JD Power Initial Quality Study
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J.D. Power Initial Quality Study
Overall, J.D. Power says that new-vehicle initial quality stayed basically level in 2019 compared to 2018. It's the first year since 2014 that there was no real improvement noted in the report.
Here's how J.D. Power describes its Initial Quality Study: "Initial quality is reported as the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership, with a lower score reflecting higher quality."
"Automakers continue to make progress in areas like infotainment that attract a lot of consumer attention," Dave Sargent, Vice President of Global Automotive at J.D. Power, said in a statement. "However, some traditional problems crept up this year including paint imperfections, brake and suspension noises, engines not starting and the ‘check engine’ light coming on early in the ownership experience. Also, more people are having issues with their advanced driver assistance systems, which are critical for building consumer trust in future automated vehicles."
While overall numbers remained flat, individual automaker scores are all over the board. Click through this slideshow to see the top 5, the bottom 5, and finally a chart that includes the performance of all automakers.
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1. Genesis
The top performer overall on this year's report is Genesis, the luxury arm of Hyundai, with a score of 63 problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100).
Korean automakers made a very strong showing in this year's initial quality report. Click on the image above for the next slide.
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- Image Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
2. Kia
In second place is Kia, with a score of 70 PP100. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Kia sits at the top of all mass-market automakers in the United States. -
- Image Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
3. Hyundai
Hyundai narrowly falls to third with an overall score of 71 PP100.
Korean automakers are three-for-three so far, and this is the second year in a row that these three brands came out on top.
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- Image Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
4. Ford
At number four, Ford is the top-ranked American automaker on this year's list with an overall score of 83 PP100. You probably won't be surprised which brand comes next. -
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5. Lincoln
Lincoln, Ford's in-house luxury arm, follows its parent company in fifth place with a score of 84 PP100.
There's the top five, now let's take a look at the bottom of the pack.
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- Image Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
29. Volvo
With a score of 114 problems experienced per 100 cars, Volvo comes in at number 29 out of 33 automakers ranked. That's fifth from the bottom. -
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30: Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo, an Italian brand owned by Fiat Chrysler that puts a premium on driving dynamics and performance, comes in at number 30 with a score of 118 PP100. -
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31: Mitsubishi
With a score of 121 PP100, Mitsubishi comes in at number 31 out of 33. That makes it the worst-performing Japanese brand in this year's study. -
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32: Land Rover
Land Rover's score of 123 PP100 drops it into second-from-last place. Amazingly, though, Land Rover's 2019 score is drastically improved over last year. In 2018, Land Rover owners experienced 37 more problems per 100 vehicles, according to J.D. Power. -
- Image Credit: OLI SCARFF via Getty Images
33: Jaguar
At the bottom of the list at the number 33 slot, Jaguar's score of 130 PP100 is the worst of all automakers ranked in 2019. It's still a big improvement over last year's score, when Jaguar owners experienced 18 more problems per 100 vehicles than they did this year -
- Image Credit: J.D. Power
2019 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study
2019 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study rankings