Motor vehicles are becoming ever more reliable, but manufacturers do suffer teething problems with new technology features, according to the 2011 US Vehicle Dependability Study released today by JD Power and Associates.
The study measures problems experienced over the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles, with a lower score reflecting higher quality.
The average dependability score in the 2011 report—151 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100)—represents a six percent improvement over the 170 PP100 recorded in 2010, suggesting that the rate of improvement is slowing slightly. Over the past ten years, industry improvement averaged 8 percent each year.
This is most likely due to faults with new electronic features, including audio, entertainment and navigation systems and new safety features such as tire pressure monitoring systems. The more there is to go wrong, the more is likely to go wrong
"Automakers as a whole have made significant improvements in reducing traditional problems, particularly with vehicle interiors, engines and transmissions, and steering and braking during the past several years," said David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at JD Power and Associates. "However, as manufacturers add new features and technologies to satisfy customer demand and new legislation, they face the potential for introducing new problems."
For the first time since the study began, Lincoln tops the overall nameplate rankings, improving its score by 13 PP100 from 2010. Lexus places second, with Jaguar, Porsche and Toyota rounding out the top five.
Individual vehicles are ranked by category, but the Porsche 911 was the vehicle with the fewest problems in the industry, with just 68 PP100.
The 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from more than 43,700 original owners of 2008 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study took place between October and December 2010.
2011 Nameplate Ranking
Problems per 100 Vehicles
Lincoln
101
Lexus
109
Jaguar
112
Porsche
114
Toyota
122
Acura
123
Buick
125
Mercedes-Benz
128
Cadillac
130
Hyundai
132
Honda
139
Ford
140
SAAB
146
Infiniti
151
Industry Average
151
smart
152
Chevrolet
156
Volvo
156
Subaru
157
Kia
160
Audi
161
BMW
164
Scion
166
Ram
173
Mazda
181
Nissan
183
GMC
184
Mitsubishi
186
Suzuki
190
Volkswagen
191
Chrysler
202
Dodge
206
Land Rover
212
Jeep
214
MINI
221
