Lexus tops in vehicle dependability study again

For the second consecutive year, Lexus was the top-ranking brand in J.D. Power and Associates' 2013 Vehicle Dependability Study. The study, now in its 24th year, monitors problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old vehicles (2010 model year in this case).

Porsche, Lincoln, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz completed the top five rankings, in that order.

Land Rover was the lowest ranking brand, behind Dodge, Mitsubishi, Jeep and Volkswagen, in ascending order.

Toyota and Lexus models claimed the top spot in seven individual categories, while GM models were first in four.

Overall industry performance improved from an average of 132 problems per 1000 vehicles (PP100) last year, for 2009 models, to 126 PP100 for 2010 vehicles – the lowest problem count since the inception of the study in 1989. A lower score indicates greater dependability.

"The continuous improvement in long-term dependability means consumers should have more confidence in (buying) three-year-old vehicles," said David Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power and Associates. "This means there are a lot of dependable off-lease vehicles in the used-vehicle market."

For the first time since 2009, there were fewer reported problems for vehicles that were all-new or redesigned for the model year monitored than for carryover models with minor changes. New vehicles had a rating of just 111 PP100.

"There is a perception that all-new models, or models that undergo a major redesign, are more problematic than carryover models," said Sargent.

"Data from the 2013 VDS suggests that this is not the case. The rapid improvement in fundamental vehicle dependability each year is more than offsetting any initial glitches that all-new or redesigned models may have."

Among the brands included in the study, 21 improved in dependability relative to last year's scores.

North-American nameplates improved at a slightly greater rate than import brands, narrowing gap between the two from 13 to 10 PP100. Overall, North-American nameplates averaged 133 PP100, compared to 123 PP100 for import brands.

The 2013 Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from more than 37,000 original owners of 2010 model-year vehicles (in the U.S.) after three years of ownership. The study was fielded between October and December 2012.

The complete lists of brand rankings, from best to worst, and category leaders, follows:

Top Three Models per Segment
Car Segments

Sub-Compact Car