Lexus Tops J.D. Power’s Dependability Study, Tesla (Unofficially) 30th Of 33

The annual J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study has been released, with the top three positions being occupied by Lexus, Porsche and Kia.

The study, now in its 32nd year, measures the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old vehicles, meaning 2018 model year vehicles were tested this year. It covers 177 specific problems grouped into the categories of audio/communication/entertainment/navigation, engine/transmission, exterior, interior, features/controls/displays, driving experience, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and seats. The lower the score, the better.

J.D. Power notes that the industry average was 121 PP100, the lowest in the study’s history and a significant 10 per cent improvement from 134 PP100 in 2020.

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Lexus came out on top with a score of 81 PP100, meaning this is the ninth time in 10 years that the Japanese luxury automaker has topped the charts. Porsche came in at second at 86 PP100, followed by Kia with 97 PP100, Toyota at 98 PP100 and Buick with 100 PP100. Kia’s dependability score fell by 35 PP100 from 2020. Other carmakers with better dependability than average included Cadillac, Hyundai, Genesis, Lincoln, Acura, BMW, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, and Mazda.

Meanwhile, brands that fell below the industry average included Mercedes-Benz (122 PP100), Dodge (125 PP100), Audi (127 PP100), Nissan (128 PP100), Volvo (143 PP100), Jaguar (186 PP100), and in last place, Land Rover (244 PP100).

Tesla, meanwhile, was included in the study, but not in the official rankings. That’s because the automaker doesn’t grant J.D. Power permission to survey its owners in 15 U.S. states. Nevertheless, the study included 756 Tesla respondents from 35 states and it scored 176 problems per 100 vehicles, which, if it were included in the rankings, would put it in 30th place out of a total of 33.