American analytical company J.D. Power has published a ranking of the most reliable car brands and models for 2024. In the ranking of brands, the first two places were taken by Lexus and Toyota, but this is unlikely to surprise anyone. Another thing is surprising: electric cars, as it turned out during the study, cause their owners noticeably more trouble than “hydrocarbon” models.
J.D. Power has been evaluating the reliability of passenger cars on the US market for 35 years, improving its research methodology from time to time as cars become more complex and acquire new systems and features. The methodology was last updated in 2022, the current protocol takes into account 184 potential problems, divided into nine categories: microclimate, electronic driver assistants, driving experience, exterior, secondary ergonomics (switches, screens, joysticks, etc.), multimedia system, interior, powertrain, seats.
The 2024 study is based on surveys of 30,595 U.S. owners of 3-year-old vehicles (purchased in 2020 but for the 2021 model year) conducted between August 2023 and November 2023 and records the number of problems owners have experienced since buying your cars. From their answers, a PP100 rating is formed, showing the number of identified problems per 100 cars, that is, the lower the PP100, the better.
Below is the brand reliability rating. Note that the average PP100 index increased from 186 to 190 compared to last year, that is, in general, cars have become less reliable.
Lexus tops the reliability rating for the second year in a row. In 2022, the first place was occupied by the Kia brand, but now it has fallen back to eighth place – a worthy place in itself, but the rapid increase in the number of problems is alarming: if in 2022 Kia’s PP100 index was 145, then in 2023 it increased to 152, in 2024 – up to 187.
The Hyundai brand, which in 2022 took an honorable third place with a score of 145 PP100, has slipped into the lower half of the ranking in two years, its PP100 in 2024 is 198. Also over the past couple of years, Ford, Lincoln and Volkswagen have dropped significantly in terms of reliability, but the Mini brand managed to improve its PP100 and enter the top five.
Next we list the most reliable car models by class in their American sense: small SUVs – Buick Encore, small premium SUV – BMW X1, compact passenger cars – Toyota Corolla, compact premium passenger cars – Lexus IS, compact SUV – Chevrolet Equinox , compact premium SUV – Lexus NX, mid-size passenger cars – Toyota Camry, mid-size premium passenger cars – Lexus ES, mid-size SUV – Toyota 4Runner, midsize premium SUVs – Lexus RX, larger midsize SUVs – Chevrolet Traverse, larger midsize premium SUVs – BMW X6 >, large SUVs – Chevrolet Tahoe, mid-size pickups – Toyota Tacoma, large pickups – Toyota Tundra, heavy pickups – Ford Super Duty, minivans – Kia Sedona, premium sports cars – Porsche 718. According to the results of the study, the Porsche 718 was also recognized as the most reliable car.
The Porsche 718 sports car was recognized this year by J.D. specialists. Power is the most reliable car. Last year, this honorary title was shared by the Lexus RX and Toyota C-HR crossovers; in 2022, it went to the Porsche 911.
Also in the latest J.D. reliability rating. Power has some interesting overall findings. Thus, the average PP100 for the studied gasoline cars is 187, for hybrids – 191, for plug-in hybrids – 216, for electric vehicles – 256. This is a rather unexpected result, since many automakers assure consumers that, in general, electric vehicles are simpler and more reliable “hydrocarbon” cars. In a study by J.D. Power noted that owners of electric vehicles most often complain about increased tire wear (probably due to the high torque on the wheels).
The most problematic part of modern cars has been and remains multimedia systems – complaints about there are two or more times more of them than for parts and assemblies of other categories. Most often, consumers complain about connecting to smartphone interfaces (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) and about voice control.
The proliferation of electronic driver assistants is increasingly annoying car owners with their endless danger warnings. Many new car buyers expect to become accustomed to these warning signs over time, but in practice this does not happen. There is a conflict of goals: on the one hand, organizations like IIHS and Euro NCAP push for the widest possible introduction of electronic driver assistants and demand that the driver be as fully informed as possible about the work of these assistants, and on the other hand, an endless stream of warnings causes fatigue and stress in the driver, which definitely does not improve the level of security.
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