J.D. Power: Quality Not Exclusive to Highlines
J.D. Power’s annual dependability rankings include a strong showing from a number of mass-market manufacturers, including Toyota, General Motors and Hyundai.

The 2014 Toyota Prius topped J.D. Power’s latest dependability rankings in the compact car segment, one of 10 category wins for the mass-market OEM. Photo courtesy Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc.
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Lexus and Porsche landed at the top of the list in J.D. Power's 2017 edition of its annual Vehicle Dependability Study. The study is based on a survey of original owners of vehicles built in 2014 and ranks manufacturers by problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100).
The two luxury carmakers earned their rankings by registering the lowest scores. But Dave Sargent, the company's vice president of global automotive, said mass-market brands had a good showing as well.
“We find buyers are increasingly avoiding models with poor reputations for dependability, so manufacturers can’t afford to let quality slip, particularly on their best sellers,” Sargent said. “While many expensive and niche vehicles do have excellent quality, the fact is that most consumers are shopping in the high-volume mainstream segments. The good news is that consumers don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a very dependable vehicle.”
Lexus topped J.D. Power’s nameplate rankings for the sixth consecutive year, earning a score of 100 PP100 and tying Porsche for the No. 1 spot. Here are other highlights from the study:
Toyota moved from No. 3 to No. 2 with a score of 123 PP100 and earned 10 of 18 segment awards.
Buick (126 PP100) took the No. 3 spot, followed by Mercedes-Benz (131 PP100).
Hyundai (133 PP100) shaved 25 points off last year’s score and jumped up to No. 6 in the rankings.
Dodge, Ford and Land Rover each improved their scores by at least 20 PP100.
To read the complete results of the study, including individual vehicle rankings and further analysis, click here.
Originally posted on F&I and Showroom
More Dealer Ops

Dealer Debrief: Defection Data & EV Updates
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses how to use defection data to your advantage and the latest on EV sales and charging infrastructure.
Read More →
How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Where are you losing customers?
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the hidden leaks in dealerships where you might be losing customers without even realizing it.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Improving Your Inventory Management
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence covers a new survey that shows what service technicians really want and two launches that could help improve your inventory and vehicle life cycle management.
Read More →
Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is a Dealership: Why the Fundamentals Still Decide Who Wins
A teaching moment by a legendary football coach happens to apply perfectly in the auto retail space. Learn what it is and how to use it to your store’s advantage.
Read More →
What Market Timing Mistakes Mean for Your Reinsurance Program
When volatility hits, dealer-owned reinsurance programs face a familiar temptation: pull back and wait for calmer waters. New data from BOK Financial shows why that instinct can quietly cost you years of surplus growth.
Read More →
Dealer Ads and the FTC
The agency has made it clear in recent enforcement actions and warnings, in auto retail and other industries, that advertised prices must include all nonoptional costs to the consumer.
Read More →
Used Autos Supply Dwindles
The March shopping surge, despite high prices, cut into inventory by the most since the thick of the pandemic, Cox Automotive analysts calculated.
Read More →
Managing Risk Effectively Through Changing Times
The variables influencing risk pricing have changed significantly over the past five years. Being proactive and responsive to emerging trends is not optional but essential.
Read More →
Survey Reveals What Won't Fix What's Breaking Car Sales
AutoPayPlus says extra-long auto loans are trapping consumers and threatening the dealer trade-in cycle, and that the industry is leveraging the wrong tools to combat high MSRPs.
Read More →
