These Were The Biggest Movers In J.D. Power’s 2020 Initial Quality Survey

Mitsubishi and Ram were two standout brands from last year's results

[Photo: Mitsubishi]

Mitsubishi and Ram made some real progress on the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS)

Yesterday, we posted a story about J.D. Power’s 2020 Initial Quality Study “IQS” survey results which showed Dodge on top and Tesla last. The results at the top and the bottom were a bit of a surprise. What we didn’t mention in great detail were the other movers in that latest survey. Particularly, the surprising improvement on the parts of both Mitsubishi and Ram, and Toyota’s severe drop from the 2019 survey. 

J.D. Power’s IQS survey covers 223 questions and includes 87,272 vehicles. It’s conducted from February through May, and it geared to research data on new 2020 model year vehicles first 90 days. Exotic vehicles, like Ferrari, are not part of the survey. 

Ram image: TFLtruck

Take a look at the chart from 2019 (top) versus 2020 (bottom):

You can clearly see where Ram and Mitsubishi were last year. Placing forth and sixth on this list are huge improvements. Mitsubishi was the highest ranking Japanese brand and Ram, the second highest truck brand following Chevrolet. On the other hand, Toyota slipped from a top-10 spot to 20th. Other brands moved around a few points, but these brands were most dramatic in their changes. 
Image: Toyota

You can read about Dodge and Tesla’s IQS scores (here). 

Here’s how J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS) scored the major brands (problems per 100 vehicles). In red are the movers we mentioned:

  1. Dodge (136)
  2. Kia (136)
  3. Chevrolet (141)
  4. Ram (141)
  5. Genesis (142)
  6. Mitsubishi (148)
  7. Buick (150)
  8. GMC (151)
  9. Volkswagen (152)
  10. Hyundai (153)
  11. Jeep (155)
  12. Lexus (159)
  13. Nissan (161)
  14. Cadillac (162)
  15. Infiniti (173)
  16. Ford (174)
  17. Mini (174)
  18. BMW (176)
  19. Honda (177)
  20. Toyota (177)
  21. Lincoln (182)
  22. Mazda (184)
  23. Acura (185)
  24. Porsche (186)
  25. Subaru (187)
  26. Chrysler (189)
  27. Jaguar (190)
  28. Mercedes-Benz (202)
  29. Volvo (210)
  30. Audi (225)
  31. Land Rover (228)
  32. Tesla (250)

We know that the first 90 days of ownership does not constitute how a vehicle will perform over the long run. Some have said that these results are paid for (they’re not), while some feel that a one-year Initial Quality Study would be more relevant. What we can gain from this survey is how thousands of owners feel about their new vehicle for the first quarter of a year.

 The results may shine a light on automakers who are bettering their models — and those whose offerings may leave customers unsatisfied.