GM shines, Ford fails to impress in new J.D. Power dependability study ranking

Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press
·4 min read

Ford CEO Jim Farley has said again and again it's essential the automaker improve quality, and the new 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study released Thursday shows Ford and Lincoln among the worst brands.

Meanwhile, General Motors sees Cadillac, Chevrolet and Buick ranking among the best.

J.D. Power, a prestigious consumer insights company that has provided data-driven industry analysis for half a century, announced Lexus ranks the highest among all brands — and Kia ranks the highest among mass market brands for the third year in a row. The two most dependable vehicles, overall, are the Toyota C-HR and Lexus RX.

The study looked at how 2020 model-year vehicles are currently performing in terms of quality, component replacement and appeal and is intended to help automakers design and build better vehicles, J.D. Power said. Results are based on responses from 30,062 original owners of 2020 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership.

The study, conducted from August through November 2022, covers 184 problem areas across nine major vehicle categories: climate; driving assistance; driving experience; exterior; features/controls/displays; infotainment; interior; powertrain, and seats.

Most dependable SUVs, pickups

  • Best model overall (tie): Toyota C-HR and Lexus RX

  • Top heavy duty pickup: Chevy Silverado HD

  • Top 2 large light duty pickups: GMC Sierra, Toyota Tundra

  • Top 2 midsize pickups: Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado

  • Top 3 compact SUVs: Kia Sportage, Buick Envision, Jeep Cherokee

  • Top 3 compact premium SUVs: Lexus NX, Cadillac XT4, BMW X3

  • Top 3 midsize SUVs: Chevy Blazer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Edge

  • Top 3 small SUVs: Toyota C-HR, Buick Encore, Chevy Trax

Highest-ranked brands

  • Lexus is the best overall premium vehicle, followed by Genesis, Cadillac and BMW.

  • Kia is the best overall mass market vehicle, followed by Buick, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi and Toyota.

  • Best overall brand improvement: Ram, Volvo and Nissan. Nissan makes the top 10 while Ram and Volvo remain below average.

Highest-ranked automakers

  • Toyota with Lexus NX, Lexus RX, Toyota C-HR, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Sienna and Toyota Tacoma

  • GM with Chevrolet Blazer, Chevrolet Silverado HD, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Sierra

  • BMW AG with BMW 4 Series, BMW X2, BMW X5 and MINI Cooper

  • Hyundai with Kia Forte, Kia Optima and Kia Sportage

Tech problems remain chronic

Infotainment systems continue to create the most headaches: Built-in voice recognition, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity, built-in Bluetooth system connectivity; touchscreen/display screen use difficulty; not enough power plugs/USB ports; and navigation system inaccurate/outdated.

The 3-year-old vehicles measured in this year’s study showed areas that worsened from 90 days to three years of ownership, included starter battery failures, outdated maps, Android Auto/Apple Car Play and voice recognition problems, J.D. Power said.

Quality affects the bottom line

“Having vehicles with strong dependability scores will nurture a positive brand perception," Jonathan Banks, vice president of vehicle valuations at J.D. Power, said in a news release.

Auto companies often tie executive bonuses to J.D. Power results.

What's happening at Ford?

Of 31 brands studied, the bottom four worst were Ford, Audi, Lincoln and Land Rover.

"The thing with Ford is they had a high launch mix in 2020, including Aviator, Corsair, Explorer, Escape," Frank Hanley, senior director, auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, told the Free Press. "Launch vehicles tend to have more problems. So that's what impacted the Ford and Lincoln brands. Lexus and Toyota have consistently been at the top of vehicle dependability charts over the years. Their quality numbers are consistent."

Ford and Lincoln ranked above average in the 2022 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, Ford spokesman Said Deep told the Detroit Free Press on Thursday, "Both internal and external data shows that we are improving initial product quality for our customers. ... We know we still have a lot of work to do, which is why delivering high-quality products continues to be our top priority."

Because Tesla does not allow J.D. Power access to needed owner information, data is incomplete in the study.

More:Ford’s Jim Farley addresses automaker’s financial struggles, plans to slash costs

More:Ford's 'self-inflicted' recalls, warranty costs put automaker at competitive disadvantage

More:Toyota is studying his truck that has 1 million miles: What they want to learn

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New J.D. Power Reliability study ranks best cars, trucks built in 2020