Quality study How US customers rate the quality of their cars

Ram, Chevrolet, and Hyundai lead in customer satisfaction in the USA. German volume manufacturers are further down in the quality ranking—but it's worth taking a closer look at the details.

The analytical firm J.D. Power has published its annual quality survey of car owners. For the first time, this includes data from dealers and users. The brand with the best individual quality is Ram, with 149 problems per 100 vehicles. Among the mass-market brands, Chevrolet is in second place with 160 problems and Hyundai is in third place with 162 problems.

In the so-called premium vehicles, Porsche is at the top: 172 problems per 100 cars were reported. Lexus takes second place with 174 problems, and Genesis third with 184 problems. The average for the more expensive vehicles is 232 problems; according to J.D. Power, the industry average is 195 problems per 100 vehicles.

Drivers of BMW reported 206 problems, those of Volkswagen 241, and those of Audi 242. The overall best-rated car is the Lexus LC with 106 problems per 100 vehicles.

Manufacturer with the most awards

The most awards at model level, six, were received by General Motors, followed by Hyundai and Toyota each with four awards. Among the brands, Chevrolet receives four segment awards, followed by Lexus with three.

Not all categories are comparable. For example, no German manufacturer has large pick-ups in its program; and vice versa. In the category "small premium car", for example, only the BMW 2 Series is listed. In the "compact premium car" category, the BMW 3 Series is in third place behind Lexus IS and Cadillac CT4 In "upper midsize premium car", the BMW 5 Series is in second place after the Genesis G80.

Among the "small premium suv", the Audi Q3 is ranked second behind the Lexus UX. In the "compact premium suv" category, the BMW 4 Series leads ahead of Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Porsche Macan. Volkswagen and Audi are not represented in the top 3 segment rankings.

Problems with electric cars

According to the survey, battery electric cars and plug-in hybrids require more repairs in all categories than petrol-powered vehicles. Petrol and diesel-powered vehicles reach an average of 180 problems in this year's survey, battery electric cars 266.

This has closed the gap between the quality of Tesla and the quality of battery electric vehicles from traditional car manufacturers. Tesla has performed better in the past. The removal of traditional controls for turn signals and windshield wipers was apparently not well received by Tesla customers.

These are the most frequently mentioned defects

Frustration due to false warnings top the annoyance ranking. Often, owners do not understand what the warnings mean, writes J.D. Power. The reminder that something was left on the back seat contributes 1.7 problems per 100 cars across the industry. According to the survey, some mistakenly assume that this is a sign of a seat belt not being fastened, or report that the warning is triggered when there is no one in the back seat.

There are also complaints about driver assistance systems, especially about inaccurate and annoying warnings from rear cross traffic alerts and automatic emergency braking functions in reverse. These categories were added to the survey this year.

Problems with Android Auto and Apple Car Play continue to persist. They remain among the top 10 issues. Customers reportedly have the most difficulty establishing or maintaining a connection to their vehicle. More than half of Apple users and 42 percent of Samsung users access the respective function on every trip. The analysts interpret this as indicating that customers want to bring their smartphone experience into the car and integrate the function wirelessly.

Problems with operation, displays and smells

Functions, controls and displays are the second most problematic category in the study. They are only slightly ahead of error-prone infotainment. From seemingly simple functions like windshield wipers and rearview mirrors to the more complicated operation of an OEM smartphone application, this category is particularly problematic for electric vehicles.

The error rate in this category is over 30% higher for electric vehicles than for gasoline-powered vehicles. JD Power explicitly mentions Tesla as a complicating factor here. The manufacturer has recently switched to buttons on the steering wheel for horn and blinker functions.

According to the survey, unpleasant odors in the interior are occurring more and more frequently. The problem worsened starting from the year 2023. Every brand except Kia and Nissan saw an increase in mentions in this category. According to the owners, the problematic smells come from their vehicle's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

This is how the customer satisfaction survey works

The "US Initial Quality Study" has been around for 38 years. This year it is based on the responses of 99,144 buyers and lessees of new cars from the 2024 model year. They were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. For the first time, the study also includes data on repair visits. These were reported by contracted dealers for new cars.

Private survey participants were asked to answer 227 questions. Contracted dealers provided relevant repair data. The questions are divided into nine vehicle categories, plus one for repairs:

• Infotainment.

• Functions.

• Controls and displays.

• Exterior.

• Driving assistance.

• Interior.

• Drivetrain.

• Seats.

• Driving experience.

• Climate.

• And not specifically defined, only for repair.

The survey ran from July 2023 to May 2024. More information on the quality study U.S. Initial Quality Study