Earlier this year, J.D. Power, a global leader in consumer insights, data and analytics released its 2019 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). Now in its 30th year, J.D. Power’s VDS analyzes three-year-old vehicles annually to find problems experienced by their original owners.
With this data, they can ascertain the most dependable car brands each year based upon the number of problems owners of each manufacturer’s vehicles have reported over the previous three years. The responses of more than 80,000 verified owners inform the VDS.
This year’s findings are based upon vehicles designated as 2016 models.
Dependability is Up Industry-Wide
The study measures the number of problems brands experienced per 100 vehicles during the past 12 months from the cars they built for 2016. The lower their total score, the more highly they rank. All in all, there was good news across the board for 2019, though there were also a few thorns to be found.
“Vehicle dependability continues to improve, but I wouldn’t say everything is rosy,” said Dave Sargent, vice president of Global Automotive at J.D. Power. “Vehicles are more reliable than ever, but automakers are wrestling with problems such as voice recognition, transmissions and battery failures.”
Why This Matters
One of the leading causes of depreciation is the perceived reliability of a manufacturer’s products. The most dependable car brands tend to have better resale value. Thus, after you’ve used an auto loan calculator to get an idea of what a car will actually cost you to acquire, you can factor in potential depreciation costs to further inform your purchasing decision. This will help you find the best values when shopping for a new car.
The Top-Rated Brands
Living up to its long-running reputation for sterling reliability, Toyota and its luxury brand Lexus took the top two positions, with Lexus ranking number one for the eighth straight year. Tied for second place with Toyota is Porsche. Rounding out the top five positions are Chevrolet and Buick.
Let’s take a look at the overall findings.
Purchasing a car from one of the most dependable car brands has a number of benefits; among them are lower maintenance costs, added peace of mind and potentially higher resale values. While car buying tends to be an emotional purchase for a lot of people, it’s always a good idea to consider the practical aspects of a purchase too.
