

Problems per 100 vehicles: 189

Subaru

20. Subaru

Problems per 100 vehicles: 191

21. Acura

Problems per 100 vehicles: 192

22. Land Rover

Problems per 100 vehicles: 193

23. Jeep

Problems per 100 vehicles: 199

Porsche

24. Porsche

Problems per 100 vehicles: 200

25. Infiniti

Problems per 100 vehicles: 204

Jaguar USA

26. Jaguar

Problems per 100 vehicles: 210

Alfa Romeo

27. Alfa Romeo

Problems per 100 vehicles: 211

Mitsubishi

28. Mitsubishi

Problems per 100 vehicles: 226

Volkswagen

29. Volkswagen

Problems per 100 vehicles: 230

30. Audi

Problems per 100 vehicles: 239

Maserati

31. Maserati

Problems per 100 vehicles: 255

32. Volvo

Problems per 100 vehicles: 256

33. Chrysler

Problems per 100 vehicles: 265


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