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Auto Blog
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Lexus, Nissan Top 2025 J.D. Power Quality Rankings
The Winners If you're looking for a new car and want to ensure the best quality right off the assembly line you might take a closer look at Lexus and Nissan. The two Japanese automakers topped the 2025 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study – which tallies up what owners have to say about their vehicles during the first 90 days of ownership. Nissan Ariya at the automaker's global headquarters in Japan — Source: Getty The IQS looks at the number of issues owners have experienced – everything from electronic glitches to faulty transmissions – tallied up as 'problems per 100 vehicles, or PP100 in Power-speak. The lower the score the higher the quality. And by that measure, Lexus had a score of 166, making it both the best brand in the luxury category but tops overall. Nissan was surprisingly close behind, at 169 PP100, making it second overall and tops among mainstream brands. And the Losers The list of losers in this year's IQS starts with Ram. Last year's overall winner, the Stellantis truck division tumbled 24 spots in the overall ranking – among the 33 brands covered by the 2025 IQS. With a score of 218, it fell well below the industry average of 192 PP100, largely due to owner complaints about the Ram 1500, which went through a complete makeover for this model year. In general, all-new models, as well as those that went through a major redesign, tended to have more quality problems than carryover vehicles, the IQS revealed. Source: Ram Audi anchored the list, with a score of 269 problems per 100, a 10% increase in owner complaints this year. And Volvo was again second-to-last, at 258 PP100, Infiniti doing only slightly better with a score of 242. Rivian, actually, would have been dead last this year with 274 problems reported by owners. But it wasn't officially rolled into the list 'due to limited data,' said Power in a summary of the 2025 IQS results. Tesla, the biggest of the all-electric brands, was a mixed bag. It also was left out of the formal list since the automaker makes it difficult for Power to track owners in some states and then get them to fill out surveys. Based on the data it did get, however, Tesla had a score of 200. While still well below the industry average, the EV company managed to reduce the number of complaints substantially compared to 2024 when it had a score of 266. Some Surprises While Ram's sharp tumble in the IQS rankings was easily the biggest surprise this year, there were a number of other unexpected findings. That started with Jaguar which this year is the fourth-ranked brand – just behind Korea's Hyundai – with a score of 175 PP100. The British brand has a historical record of quality problems but has been working its way up the J.D. Power charts in recent years. It was ninth in 2024. As for why it's doing so well? Jaguar has slashed its line-up to a few core products – all older models that it has had time to work out the bugs with, according to Power. The challenge will be maintaining quality when Jaguar begins rolling out a new range of EVs over the coming years. 2025 Jaguar F-Pace — Source: Jaguar Then there was Dodge, the Stellantis muscle car brand. It scored the biggest turnaround on the IQS, going from dead last in 2024 to seventh this year. But there's an asterisk here: Dodge was previously dragged down by problems with its little Hornet model. But the Italian SUV wasn't included in the latest study due to a lack of data. What Ticked Off Owners The good news is that traditional, mechanical problems, such as faulty powertrains, have become increasingly uncommon with today's vehicles. These days, high-tech features tend to be the biggest concern for motorists, notably faulty voice control systems. 'While customers do find the larger touchscreens visually appealing,' said Frank Hanley, Power's senior director of auto benchmarking, 'owners find these things to be overly complicated and too distracting to use while driving. By retaining dedicated physical controls for some of these interactions, automakers can alleviate pain points and simplify the overall customer experience.' Source: James Riswick Another source of trouble? Cupholders. There are more than enough in most vehicles today. The problem, owners told Power, is that they're often too small, or not flexible enough to handle the variety of beverage containers passengers bring into their vehicles: juice boxes, soda bottles, Big Gulps and Yetis. 'While it seemed like manufacturers had cupholders figured out,' Power noted, they're struggling to keep up with being able to accommodate all the different shapes and sizes that are increasingly available.' Electrified Vehicles Cause More Problems Conventional hybrids, like the Toyota Prius, have become increasingly common these days, and despite having more complex drivetrains they tend to create only slightly more problems than models running entirely on gasoline, an average 196 PP100 compared to 184, respectively. Tesla Model Y — Source: Tesla More advanced battery-based drivetrains still give motorists headaches, according the IQS. And, for the first time, plug-in hybrids were reported to have more issues – an average 237 problems per 100 vehicles – than pure battery-electric models. The lower score for BEVs, at 212 PP100, largely reflects the improvements made by Tesla this past year, Power reported. The Top Models As for the single best vehicle on the market, at least in terms of initial quality? The Porsche 911 which experienced just 116 problems per 100 according to its owners. 911 GT3 The IQS also breaks out the best models in 22 separate vehicle segments. Of these, General Motors had the most top-ranked products, a total of five, with Ford landing four, Honda another three. Ford was the top-ranked brand, again with four segment winners, including the Super Duty named tops in the Large Heavy Duty Pickup category. Its F-150 had a tie in the Large Light Duty Pickup category with the Chevrolet Silverado. Chevy placed three segment winners, overall. About the Author Paul Eisenstein View Profile
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hyundai Finishes Second Among Mass-Market Brands in J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study; Santa Cruz Named Top Midsize Pickup
Hyundai rises to second among mass-market brands Hyundai ranks third in the industry overall for the second year in a row Santa Cruz Top Midsize Pickup for the second consecutive year Hyundai Sonata finishes second in the Midsize Car segmenti Hyundai Elantra finishes third in the Compact Car segment Hyundai Palisade finishes third in Upper Midsize SUV segmentii FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., June 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai ranked second among mass-market brands and third overall in the industry for the second consecutive year in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS)℠. For vehicles, the Hyundai Santa Cruz was the highest-ranked Midsize Pickup for the second year in a row. This recognition reinforces Santa Cruz's reputation for bold design, everyday versatility, and exceptional quality. Additionally, the Sonata finished second and the Elantra and Palisade each secured third place in their respective segments. Hyundai's rise to second among mass-market brands in the J.D. Power 2025 IQS reflects our entire Hyundai Motor Group team applying relentless collaboration and focus on quality," said Barry Ratzlaff, chief customer officer, Hyundai Motor North America. "Santa Cruz leading the midsize pickup segment for the second year in a row is no coincidence; this vehicle was designed to be different, and thanks to the dedication of our teams, it's not just turning heads, it's delivering where it matters most: quality, and driver confidence. IONIQ 5 improved significantly with key updates and the launch from the new metaplant in Georgia. The New Santa Fe from HMMA launched with a better score than the prior generation. Recognition for Sonata, Elantra, and Palisade further reinforces the strength and consistency of our entire lineup." Underneath its distinctive styling, the Santa Cruz delivers refined driving dynamics, clever storage solutions, and an interior packed with technology. These features make it equally at home on city streets and backcountry roads. With a robust powertrain, standard safety features, and intuitive connectivity, it offers the versatility of a pickup with the polish of a crossover. Study Highlights: The J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study is based on responses from 92,694 purchasers and lessees of new 2025 model-year vehicles surveyed early in their ownership period. This is the study's 39th year. J.D. Power measures initial quality by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership. A lower score reflects higher quality. Conducted between June 2024 through May 2025, the J.D. Power 2025 IQS study is the result of Voice of the Customer (VOC) questions plus relevant repair data survey results organized into 10 categories: infotainment; features, control and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; powertrain; seats; driving experience; climate; and unspecified (unique to repair). The study is designed to provide automakers with information to help identify problems and drive product improvement. About J.D. PowerJ.D. Power is a global leader in automotive data and analytics, and provides industry intelligence, consumer insights and advisory solutions to the automotive industry and selected non-automotive industries. J.D. Power leverages its extensive proprietary datasets and software capabilities combined with advanced analytics and artificial intelligence tools to help its clients optimize business performance. J.D. Power was founded in 1968 and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit The J.D. Power auto-shopping tool can be found at Hyundai Motor AmericaHyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles, while supporting Hyundai Motor Company's Progress for Humanity vision. Hyundai has significant operations in the U.S., including its North American headquarters in California, the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama assembly plant, the all-new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America and several cutting-edge R&D facilities. These operations, combined with those of Hyundai's 850 independent dealers, contribute $20.1 billion annually and 190,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, according to a recent economic impact report. For more information, visit Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok i Tied in 2025 with the Chevrolet Malibu ii Tied in 2025 with the Nissan Pathfinder View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Hyundai Motor America
