New-Vehicle Quality Stalls After Four Years of Improvement, J.D. Power Finds

COSTA MESA, Calif., June 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- New-vehicle quality in 2019 stays flat compared with 2018, marking the first year without improvement since 2014, according to the J.D. Power 2019 Initial Quality Study (IQS),(SM) released today. More brands worsened than improved over the past 12 months.

"Automakers continue to make progress in areas like infotainment that attract a lot of consumer attention," said Dave Sargent, Vice President of Global Automotive at J.D. Power. "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."

Initial quality is measured by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership, with a lower score reflecting higher quality. In this year's study, only 13 brands improved, while 18 worsened. The industry average remained unchanged at 93 PP100.

Following are key findings of the 2019 study:

    --  Gap between Korean brands and others continues to widen: The three
        highest-ranking brands--Genesis, Kia and Hyundai--are all from Korean
        manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group, and the gap between these three brands
        and all others has widened considerably. Remarkably, 16 of 18 models
        from Hyundai Motor Group rank in the top three in their respective
        segments. These vehicles tend to perform especially well in the areas of
        infotainment and other electronic components.
    --  Domestic brands above average: Ford (83 PP100), Lincoln (84 PP100),
        Chevrolet (85 PP100), Dodge (90 PP100) and Buick (92 PP100) all perform
        better than the industry average of 93 PP100. Overall, Domestic-branded
        vehicles perform close to the average in most areas.
    --  All European brands are below average: In contrast to the success of the
        Korean automakers and the leading domestic and Japanese brands, all 10
        European marques are below average. The largest gaps for the European
        vehicles are infotainment and other electronics.
    --  Porsche 911 again achieves the best score of any model: The Porsche 911,
        with just 58 PP100, has the best score of any model for the second
        consecutive year.
    --  Infotainment problems are decreasing: Infotainment remains the most
        problematic category for new-vehicle owners. However, this area is the
        most improved from 2018, led by fewer problems for voice recognition and
        Bluetooth.
    --  Problems with driver assistance systems are increasing: As advanced
        driver assistance systems become more widespread and increasingly
        complex, more owners are indicating problems. The average for premium
        brands is 6.1 PP100, up from 5.0 last year, while the average for mass
        market brands is 3.5 PP100.
    --  New and redesigned vehicles still trail carryover vehicles: Vehicles
        that were launched in 2019 have an average problem level of 103 PP100,
        which equals the best score ever. However, this is still well below the
        score for carryover models, which have an average problem level of 91
        PP100.

Highest-Ranking Brands and Models

Genesis ranks highest in overall initial quality with a score of just 63 PP100. Kia (70 PP100) places second and Hyundai (71 PP100) ranks third. This is the second year in a row that the three Korean brands are at the top of the overall ranking, and it is the fifth consecutive year that Kia is the highest-ranked mass market brand. Ford (83 PP100) ranks fourth and Lincoln (84 PP100) ranks fifth, marking the first time both Ford Motor Company brands place in the top five in the same year.

Land Rover is the most-improved brand, with owners reporting 37 PP100 fewer problems than in 2018. Other brands with strong improvements include Jaguar (18 PP100 improvement), and Dodge and Volvo (each with 8 PP100 improvement). This is the highest Dodge has ever ranked in the study.

The parent corporation receiving the most model-level awards is Hyundai Motor Group (six awards), followed by General Motors Company (five); BMW AG (three); Ford Motor Company (two) and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (two).

    --  Hyundai Motor Group models that rank highest in their respective
        segments are Genesis G70; Hyundai Santa Fe; Kia Forte; Kia Rio; Kia
        Sedona; and Kia Sportage.
    --  General Motors Company models that rank highest in their segments are
        Cadillac Escalade; Chevrolet Equinox; Chevrolet Malibu; Chevrolet
        Silverado HD; and Chevrolet Tahoe.
    --  BMW AG models that rank highest in their segments are BMW 2 Series; BMW
        X4; and MINI Cooper.
    --  Ford Motor Company models that rank highest in their segments are Ford
        Fusion and Ford Ranger.
    --  Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. models that rank highest in their segments are
        Nissan Maxima and Nissan Titan.

Other models that rank highest in their respective segments are Dodge Challenger, Lexus RX and Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Plant Quality Awards

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Cambridge North (Canada) plant, which produced the Toyota Corolla, receives the Platinum Plant Quality Award for producing vehicles with the fewest defects or malfunctions. Plant quality awards are based solely on defects and malfunctions, and exclude design-related problems.

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Tsutsumi 1 (Japan) plant, which produces the Toyota Prius and BMW AG's Regensburg (Germany) plant, which produces the BMW 4 Series, X1 and X2, each receive the Gold Plant Quality Award for the Asia Pacific and Europe/Africa regions, respectively.

The 2019 U.S. Initial Quality Study is based on responses from 76,256 purchasers and lessees of new 2019 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study is based on a 233-question battery organized into eight vehicle categories designed to provide manufacturers with information to facilitate the identification of problems and drive product improvement. The study was fielded from February through May 2019.

Find detailed information on vehicle quality, as well as model photos and specs, at jdpower.com/quality.

For more information about the U.S. Initial Quality Study, visit
http://www.jdpower.com/resource/us-initial-quality-study-iqs.

See the online press release at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2019088.

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power has offices serving North America, South America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com
Shane Smith; East Coast; 424-903-3665; ssmith@pacificcommunicationsgroup.com

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

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SOURCE J.D. Power