Kia, Genesis Clean Up In J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey, While Jaguar Land Rover Struggles [News]

J.D. Power has researched automotive quality since 1968. Over the past fifty years, quality has improved by leaps and bounds, and the organization just released the results of their 2018 Initial Quality Study (IQS). For the fourth year in a row, initial quality has increased industry-wide, a 4-percent jump from last year. J.D. Power rates initial quality on a ‘problems per 100 vehicle’ scale. The initial quality study surveys vehicles in their first 90 days of ownership. The less problems per 100 vehicles, or PP100, the better the rating.

How did automakers fare this year? Below is a list of each brand rated on the PP100 scale. The industry average was 93 problems per 100 vehicles.


10) Nissan – 85

2018 Nissan Kicks
[Photo: Nissan]
Nissan pushed its way into the top 10 with a score of just 85 problems per 100 vehicles in the first 3 months. Japanese automakers have a good reputation for a reason.


9) Ram – 84

People may be surprised to see an FCA company in the top 10, but all of the US manufacturers have actually been improving their IQS faster than the rest of the industry.


8) Lexus – 84

No surprises here, once again the Japanese automakers continue to impress with their initial quality ratings.


7) Lincoln – 83

2019 Lincoln MKC
[Photo: Lincoln]
Another good mark for a US manufacturer, Lincoln is also improving their initial quality ratings. In fact, the Continental and MKC rank the highest in their respective classes.


6) Chevrolet – 82

2019 Chevrolet Camaro RS, SS

More good news for the big 3, they have another spot in the top 10. Both the Silverado, and the Silverado HD pickups rank the best in their class.


5) Ford – 81

Greenest Mustang You've Ever Seen - Need for Green Mustang
[Photo: Ford]
Ford takes the 5th spot, most notable thanks to the Mustang, Expedition, and Super Duty pickup ranking high in their classes.


4) Porsche – 79

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People may assume that German brands are unreliable. But actually, Porsche is the fourth best in initial quality and the second best in vehicle dependability, according to J.D. Power. This is mostly thanks to the 911, which has a PP100 rating of just 48 problems per 100 vehicles. The 911 is actually the best single vehicle rated for initial quality by this survey.


3) Hyundai – 74

2018 Hyundai Kona
[Photo: Hyundai]
The Korean manufacturers had a great year for IQS rankings, taking all three of the top spots. For Hyundai, the Tuscon ranks highest in its class, helping Hyundai take the #3 spot.


2) Kia – 72 

2018 Kia Stinger GT2 AWD
The 2018 Kia Stinger GT2 aims squarely at the heart of the European-dominated sports sedan market. [Photo: Kia]
Kia was ranked second, thanks to the Rio and Sorento ranking particularly well in their segments.


1) Genesis – 68

2018 Genesis G90
[Photo: Genesis]
A luxury sub-brand of Hyundai, Genesis ranked number one on the list with just 68 PP100. The G90 sedan was their best ranked vehicle.

To see how the rest of the industry fared, here is the full table:

Overall, initial quality improved for 21 out of the 31 automakers surveyed. Notably, infotainment systems have been getting much more reliable, meaning less time spent dealing with crashes and cursing their very existence when you just want to listen to music.

Do you have any reliability horror stories? Tell us about them in the comments section below!

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