One of the most important consumer studies involving new vehicle quality is the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study. This study is in its 36th year, and it shows a negative trend – popular car makers are showing poorer quality than ever before.
An Overview of the 2022 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study
The J.D. Power Initial Quality Study is based on consumer complaints to each vehicle manufacturer in the first 90 days of ownership. While almost every brand performed worse in 2022 than in 2021,
recent years have shown a steady decline. Here are the industry averages for the past three years:
- 2020 – 166 owner complaints per 100 vehicles
- 2021 – 162 owner complaints per 100 vehicles
- 2022 – 180 owner complaints per 100 vehicles
According to the 2022 study, 25 out of 33 brands slipped in quality rankings judging by the increased number of consumer complaints in the initial 90 days of ownership. Buick had the fewest complaints (139 per 100 vehicles) while Chrysler had the most (265 per 100 vehicles).
In the 2021 study, Ram had the fewest complaints (128 per 100 vehicles) and Chrysler had the most (251 per 100 vehicles).
Some other notes worthy of mention include:
- Electric vehicles (EVs) performed worse than gas-powered models in the study. (EVs had 240 complaints per 100 vehicles on average, plug-in hybrid vehicles had 239 and gas-powered cars averaged 175.) Tesla chose not to participate in the study, which likely skews the results considerably, since 75% of all EVs sold in the US were Tesla products.
- Many outside factors may have impacted these numbers, including COVID-19 related factory shutdowns, supply chain problems and shortages.
- Infotainment systems generated the most complaints.
- Feature-heavy luxury cars generated more complaints than mass-market brands.
Lemon Larry Helps When You Become a Victim of Poor Car Quality
Regardless of which brand and model of new vehicle you choose, consumer protection laws in most states provide you an avenue of recourse when your new car, truck or SUV has problems the dealer cannot seem to fix. Lemon Larry can help you by connecting you with an area Lemon Law Claim Attorney near you, if you qualify.
Is your new vehicle in the shop more than on the road? Take the Lemon Larry 7-question assessment now to see if you qualify. You could receive a reimbursement or a replacement vehicle FREE!
