Vehicle Dependability Improves for Second Year in a Row
Following half a decade of steady declines in vehicle dependability, the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS) shows overall industry improvement for the second year in a row. In the 2018 study, overall vehicle dependability improved 9%. This year, the industry improves by 4%, to an average of 136 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100).
“Vehicles are more reliable than ever, but automakers are wrestling with problems such as voice recognition, transmission shifts, and battery failures,” said Dave Sargent, Vice President of Global Automotive at J.D. Power. “Flawless dependability is a determining factor in whether customers remain loyal to a brand, so manufacturers need to help customers who are currently experiencing vehicle problems and address these trouble spots on future models.”
Now in its 30th year, the annual VDS measures problems experienced by original owners of 3-year-old vehicles during the past 12 months. The study covers 177 specific problems grouped into eight categories. This year, the study measured the dependability of 2016 model-year vehicles.