New quality study shows Detroit Three rank high in initial quality

The Detroit Three automakers fared well in this year's J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Initial Quality Study released Thursday, with General Motors and Stellantis, which makes Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram and Fiat vehicles, finishing near the top for quality, along with some Asian and European premium brands.

Ram ranked as the highest brand overall for quality, followed by GM's Chevrolet brand and then Hyundai in third place. Ford vehicles showed a marked improvement over last year, when it did not rank high on quality. For the premium brands, Porsche, Lexus and Genesis came in first, second and third respectively.

But the study showed that new technology on vehicles actually hindered some automakers' ability to maintain high quality.

The study also showed that, despite fewer parts on fully electric and hybrid vehicles, customers reported more quality problems with those cars compared with gasoline-powered vehicles.

The study is respected and its results are often tied to executive performance bonuses because the rankings objectively assess the industry. This is the first year that the study incorporated franchise dealership repair visits with its "voice of the customer" data to create a more expansive metric.

The study rates quality by "problems per 100 vehicles" in the first 90 days of ownership. The industry average this year was 195 problems per 100 vehicles — put another way, it means that the average new vehicle had 1.95 customer-reported problems, Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, told the Free Press. That's a modest decline in quality from a year ago, when the survey found 192 problems per 100 vehicles. The lower the score, the higher the vehicle's quality. Last year, Dodge, Ram and Buick took the top three spots.

Mass market brands had a combined average of 181 problems per 100 vehicles, outperforming the industry average. The premium brands, which often include more complicated systems and reliance on connectivity, averaged 232 problems per 100 vehicles.

“It is not surprising that the introduction of new technology has challenged manufacturers to maintain vehicle quality,” Hanley said in a statement. “However, the industry can take solace in the fact that some problem areas such as voice recognition and parking cameras are seen as less problematic now than they were a year ago.”

How Ford rose and Dodge fell

This is the 38th year J.D. Power had done the study. It was based on responses from 99,144 car purchasers and lessees of new 2024 model-year vehicles. They were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. For the first time, the study also included repair visit data based on "hundreds of thousands of real-world events reported to franchised new-vehicle dealers," J.D. Power said. This enhanced methodology was done so that automakers can better identify potential issues before they escalate.

The 227-questionaire taken from July of last year through May of this year asked about: infotainment; features, controls and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; powertrain; seats; driving experience; climate, and unspecified unique repairs.

Dodge came in near the bottom this year with a score of 301 problems per 100 vehicles. Meanwhile, the Ford brand moved from above the industry average last year, with a score of 201, to better than the industry average this year with a score of 179.

Hanley said Ford's rise is the result of "a unique sales mix in this year’s study due to several late model launches for the brand that missed the study window."

As for Dodge's big decline in quality, Hanley said, "Dodge last year consisted of the Challenger, Charger and Durango. This year, the Charger and Challenger have been discontinued and the Hornet was introduced, which is the majority of the brand's score this year."

Electric versus gasoline

Electric carmaker Polestar topped the list with 316 problems per hundred cars. EV automakers Tesla and Rivian rated poorly too, with a score of 266 each.

The study showed EVs and plug-in hybrids require more repairs than gasoline-powered vehicles in all the repair categories.

“Owners of cutting edge, tech-filled (fully electric vehicles) and (plug-in hybrids) are experiencing problems that are of a severity level high enough for them to take their new vehicle into the dealership at a rate three times higher than that of gas-powered vehicle owners,” Hanley said.

Gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles average 180 problems per 100 vehicles, while EVs are 86 points higher at 266. In the past, Tesla has performed better, J.D. Power's study noted. But the removal of traditional feature controls, such as turn signals and wiper stalks, has not been well received by Tesla customers, the study said.

GM came in high for quality across the most models

Of GM's four brands, only Chevrolet and Buick ranked above industry average with scores of 160 and 164 problems per 100 vehicles, respectively. GMC and Cadillac came in above the industry average. GMC had a score of 201 and Cadillac 214. Nevertheless, J.D. Power said GM won six model-level awards, the most of all the automakers.

GM models ranked highest in their segment:

• Cadillac XT5 midsize SUV (Lexus RX second)
• Cadillac XT6 upper midsize SUV (Porsche Cayenne second)
• Chevrolet Equinox midsize SUV (GMC Terrain second)
• Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty pickup (Ford Super Duty second, Ram 2500/3500 third)
• Chevrolet Tahoe large SUV (Chevrolet Suburban second)
• Chevrolet Traverse midsize SUV (Ford Explorer second)

The other automakers to win the most model awards were Hyundai and Toyota, each with four awards. Hyundai models that rank highest in their respective segment are Genesis G80, Hyundai Santa Cruz, Kia Carnival and Kia Forte.

Toyota models that rank highest in their respective segment are Lexus IS, Lexus LC, Lexus UX and Toyota Camry. Toyota has the highest-ranking model overall, the Lexus LC, with 106 PP100

Among brands, Chevrolet received the most segment awards (four), followed by Lexus (three).

Best vehicle brands and scores (mass market)

• Ram with a score of 149
• Chevrolet with a score of 160
• Hyundai with a score of 162

Best vehicle brands and scores (premium)

• Porsche with a score of 172
• Lexus with a score of 174
• Genesis with a score of 184

Best cars

• Overall: Lexus LC
• Small premium car: BMW 2 Series
• Midsize car: Toyota Camry
• Compact car: Kia Forte
• Premium sporty car: Lexus LC
• Compact premium car: Lexus IS
• Upper midsize premium car: Genesis G80
• Small SUV: Ford Bronco Sport
• Small premium SUV: Lexus UX
• Midsize SUV: Nissan Murano
• Upper midsize SUV: Chevrolet Traverse
• Midsize premium SUV: Cadillac XT5
• Upper midsize premium SUV: Cadillac XT6
• Compact SUV: Chevrolet Equinox
• Compact premium SUV: BMW X4
• Large SUV: Chevrolet Tahoe
• Large premium SUV: Infiniti QX80
• Minivan: Kia Carnival
• Midsize pickup: Hyundai Santa Cruz
• Large light-duty pickup: Ram 1500
• Large heavy duty pickup: Chevrolet Silverado HD

Key complaints that literally stink

J.D. Power said customers' key complaints on quality centered on technology. For example, frustration around false warnings as car owners did not understand what some bells and whistles meant.

"For instance, rear seat reminder technology, designed to help vehicle owners avoid inadvertently leaving a child or pet in the rear seat when exiting the vehicle, contributes 1.7 problems per 100 across the industry," the study stated. "Some mistakenly perceive it signals an unbuckled seat belt or cite the warning goes off when no one is present in the rear seat."

Also, advanced driver assistance systems, which are intended to save lives, irritated car owners with inaccurate alerts from rear cross traffic warnings and reverse automatic emergency braking, a newly added feature to the survey this year.

Also, problems with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay persist as the feature remains one of the top 10 problems as customers experience difficulties connecting to their vehicle or losing connection. More than half of Apple users and 42% of Samsung users access their respective feature each time they get behind the wheel, which indicated that customers want their smartphone experience brought into the vehicle and to be integrated wirelessly, the study said.

Features, controls and displays were another problematic category in the study, rating slightly better than the issue-prone infotainment category. From activating the windshield wipers to the more intricate operation of a manufacturer's smartphone application, this category is particularly troublesome in EVs, the study noted.

Finally, customers reported unpleasant interior smells. The issue has worsened the most from 2023, with every brand except Kia and Nissan having an increase in unpleasant interior smell problems. Problem odors are described by owners to be emanating from their vehicle’s heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems.

More:Half of nation's auto dealers 'affected dramatically' by cyberattack

More:GM lowers EV production targets amid slow demand, says EVs will show 'variable profit'

Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.