Genesis, Kia, Hyundai top J.D. Power quality rankings for 1st time

Genesis, Hyundai's luxury brand, topped an annual U.S. report card on 2018 new-vehicle quality, followed by Kia in second place and Hyundai in third, marking the first time South Korea's three chief automotive brands have topped the closely watched J.D. Power study.

Genesis, with 68 problems reported per 100 vehicles, jumped to No. 1 in its second year as an independent brand. Kia, which had topped the study two consecutive years, dropped to second place with 72. The Hyundai brand improved by 14 points compared with 2017 with 74.

Kia has been the top-ranked mass-market brand for four consecutive years.

J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study scores reflect the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles over the first 90 days of ownership. Across the industry, new-vehicle quality improved for the fourth consecutive year and has reached its best level ever, J.D. Power said.

Porsche placed fourth with 79 problems per 100 vehicles; the Porsche 911 had the lowest number of problems reported -- 48 -- among all cars and light trucks.

The Ford brand rounded out the top five with 81, a five-point improvement over 2017. It was followed by Chevrolet, Lincoln, Lexus, Ram and Nissan.

Three Japanese brands -- Lexus, Nissan and Infiniti -- performed better than the industry average.

At the bottom were Land Rover, Jaguar and Volvo.

Other highlights of the 2018 study:

• The industry average for 2018 models -- 93 problems per 100 vehicles -- is four points better than in 2017.
• Mazda posted the biggest gain among all brands, with a 25-point improvement, while Mitsubishi had the second-biggest improvement, with 111 problems per 100 vehicles. Cadillac rose to 11th place from 14th place, with a 15-point improvement. In addition to Hyundai, Infiniti and Lexus also showed significant but smaller gains.
• Fiat, which placed last in 2017, was excluded from the latest study because of an insufficient sample size.
• New-vehicle quality improved across six of eight categories measured, with 21 of 31 brands posting gains compared with 2017. Among major systems and features tracked, Power said the biggest improvement came in vehicle exterior (less wind noise and fewer paint imperfections) seating systems and vehicle interior.
• Infotainment remains the most problematic area for new-vehicle owners, despite improving for the third year in a row. The improvement is the result of fewer issues with built-in voice recognition systems, Power said.
• Driver assistance system complaints are on the rise, increasing by 20 percent per year for the past three years, with 3.5 problems reported per 100 vehicles in 2018.

J.D. Power 2018 U.S. Initial Quality Study

Nameplate IQS ranking		Problems per 100 vehicles
Genesis		68
Kia		72
Hyundai		74
Porsche		79
Ford		81
Chevrolet		82
Lincoln		83
Lexus		84
Nissan		85
BMW		87
Cadillac		90
Mini		90
Infiniti		92
Mercedes-Benz		92
Industry Average		93
Buick		95
Jeep		96
Toyota		96
Dodge		98
Acura		99
GMC		99
Mazda		100
Honda		102
Volkswagen		103
Audi		105
Chrysler		111
Mitsubishi		111
Subaru		115
Volvo		122
Jaguar		148
Land Rover		160

"As we look to the future, avoiding problems with safety and driver assistance technology is critical," Dave Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power, said in a statement. "In an era of increasingly automated vehicles, vehicle owners have to be comfortable using foundational technologies like lane keep assistance and collision avoidance. Otherwise, automakers will not easily overcome consumer resistance to fully automated [driverless] cars."

Fiat Chrysler improved by seven points, and Ford and General Motors improved by five, surpassing the industry average rate of a four-point improvement.

Five Ford models nabbed segment honors: the Ford Expedition (large SUV), Ford Mustang (sporty car), Ford Super Duty (large heavy-duty pickup), Lincoln Continental (midsize premium car) and Lincoln MKC (compact premium SUV). General Motors had four models that nabbed top segment spots: including the Buick Envision, Chevrolet Silverado and the Silverado HD.

Ford received the most model-level awards, followed by Hyundai Motor Group (four), BMW, GM and Nissan (three each).

J.D. Power said the study is based on responses from 75,712 buyers and lessees of new 2018 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was conducted from February through May.