Ram, Chevrolet Top 2024 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

Ram has claimed the top spot in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey for 2024 after finishing in second last year.

Chevrolet is the runner-up, moving from fifth, while Hyundai, Kia and Buick rounded out this year’s top five.

Porsche is sixth overall and the highest ranked premium brand, edging out seventh place Lexus.

The study was updated this year to incorporate repair data along with responses to its traditional survey, which asks owners to report problems they have with the vehicles.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE OWNERS SAY THEY DON’T GET GREAT SERVICE

This doesn’t necessarily mean something is broken, but can just be that the owners they are not satisfied with the design or execution of a feature.

As such, electronic systems continue to challenge automakers, and the overall problems per vehicle average rose from 192 in 2023 to 195 in 2024. False warnings, smartphone connectivity and complex vehicle controls are among the pain points highlighted. However, vehicle odor saw the highest increase in complaints since last year.

“It is not surprising that the introduction of new technology has challenged manufacturers to maintain vehicle quality,” Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, said in a press release on the report. “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.”

The study also found that electric and hybrid vehicles required more repairs than gas and diesel vehicles.

“Owners of cutting edge, tech-filled BEVs and PHEVs 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 added.

Among vehicle segment-specific awards, General Motors had the most with six while Hyundai Motor Group (Hyundai, Kia and Genesis) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota, Lexus) each had four.

The most astonishing change from last year is Dodge dropping from the top spot all the way to the bottom, which Hanley told American Cars And Racing is largely due to the discontinuation of the Charger and Challenger and the introduction of the Hornet.