CARS

Porsche, Lexus, Toyota top J.D. Power dependability study

Chris Woodyard
USA TODAY

Lexus and Porsche are the auto brands that showed the fewest problems after three years of ownership, though technology troubles continue to drag down dependability ratings overall, a new survey from research firm J.D. Power finds.

On average, owners of 2014 models reported 156 issues per 100 cars in the past 12 months, up four from last year's survey, says J.D. Power in the 2017 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study.

Some 22% of the problems involved balky tech, whether it was related to audio systems, communication, infotainment or navigation. Last year, the figure was 20%.

Most problems involved smartphones and other devices that refused to pair through Bluetooth and voice-recognition systems that had trouble recognizing voices. Next came batteries that failed or wore out prematurely.

Interestingly, the 10 best-selling models also averaged fewer problems, some 134 per 100 cars. The best-selling truck, the Ford F-150, and car, Toyota Camry, led their respective categories.

"Buyers are increasingly avoiding models with poor reputations for dependability, so manufacturers can't afford to let their quality slip," says Dave Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power, in a statement.

As for best brands, Lexus and Porsche tied for first place for fewest problems with 110 per 100 cars. Lexus has been at the top for six straight years. The worst brand was Fiat, with 298 per 100 cars, followed by Jeep and Infiniti.

Toyota and Buick came in third and fourth, respectively, marking strong showings for non-luxury brands.

"The good news is consumers don't have to spend a lot of money to get a very dependable vehicle," Sargent said.

The most improved brand was Hyundai, which shed 25 problems per 100 vehicles to come in at 133. It ranked sixth, up from 19th last year. Power says it was Hyundai's best-ever showing.

Dodge and Ford improved by 21 problems per 100 vehicles and Land Rover was up by 20.

Here are the rankings by brand and the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles:

1. (tie) Lexus 110

1. (tie) Porsche 110

3. Toyota 123

4. Buick 126

5. Mercedes-Benz 131

6. Hyundai  133

7. BMW  139

8. Chevrolet  142

9. Honda 143

10. Jaguar 144

11. Kia  148

12. (tie) Lincoln 150

12. (tie) Mini  150

14. GMC  151

15. Cadillac 152

16. Audi 153

17. Volvo 154

AVERAGE 156

18. Chrysler 159

19. (tie) Subaru 164

19.  (tie) Volkswagen 164

21. Mazda 166

22. Acura 167

23. Nissan 170

24. Land Rover  178

25. Mitsubishi  182

26. (tie) Ford 183

26. (tie) Ram 183

28. Dodge 187

29. Infiniti 203

30. Jeep 209

31. Fiat 298


Top three models per segment (in order of fewest issues)

Small car

Chevrolet Sonic
Nissan Versa

Compact car

Toyota Prius
Buick Verano (tie)
Honda Civic (tie)

Compact Premium Car

Lexus ES
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Acura ILX

Midsize Car

Toyota Camry
Chevrolet Malibu
Hyundai Sonata

Midsize Sporty Car

Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Mustang

Midsize Premium Car

Lexus GS
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Audi A7

Large Car

Toyota Avalon
Buick LaCrosse
Kia Cadenza

Small SUV

Volkswagen Tiguan
Buick Encore
Hyundai Tucson

Compact MPV

Toyuta Prius V
Kia Soul

Compact SUV

Toyota FJ Cruiser
Chevrolet Equinox
GMC Terrain

Compact Premium SUV

Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
Acura RDX
Volvo XC60

Midsize Pickup

Honda Ridgeline
Nissan Frontier

Midsize SUV

Toyota Venza
Ford Edge (tie)
Honda Pilot (tie)

Midsize Premium SUV

Lexus RX
Lexus GX
Porsche Cayenne

Minivan

Toyota Sienna
Chrysler Town & Country
Dodge Grand Caravan

Large SUV

Chevrolet Tahoe
GMC Yukon

Large Light Duty Pickup

Ford F-150
Toyota Tundra
Chevrolet Silverado (tie)
Ram 1500 (tie)

Large Heavy Duty Pickup

Chevrolet Silverado HD
GMC Sierra HD
Ford Super Duty