As scheduled, J.D. Power, a research company, has released its latest study on the reliability of car models in the US market. According to J.D. Power, two-thirds of the car brands included in the study have experienced a decrease in reliability.
The J.D. Power study shows that the number of issues encountered by American customers per 100 vehicles has increased to 190. Meanwhile, in the 2023 study, this number was 186 issues per 100 vehicles. Additionally, the percentage of users discovering issues within the first 90 days of owning a new car has increased from 12% last year to 17%.
According to Frank Hanley, Director of Automotive Standards at J.D. Power, there are several reasons for the increased number of car issues. The decrease in car reliability can be attributed to the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, production pressures, and their impact on the automotive market. In other words, as the supply recovers, car issues will decrease.
Reliability of car brands in 2024
According to the latest research by J.D. Power, the two most reliable car brands in 2024 belong to the Toyota group. Toyota leads the mainstream market in the US in terms of reliability with 147 issues per 100 vehicles. On the other hand, Toyota’s subsidiary brand, Lexus, leads the luxury segment with 135 issues per 100 vehicles.
When considering the overall market, Lexus ranks first, followed by Toyota. The third most reliable brand is Buick, a part of the General Motors (GM) group. Chevrolet, another brand under GM, takes the fourth position with 174 issues per 100 vehicles. MINI, a part of the BMW group, ranks fifth with a score of 174 issues per 100 vehicles.
Six other brands have higher reliability than the overall market average: Porsche (175 issues/100 vehicles), Mazda (185 issues/100 vehicles), Kia (187 issues/100 vehicles), BMW (190 issues/100 vehicles), Dodge (190 issues/100 vehicles), and Jeep (190 issues/100 vehicles).
On the other hand, the brand with the highest number of issues is Chrysler, a part of the Stellantis group, with 310 issues per 100 vehicles. This is also the only brand with issues exceeding the 300 mark. The other four brands in the bottom five are Audi (275 issues/100 vehicles), Land Rover (268 issues/100 vehicles), Volkswagen (267 issues/100 vehicles), and Lincoln (251 issues/100 vehicles).
Tesla, the world’s number one electric car brand in 2023, did not participate in J.D. Power’s study because it did not meet the necessary criteria. However, J.D. Power estimates that Tesla’s reliability is not significantly higher, with 252 issues per 100 vehicles, placing it at the bottom end of the overall market.
Least problematic car models in 2024
It’s no surprise that the Toyota group owns a range of car models that rank at the top of their respective segments in terms of reliability. Specifically, there are 9 Toyota and Lexus models that have the fewest issues in their segments, surpassing all other groups in J.D. Power’s study. The top-ranked models in terms of reliability from the Toyota group are Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Tacoma, Lexus IS, Lexus ES, Lexus NX, and Lexus RX.
However, the most reliable car model in the US market overall does not come from Toyota. Instead, it is the Porsche 718, which includes both the Boxster and Cayman.
| Car Model | Segment |
| Porsche 718 | Overall Market |
| Toyota Corolla | Compact Car |
| Lexus IS | Compact Luxury Car |
| Toyota Camry | Midsize Car |
| Lexus ES | Midsize Luxury Car |
| Porsche 718 | Luxury Sports Car |
| Buick Encore | Small SUV |
| BMW X1 | Small Luxury SUV |
| Chevrolet Equinox | Compact Luxury SUV |
| Lexus NX | Compact Luxury SUV |
| Toyota 4Runner | Midsize SUV |
| Lexus RX | Midsize Luxury SUV |
| Chevrolet Traverse | Large SUV |
| BMW X6 | Large Luxury SUV |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | Full-Size SUV |
| Toyota Tacoma | Midsize Pickup |
| Toyota Tundra | Light-Duty Large Pickup |
| Ford Super Duty | Heavy-Duty Large Pickup |
| Kia Sedona | Minivan |
Most reliable car models in their respective segments
Common issues with new cars
According to J.D. Power’s study, technology is the most problematic aspect of new cars in the US market. In particular, infotainment systems account for 49.1 issues per 100 vehicles, twice as many as exterior issues. The most common issues reported by new car owners in the US market are related to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, followed by voice control features.
Since high-tech features have the most issues, it is not surprising that electric cars are the type of vehicle most often reported with problems. Electric cars have a defect rate of 256 issues per 100 vehicles, while the corresponding figures for plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles are 216 issues and 191 issues per 100 vehicles, respectively. Vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines have the lowest defect rate at 187 issues per 100 vehicles.
According to J.D. Power, high-tech features are not the sole concern with electric cars. In addition, 39% of electric car users have had to replace their tires within the first 3 years of ownership, while the corresponding figure for traditional internal combustion engine vehicles is 20%.
“The average vehicle ownership in the US is currently around 12 years. This highlights the importance of producing vehicles that can withstand the test of time,” said Hanley. “Car manufacturers need to ensure that the new automotive technologies introduced today will meet the needs of customers for many years to come.”
The 2024 reliability study by J.D. Power is based on responses from 30,595 car owners of 2021 models. The study was conducted between August and November 2023.
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Toyota: The most reliable car brand for 2023
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