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Six Toyota Vehicles Earn J.D. Power 2018 Vehicle Dependability Study Award

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2018 Toyota Tacoma

Toyota models took home six of 19 segment awards in the 2018 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), more than any individual automaker. Two of the models actually bore a Toyota badge while the four others were from Lexus, which took home the overall top spot for the seventh consecutive time.

According to the study, overall vehicle dependability improved 9% over 2017, the first time the industry average increased since 2013—and, for the most part, customers tend to still be happy with their vehicle three years after buying them.


Related: The Prius was one of the awarded Toyota models


Some questions can be raised about the VDS’s relevance, though there is no doubt of its comprehensiveness. The study covers a whopping 177 specific problems, grouped in eight major automotive categories, and ranks vehicles and brands based on the number of these problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100). In 2018, the study examined vehicles from the 2015 model year and the industry average decreased to 142 from 156 PP100 last year.

Unfortunately, that comprehensiveness is the source of those aforementioned questions. For instance, if you have a problem pairing your phone to your car via Bluetooth, or if you find that the bodywork has a paint imperfection, that counts as a problem to the same degree as a broken transmission counts as a problem in the study.

Fortunately for Toyota, its vehicles ranked high when it came to powertrain dependability. In fact, the brand was one of only three among non-premium brands to achieve a five-star score in that category.


Related: The Tacoma was the other


News Source: J.D. Power