Toyota Brands Top J.D. Power 3-Year Dependability Study
Every year, marketing information services firm J.D. Power analyzes the automotive industry to determine which vehicles are the most dependable for the people who drive them. This year, as last, Toyota’s luxury arm Lexus came out on top, while Toyota division finished in fourth place. In addition, six Toyota-branded vehicles came out on top in their respective segments.
The scale that J.D. Power uses to determine the most dependable brands takes into account the number of problems per 100 vehicles drivers have reported on their three-year-old cars from model year 2013. The industry average was 152 problems per 100 vehicles in 2016, and 147 problems per 100 vehicles in 2015. Lexus’ numbers were 95 in 2016 and 89 in 2015, while Toyota’s were 113 in 2016 and 111 in 2015. These numbers reflect an industry-wide 3% year-over-year decline in vehicle dependability, which J.D. Power attributes to an increase in technology problems like Bluetooth pairing and built-in voice recognition systems that misinterpret drivers’ commands.
Overall, six Toyota-brand vehicles were awarded as the best in their segments: the Lexus ES, the Lexus GS, the Lexus GX, the Toyota Prius v, the Toyota Sienna, and the Toyota Tundra.
Toyota’s success was rivaled only by GM brands. Buick came in at number three with 106 problems per 100 vehicles; GMC was fifth with 120; and Chevrolet finished in sixth place with 125 problems per 100 vehicles.
News Source: The Detroit News
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.