J.D Power—considered the world’s most trusted in consumer ratings—released the results of their annual U.S Vehicle Dependability Study.
The results? Lexus ranked the highest for vehicle dependability while Toyota and Porsche tied for second. In fact, this year J.D Power found a 4 percent improvement for the entire industry.
However, J.D Power is quick to point out that automakers still struggle with issues—the results for this year just show a shift towards improved dependability.
How J.D Power Evaluates Automakers
The study looks at vehicles that are three years old (so these results are for the 2016 model year) and studies them over a period of twelve months.
What exactly are they looking for?
J.D Power ranks dependability by looking for 177 specific problems in 8 categories for every 100 vehicles. By doing so, they not only help vehicle buyers choose the most reliable cars, but also give owners an idea of what the resale value will be like down the line.
How Did the Other Vehicles Measure Up?
While Lexus ranked highest for the eighth year in a row, it’s certainly worth noting that all the German brands stepped up their game. VW, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes improved and did better than the industry average for the first time in three decades.
So it’s not surprising that Porsche tied for second place and won its first award for its 911 sports car.
All the top-ranking vehicles were the only ones that earned more than one award for being the most dependable. This includes GM’s Chevrolet and Buick brands, which took fourth and fifth place, respectively.Â
Cars That FloppedÂ
Land Rover and Fiat didn’t do well, but it’s worth noting that Chrysler improved the most out of any brand, although it did still fall short of the industry average.
Tesla wasn’t evaluated because it didn’t have a large enough sample size (the company has restrictions on the sharing of vehicle data, according to Kyle Reuter, the spokesperson for J.D Power).
Three of the vehicles that ranked most dependable for this year have been discontinued, redesigned, or are scheduled to be discontinued (think the Buick LaCrosse and Chrysler Town & Country).
The Full List
In case you were interested to see where your vehicle ranks, here’s the complete list of which automakers ranked on J.D Power’s U.S Vehicle Dependability Study for 2019:
Source: USA Today