In JD Power’s US Initial Quality Study 2024, published on Thursday, the three major automakers performed well. General Motors and Stellantis, manufacturers of Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram and Fiat vehicles, came out on top in terms of quality, along with some Asian and European premium brands.
Ram was rated as the highest quality brand overall, followed by GM’s Chevrolet brand and Hyundai in third place. Ford vehicles showed a significant improvement from last year, when they were not rated highly for quality. Among premium brands, Porsche, Lexus and Genesis took first, second and third place.
The study is well respected and its results are often linked to performance bonuses for executives because the rankings objectively evaluate the industry.
Here’s what you need to know about the JD Power 2024 US Initial Quality Study.
JD Power 2024 US Initial Quality Study Methods
The study assesses quality based on “problems per 100 vehicles” in the first 90 days after purchase. This is the first year the study included dealer repair visits in its “voice of the customer” data to create a more comprehensive measure.
The industry average this year was 195 problems per 100 vehicles. Put another way, that means the average new car had 1.95 customer-reported problems, Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at JD Power, told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.
That’s a slight drop in quality from last year, when the survey found 192 problems per 100 vehicles. The lower the score, the higher the quality of the vehicle. Last year, Dodge, Ram and Buick took the top three spots.
JD Power 2024 US Initial Quality Study – best cars
See what JD Power named best in its category:
Best vehicle brands and ratings (mass market)
- Ram with a score of 149
- Chevrolet with a score of 160
- Hyundai with a score of 162
Best vehicle brands and ratings (Premium)
- Porsche with a score of 172
- Lexus with a score of 174
- Genesis with a score of 184
GM performed well in terms of quality for most models
Of the four GM brands, only Chevrolet and Buick were above the industry average, with scores of 160 and 164 problems per 100 vehicles, respectively. GMC and Cadillac were above the industry average, with GMC scoring 201 and Cadillac scoring 214. Despite this, GM received six model-level awards, the most of any automaker, according to JD Power.
GM models performed best in their segment:
- Cadillac XT5 mid-size SUV (Lexus RX second)
- Cadillac XT6 upper-middle-class SUV (Porsche Cayenne second)
- Chevrolet Equinox midsize SUV (GMC Terrain second)
- Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty Pickup (Ford Super Duty second, Ram 2500/3500 third)
- Chevrolet Tahoe large SUV (Chevrolet Suburban second)
- Chevrolet Traverse midsize SUV (Ford Explorer second)
The other automakers that won the most model awards were Hyundai and Toyota, with four awards each. The Hyundai models that performed best in their respective segments are Genesis G80, Hyundai Santa Cruz, Kia Carnival and Kia Forte.
The Toyota models that perform best in their respective segments are Lexus IS, Lexus LC, Lexus UX and Toyota Camry. Toyota has the best-rated model overall, the Lexus LC, with 106 PP100
Among the brands, Chevrolet received the most segment awards (four), followed by Lexus (three).
Ultra-modern cars, ultra-modern problems
However, the study found that new vehicle technologies were actually hindering some automakers’ ability to maintain high quality.
The study found that electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids require more frequent repairs than gasoline-powered vehicles in all repair categories.
Electric car maker Polestar topped the list with 316 problems per hundred cars. Electric car makers Tesla and Rivian also fared poorly, each with 266 points.
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“Owners of advanced (fully electric) and (plug-in hybrid) vehicles with advanced technology are struggling with problems so severe that they are three times more likely to take their new vehicle to the dealer than owners of gasoline-powered vehicles,” Hanley said.
For petrol and diesel vehicles, there are an average of 180 problems per 100 vehicles, while for electric vehicles the number is 86 points higher at 266. In the past, Tesla has achieved better results, according to JD Power’s study. However, the elimination of traditional controls such as turn signals and windshield wiper levers was not well received by Tesla customers, the study says.
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Important complaints that literally stink
According to JD Power, most customer complaints about quality revolved around technology, including frustration over false alerts because car owners didn’t understand what some extras meant.
“For example, rear seat warning technology, which is designed to help vehicle owners avoid accidentally leaving a child or pet in the back seat when exiting the vehicle, contributes to 1.7 out of 100 problems across the industry,” the study says. “Some people mistakenly believe this is a sign of an unfastened seat belt or state that the warning is triggered when no one is in the back seat.”
Even driver assistance systems designed to save lives annoyed car owners with inaccurate warnings from rear cross-traffic alerts and automatic emergency braking in reverse – a new feature added to the survey this year.
Issues also continue to arise with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with the feature remaining in the top 10 issues as customers struggle to connect to their vehicle or experience disconnections. More than half of Apple users and 42% of Samsung users access their respective feature every time they get behind the wheel, suggesting that customers want to bring their smartphone experience into the car and integrate it wirelessly, the study found.
Another problem category in the study was functions, controls and displays, which performed slightly better than the problematic infotainment category. From activating the windshield wipers to the more complicated operation of a manufacturer’s smartphone app, this category is particularly problematic in electric vehicles, according to the study.
Finally, customers reported unpleasant odors in the interior. The problem has become most severe starting in 2023, with all brands except Kia and Nissan experiencing an increase in unpleasant odor problems in the interior. Owners describe the problematic odors as coming from their vehicle’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
