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Since the major motoring magazines and news sites are going crazy over this new study, I thought I might share it.
Porsche, KIA, Jaguar and Hyundai topped the list.
The worst automakers were Subaru, Chrysler, Smart and Fiat. Surprisingly, Mazda also did poorly.
http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2015-us-initial-quality-study-iqs
Korean Brands Lead Industry in Initial Quality, While Japanese Brands Struggle to Keep Up with Pace of Improvement
Porsche Ranks Highest among Nameplates for a Third Consecutive Year
Press Releases: June 17, 2015
![[image loading]](http://www.jdpower.com/sites/default/files/2015%20IQS%20Rank%201.JPG)
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 17 June 2015 — With a significant year-over-year improvement, Korean brands continue to widen the quality gap with other automakers, while Japanese makes collectively fall below industry average for the first time in 29 years, according to the J.D. Power 2015 U.S. Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) released today.
The study examines problems experienced by vehicle owners during the first 90 days of ownership. Initial quality is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality.
The industry experiences a 3 percent year-over-year improvement in initial quality, averaging 112 PP100 compared with 116 PP100 in 2014.
Historic Shifts in Performance by Brand Origin
Korean brands lead the industry in initial quality by the widest margin ever, averaging 90 PP100, which is an 11 PP100 improvement from 2014. For the first time in the study, European brands (113 PP100) surpass Japanese brands (114 PP100), while domestic makes (114 PP100) equal the Japanese for only a second time.
Although Japanese brands overall experience a 2 PP100 improvement from 2014, this has proven insufficient to keep pace with the industry, causing Japanese makes overall to fall below industry average for the first time in the 29-year history of the U.S. Initial Quality Study. Only four of the 10 Japanese brands included in the study post an improvement.
“This is a clear shift in the quality landscape,” said Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive quality at J.D. Power. “For so long, Japanese brands have been viewed by many as the gold standard in vehicle quality. While the Japanese automakers continue to make improvements, we’re seeing other brands, most notably Korean makes, really accelerating the rate of improvement. Leading companies are not only stepping up the pace of improvements on existing models, but are also working up front to launch vehicles with higher quality and more intuitive designs.”
Technology Continues to be a Trouble Spot for the Industry
Entertainment and connectivity systems remain the most problem-prone area for a third consecutive year, with voice recognition and Bluetooth pairing continuing to top the problem list.
The majority of models included in the study that have voice recognition systems experience 10 or more PP100 related to this feature.
The number of owners who indicate having voice recognition in their new vehicle has increased to 67 percent in 2015 from 57 percent in 2013. Based on results from the J.D. Power 2015 U.S. Tech Choice Study,SM this will continue to increase as simple wireless device and near field communication are the top two entertainment/connectivity technologies consumers indicate wanting on their next vehicle.
“Smartphones have set high consumer expectations of how well technology should work, and automakers are struggling to match that success in their new vehicles,” said Stephens. “However, we are seeing some OEMs make important improvements along the way. What’s clear is that they can’t afford to wait for the next generation of models to launch before making important updates to these systems.”
This is an IQS study, so this information is only accurate for MY 2015/2016 vehicles.
The top 2 problems found in both the IQS study and long-term dependability study were to do with bluetooth connectivity and voice recognition systems. However, there were still numerous transmission and engine problems found in both the IQS study and long-term dependability study.
The JD Power studies also note that one major reason why Japanese vehicles are scored poorly was because of the Takata airbag scandal which has recently killed 8 people in the US and injured thousands others. However, this still can't explain Subaru's low rankings, as they only used Takata airbags for their Impreza's from 2004-2007. So I speculate problems with electronics/transmissions to be the top reasons.
Post your comments/thoughts.
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Interesting stuff. Would be much more interested in a longer term dataset though as most problems that occur within 90 days shouldn't be that big of an issue. I would rather have a bluetooth connectivity problem in the first 30 days rather than have my transmission fall out after 50k miles.
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Would be more interesting to see how this compares to the rest of the world.
I get the feeling that Ford, Ram, GMC and Dodge would be a lot lower in other countries.
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On June 24 2015 13:36 ZeaL. wrote:
Interesting stuff. Would be much more interested in a longer term dataset though as most problems that occur within 90 days shouldn't be that big of an issue. I would rather have a bluetooth connectivity problem in the first 30 days rather than have my transmission fall out after 50k miles.
The thing is that even the long-term dependability study found that the main problems were to do with bluetooth connectivity and voice recognition.
So both the IQS study and long term dependability study correlate with each other.
The problem with long term dependability studies are that they don't say anything about newly released vehicles. Also long term dependability studies suffer from external biases such as driver care and external factors.
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On June 24 2015 13:37 WolfintheSheep wrote:
Would be more interesting to see how this compares to the rest of the world.
I get the feeling that Ford, Ram, GMC and Dodge would be a lot lower in other countries.
I would say there would be minor differences, however probably not off-trend when compared to North America.
Other regions also usually have their own manufacturing plants, however they mostly use the same parts.
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On June 24 2015 13:39 QuantumTeleportation wrote:Show nested quote +On June 24 2015 13:36 ZeaL. wrote:
Interesting stuff. Would be much more interested in a longer term dataset though as most problems that occur within 90 days shouldn't be that big of an issue. I would rather have a bluetooth connectivity problem in the first 30 days rather than have my transmission fall out after 50k miles. The thing is that even the long-term dependability study found that the main problems were to do with bluetooth connectivity and voice recognition. So both the IQS study and long term dependability study correlate with each other. The problem with long term dependability studies are that they don't say anything about newly released vehicles. Also long term dependability studies suffer from external biases such as driver care and external factors.
I last bought a new car in 2010. I did my research during that time. I'm pretty sure that Korean vehicles were already near the top on initial quality during that time. However, the Japanese (specifically Toyota and Honda with their luxury brands Lexus and Acura) still dominate the long term dependability studies.
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On June 24 2015 13:41 QuantumTeleportation wrote:Show nested quote +On June 24 2015 13:37 WolfintheSheep wrote:
Would be more interesting to see how this compares to the rest of the world.
I get the feeling that Ford, Ram, GMC and Dodge would be a lot lower in other countries. I would say there would be minor differences, however probably not off-trend when compared to North America. Other regions also usually have their own manufacturing plants, however they mostly use the same parts.
There's also a vast difference in the actual cars sold to you if you live in North America, Europe or Asia.
Though I doubt that would change much when it comes to Bluetooth.
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On June 24 2015 13:52 andrewlt wrote:Show nested quote +On June 24 2015 13:39 QuantumTeleportation wrote:On June 24 2015 13:36 ZeaL. wrote:
Interesting stuff. Would be much more interested in a longer term dataset though as most problems that occur within 90 days shouldn't be that big of an issue. I would rather have a bluetooth connectivity problem in the first 30 days rather than have my transmission fall out after 50k miles. The thing is that even the long-term dependability study found that the main problems were to do with bluetooth connectivity and voice recognition. So both the IQS study and long term dependability study correlate with each other. The problem with long term dependability studies are that they don't say anything about newly released vehicles. Also long term dependability studies suffer from external biases such as driver care and external factors. I last bought a new car in 2010. I did my research during that time. I'm pretty sure that Korean vehicles were already near the top on initial quality during that time. However, the Japanese (specifically Toyota and Honda with their luxury brands Lexus and Acura) still dominate the long term dependability studies.
I think it was 2014 when Hyundai and KIA surpassed the Japanese brands.
But the long term dependability studies have a 3 year lag. So if you saw those results in 2010, they were for MY 2006/2007 vehicles.
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It seems nothing can beat Porsche both in terms of driving dynamics and quality.
Hyundai makes extremely reliable cars.
Currently own a 2010 Mazda 3 and so many transmission problems. It's a piece of crap that I can't wait to replace soon. Never buying a Mazda ever again.
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On June 26 2015 11:34 RapidTiger wrote:
It seems nothing can beat Porsche both in terms of driving dynamics and quality.
Hyundai makes extremely reliable cars.
Currently own a 2010 Mazda 3 and so many transmission problems. It's a piece of crap that I can't wait to replace soon. Never buying a Mazda ever again.
Well, that's your anecdotal evidence. But I guess what you're saying is in line with this study.
However you have to be careful when comparing your own observations to actual standardized studies. Because subjective observations are usually biased and do not represent the majority.
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United States22883 Posts
On June 26 2015 11:34 RapidTiger wrote:
It seems nothing can beat Porsche both in terms of driving dynamics and quality.
Hyundai makes extremely reliable cars.
Currently own a 2010 Mazda 3 and so many transmission problems. It's a piece of crap that I can't wait to replace soon. Never buying a Mazda ever again.
You've mostly got Ford to blame for that.
FWIW, Mazda does extremely well in Consumer Reports' longterm reliability surveys, and I believe CR draws upon the largest data set of anyone.
JD Power does market research so they can license using their name/badge. Their Initial Quality Survey doesn't differentiate between major/minor problems nor does it differentiate between defects and bad design, and it only covers the first 90 days of ownership. That's why Infotainment/Bluetooth systems are rated so highly. Some companies are still terrible at making Infotainment systems so it's tallied as a problem, but that doesn't mean the system is defective nor does it make the vehicle unreliable. I'd argue their sampling is worse than CR's too. Their Vehicle Dependability Study is better, because its methodology is a lot closer to CR's.
To put it another way, JD Power's business model is to sell its name/badge to the companies it reviews. They're literally paid by the companies they review, for undisclosed amounts. CR is a non-profit that barely stays afloat by selling magazines, but doesn't get paid by companies nor do they allow their name to be used in marketing material.
The truest information you can get (besides manufacturer's data, which will never be made public) is probably from third party warranty companies.
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On June 26 2015 15:30 Jibba wrote:Show nested quote +On June 26 2015 11:34 RapidTiger wrote:
It seems nothing can beat Porsche both in terms of driving dynamics and quality.
Hyundai makes extremely reliable cars.
Currently own a 2010 Mazda 3 and so many transmission problems. It's a piece of crap that I can't wait to replace soon. Never buying a Mazda ever again. You've mostly got Ford to blame for that. FWIW, Mazda does extremely well in Consumer Reports' longterm reliability surveys, and I believe CR draws upon the largest data set of anyone. JD Power does market research so they can license using their name/badge. Their Initial Quality Survey doesn't differentiate between major/minor problems nor does it differentiate between defects and bad design, and it only covers the first 90 days of ownership. That's why Infotainment/Bluetooth systems are rated so highly. Some companies are still terrible at making Infotainment systems so it's tallied as a problem, but that doesn't mean the system is defective nor does it make the vehicle unreliable. I'd argue their sampling is worse than CR's too. Their Vehicle Dependability Study is better, because its methodology is a lot closer to CR's. To put it another way, JD Power's business model is to sell its name/badge to the companies it reviews. They're literally paid by the companies they review, for undisclosed amounts. CR is a non-profit that barely stays afloat by selling magazines, but doesn't get paid by companies nor do they allow their name to be used in marketing material. The truest information you can get (besides manufacturer's data, which will never be made public) is probably from third party warranty companies.
I thought Consumer Reports was total bs. That's what everyone I know says.
The wide variety of items that are reviewed by Consumer Reports like baby strollers to TV's makes me a little cautious when it comes to their reliability.
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On June 26 2015 22:07 RapidTiger wrote:Show nested quote +On June 26 2015 15:30 Jibba wrote:On June 26 2015 11:34 RapidTiger wrote:
It seems nothing can beat Porsche both in terms of driving dynamics and quality.
Hyundai makes extremely reliable cars.
Currently own a 2010 Mazda 3 and so many transmission problems. It's a piece of crap that I can't wait to replace soon. Never buying a Mazda ever again. You've mostly got Ford to blame for that. FWIW, Mazda does extremely well in Consumer Reports' longterm reliability surveys, and I believe CR draws upon the largest data set of anyone. JD Power does market research so they can license using their name/badge. Their Initial Quality Survey doesn't differentiate between major/minor problems nor does it differentiate between defects and bad design, and it only covers the first 90 days of ownership. That's why Infotainment/Bluetooth systems are rated so highly. Some companies are still terrible at making Infotainment systems so it's tallied as a problem, but that doesn't mean the system is defective nor does it make the vehicle unreliable. I'd argue their sampling is worse than CR's too. Their Vehicle Dependability Study is better, because its methodology is a lot closer to CR's. To put it another way, JD Power's business model is to sell its name/badge to the companies it reviews. They're literally paid by the companies they review, for undisclosed amounts. CR is a non-profit that barely stays afloat by selling magazines, but doesn't get paid by companies nor do they allow their name to be used in marketing material. The truest information you can get (besides manufacturer's data, which will never be made public) is probably from third party warranty companies. I thought Consumer Reports was total bs. That's what everyone I know says. The wide variety of items that are reviewed by Consumer Reports like baby strollers to TV's makes me a little cautious when it comes to their reliability.
Consumer Reports can be very hit and miss. I tend not to rely on them on specific industrial information.
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United States22883 Posts
On June 26 2015 22:07 RapidTiger wrote:Show nested quote +On June 26 2015 15:30 Jibba wrote:On June 26 2015 11:34 RapidTiger wrote:
It seems nothing can beat Porsche both in terms of driving dynamics and quality.
Hyundai makes extremely reliable cars.
Currently own a 2010 Mazda 3 and so many transmission problems. It's a piece of crap that I can't wait to replace soon. Never buying a Mazda ever again. You've mostly got Ford to blame for that. FWIW, Mazda does extremely well in Consumer Reports' longterm reliability surveys, and I believe CR draws upon the largest data set of anyone. JD Power does market research so they can license using their name/badge. Their Initial Quality Survey doesn't differentiate between major/minor problems nor does it differentiate between defects and bad design, and it only covers the first 90 days of ownership. That's why Infotainment/Bluetooth systems are rated so highly. Some companies are still terrible at making Infotainment systems so it's tallied as a problem, but that doesn't mean the system is defective nor does it make the vehicle unreliable. I'd argue their sampling is worse than CR's too. Their Vehicle Dependability Study is better, because its methodology is a lot closer to CR's. To put it another way, JD Power's business model is to sell its name/badge to the companies it reviews. They're literally paid by the companies they review, for undisclosed amounts. CR is a non-profit that barely stays afloat by selling magazines, but doesn't get paid by companies nor do they allow their name to be used in marketing material. The truest information you can get (besides manufacturer's data, which will never be made public) is probably from third party warranty companies. I thought Consumer Reports was total bs. That's what everyone I know says. The wide variety of items that are reviewed by Consumer Reports like baby strollers to TV's makes me a little cautious when it comes to their reliability.
Americans don't like them because they tend to kill American cars.
Also, they rate reliability as #1, so if you're a Corvette owner, your car is going to be rated fairly low even though you obviously didn't buy it for reliability.
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As an automaniacal fool, I agree with JD power's list.
Ford has really improved their lineup though, especially the focus with that new suspension and the 4 cylinder option. I think that would make a great commuter and long trip car.
Their trucks are great too, the 5.0 engine is an amazing piece of engineering. However, they were actually doing much of what they did with that engine in a mechanical way back in the 1960's with the legendary side-oiler 427. That was the first application of VVT. They simply did it with computer aided controls this time and with a torque building emphasis, for better efficiency.
Kia has really impressed me though, a lot. They really are on their game, Hyundai as well.
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On June 24 2015 13:37 WolfintheSheep wrote:
Would be more interesting to see how this compares to the rest of the world.
I get the feeling that Ford, Ram, GMC and Dodge would be a lot lower in other countries.
When it comes to Ford, it probably won't vary all that much. They have worked to make global platforms
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On June 27 2015 16:00 jmbthirteen wrote:Show nested quote +On June 24 2015 13:37 WolfintheSheep wrote:
Would be more interesting to see how this compares to the rest of the world.
I get the feeling that Ford, Ram, GMC and Dodge would be a lot lower in other countries. When it comes to Ford, it probably won't vary all that much. They have worked to make global platforms
Zero hour post, nice job man
Edit: WTH TL STOP MESSING WIT ME HEAD
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On June 27 2015 15:50 Alakaslam wrote:
As an automaniacal fool, I agree with JD power's list.
Ford has really improved their lineup though, especially the focus with that new suspension and the 4 cylinder option. I think that would make a great commuter and long trip car.
Their trucks are great too, the 5.0 engine is an amazing piece of engineering. However, they were actually doing much of what they did with that engine in a mechanical way back in the 1960's with the legendary side-oiler 427. That was the first application of VVT. They simply did it with computer aided controls this time and with a torque building emphasis, for better efficiency.
Kia has really impressed me though, a lot. They really are on their game, Hyundai as well.
Porsche is the perfect luxury brand. They are the epitome of luxury and premium vehicles AND they are extremely high quality and reliable.
Hyundai/Kia are the perfect mainstream brands. Their top-range models are premium, however their lower end models are still extremely reliable.
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Not surprised by Mazda's placement at all. My experience is purely anecdotal, but since 2010 or so I've been hearing nothing but complaints about their cars.
FWIW, I drive a '94 Mazda Protege that my mechanics have assured me will run until the body rusts out on it.
Surprised to see Hyundai and Kia ranking so high on the list. If only because of their reputation in the past. It's good though, because I'm going to be purchasing a new car in the next few months and really like the look of the '15 Elantra, specifically.
That all said, I'll probably end up with a Yaris :p I love that little ball of reliability and gas mileage.
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On June 28 2015 00:39 Nemireck wrote:
Not surprised by Mazda's placement at all. My experience is purely anecdotal, but since 2010 or so I've been hearing nothing but complaints about their cars.
FWIW, I drive a '94 Mazda Protege that my mechanics have assured me will run until the body rusts out on it.
Surprised to see Hyundai and Kia ranking so high on the list. If only because of their reputation in the past. It's good though, because I'm going to be purchasing a new car in the next few months and really like the look of the '15 Elantra, specifically.
That all said, I'll probably end up with a Yaris :p I love that little ball of reliability and gas mileage.
Why would you buy a Yaris when gas is so cheap these days? Yarises are too small, and look really cheap and tacky.
Get the 2015 Hyundai Elantra GT or 2015 Corolla instead. I personally think the 2015 Corolla's front grille looks cheap though. Also consider a VW Golf.
I'm looking at the 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The best looking SUV in the fast-growing medium-sized SUV segment IMO.
![[image loading]](http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/GLOB/legacy_thumbnail/750x422/quality/95/http://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/337/642/6/S3376426/slug/l/01-2016-hyundai-tucson-geneva-1.jpg)
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EPT
