South Korean brands have proven to be the most reliable.
In the annual JD Power vehicle dependability survey three out of the top four spots were claimed by Kia, Hyundai and Genesis, which are all part of the giant Hyundai Motor Group.
The US survey, which is now in its 33rd year, ranks car brands based on the number of problems with vehicles after three years of ownership.
It covers 184 specific problem areas across nine major vehicle categories: climate, driving assistance, driving experience, exterior, features/controls/ displays, infotainment, interior, powertrain and seats.
Kia vehicles reported 145 problems per 100 vehicles, followed by Hyundai (148) and Genesis (155). Buick claimed the second spot but isn’t sold in New Zealand.
Genesis, which is Hyundai’s luxury offshoot, was the best-placed luxury brand surpassing big-name German makers such as Porsche (162), BMW (187), Mercedes-Benz (195) and Audi (232).
Genesis North America boss, Claudia Marquez, says: “We are passionate about performance and believe that every detail is significant in the design, engineering, and production of all our vehicles. We are pleased that customers have found their Genesis vehicles to be the most dependable among all premium brands.”
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Toyota, which has built its reputation on reliability, wasn’t far behind the South Korean makers with 158 problems reported and Lexus followed closely with 159.
The worst performing brands in the survey were Land Rover, which includes Range Rover, with 284 problems per 100 vehicles.
Ram was second last with 266, followed by Volvo (256) and Alfa Romeo (245).
David Amodeo, head of JD Power automotive says the dependability survey is even more important than ever.
“Many owners are holding on to their vehicles longer, so long-term dependability is even more critical,” he says.
- news.com.au