Lexus wins 4th straight J.D. Power dependability title; Buick rises to No. 2

Toyota’s Lexus claimed its fourth consecutive title as most-dependable automotive brand after three years of ownership while corporate sibling Scion jumped to ninth place from 22nd a year earlier, J.D. Power and Associates said today.

Buick came in at No. 2, rising three spots from last year. The Toyota brand, Cadillac and Honda rounded out the top five in J.D. Power's 2015 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study.

“Lexus just continues to execute well,” said Renee Stephens, J.D. Power’s vice president of U.S. auto quality, in an interview.

Vehicles built by Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors dominated the lists of winners by model segment.

Toyota brands won half of the eight awards in the car segments. GM brands won three, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class was the highest ranked midsize premium car.

In the utility segment rankings, GM brands won four of the 11 awards. Toyota divisions won three. The Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class, Kia Sportage, Honda Ridgeline and Nissan Murano also won in their segments.

Bluetooth connectivity issues and voice recognition were the most frequently reported problems after three years of ownership.

“These are 2012 model vehicles,” Stephens said. “Bluetooth and voice recognition were relatively new then.”

Fall and rise

Mercedes-Benz fell from second to eighth, while Acura dropped from fourth to 12th.

Toyota's Scion, meanwhile, was the surprise this year.

“All of the rank-able Scions actually led in their segments,” Stephens said.

Scion won small car, compact sporty car and compact MPV. Last year, Scion won only in the compact MPV category.

Of the 32 brands ranked, Mitsubishi and Ram saw the most improvement after Scion. Ram jumped 11 rank positions, to 14th, and Mitsubishi rose 10 spots, to 17th.

The lowest ranked were Fiat and Land Rover. Their scores of 273 and 258, respectively, reflected problems reported per 100 vehicles.

Among individual models, GM and Toyota each received seven segment awards. GM was honored for the Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra LD, GMC Terrain and GMC Yukon.

Toyota’s Lexus ES, Lexus GX, Scion tC, Scion xB, Scion xD, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Sienna were also recognized.

Power said this year’s study more accurately measures the quality of today’s vehicles, focusing on new technologies and features, compared with studies in previous years.

Because of the study’s redesign, numerical scores in the 2015 study cannot be compared with scores in previous-year studies.

The study, in its 26th year, was based on responses from more than 34,000 original owners of 2012 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. It was fielded in November and December 2014 and covers 177 specific problem symptoms grouped into eight major vehicle categories. Dependability is determined by the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles, meaning the lower the score, the higher the quality.

The industry-wide average this year was 147 problems per 100 vehicles, or about 1.5 problems per vehicle.

Bluetooth blues

Despite the relative newness of Bluetooth and voice recognition three years ago, researchers still expect complaints about those technologies to remain high over the next couple years, Stephens said.

Over half of owners who complained about Bluetooth connectivity said that the phone wouldn’t connect.

And it “carries on throughout ownership, not just the first time,” she said. Vehicle technology “is not going away. The expectations are building.”

Only 43 percent of owners who report three or more problems said they “definitely will” purchase the same brand again. Of those who experienced no problems, more than half said they “definitely will” invest in the same brand.

Six of the top 10 reported problems were design-related, rather than the result of a defect or malfunction. The most-often reported problems were related to exteriors; engines or transmissions; and audio, communication, entertainment and navigation features.