news

2015 J.D. Power dependability study: Lexus on top; Bluetooth, voice recognition most cited problems

The 2015 J.D. Power dependability study has named Lexus as the most reliable brand for the fourth year running.


This year's study is based on the experiences of 34,000 US owners of 2012 model year vehicles, meaning that many of these cars were purchased in 2011.

The top two issues reported in this year's survey were Bluetooth pairing and voice recognition systems misinterpreting users' commands. This closely aligns with the findings J.D. Power's 2014 initial quality survey.

55 percent of respondents who had Bluetooth problems said that their cars didn't recognise their phones at all, while 31 percent claimed that their cars wouldn't automatically reconnect with the mobiles.

According to J.D. Power, the quantity of drivetrain problems being reported "remains high". Almost 30 percent of drivetrain issues related to automatic transmissions either shifting roughly or hesitating.

As far as overall reliability is concerned, Lexus finished well ahead of Buick and Toyota, which came in second and third respectively. Cadillac finished in fourth position, while Honda and Porsche were tied for fifth.

For the 2012 model year, the top vehicles, in order, for each market segment were:

Small car - Scion xD, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit (AKA Jazz)
Small SUV - Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson (AKA ix35), Jeep Patriot
Compact car - Toyota Corolla, Nissan Leaf, Honda Civic
Compact MPV - Scion xB (sold in Australia as the Toyota Rukus), Mazda 5, Toyota Prius V
Compact premium car - Lexus ES, Lincoln MKZ, Lexus CT
Compact premium SUV - Mercedes-Benz GLK, Acura RDX, BMW X3
Compact SUV - GMC Terrain (a relation of the Holden Captiva), Toyota FJ Cruiser, Toyota RAV4
Compact sporty car - Scion tC, Volkswagen Eos, Mini Cooper
Mid-size car - Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry
Mid-size premium car - Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Lincoln MKS, Infiniti M
Mid-size premium SUV - Lexus GX (sold in Australia as the Toyota LandCruiser Prado), Lexus RX, Cadillac SRX
Mid-size SUV - Nissan Murano, Buick Enclave, Toyota Highlander (AKA Kluger), Toyota Venza
Mid-size sporty car - Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang
Mid-size ute - Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier (AKA Navara), Toyota Tacoma
People mover - Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey (US version)
Large car - Buick LaCrosse, Toyota Avalon, Ford Taurus
Large SUV - GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban
Large heavy duty ute - Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD
Large light duty ute - GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado, Ram 1500

Chat with us!







Chat with Agent