Admittedly, three months is hardly sufficient time to assess the quality of a lawnmower, never mind a $35,000 automobile. Yet when consumer research firm J.D. Power asked nearly 80,000 Americans how their 2017 model-year car or truck held up after 90 days of ownership, they were very forthcoming. Power’s researchers believe there’s value in examining the consumer’s experience 90 days in, because a poorly made car can reveal itself quite early in the relationship. And it appears they’re right. There’s such a deviation in the sum of reported problems by brand – from 72 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) for Kia to 163 PP100 for Fiat – that it suggests some automakers know how to please buyers better than others.
By Mark Toljagic
Design plus quality problems
J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study (IQS) is designed to document all the things wrong with a vehicle, with each one referred to as a problem. Trouble is, J.D. Power doesn’t differentiate between a design issue, such as a finicky phone interface, and an obvious lapse in assembly quality, such as a sagging headliner. They’re all problems. To help dissect the IQS information, we’ve looked at common complaints accrued online to learn what owners are griping about in terms of significant faults. Here are the 10 poorest brands in terms of initial quality presented in descending order from 10 to 1 (poorest), along with their scores and comments on their problems.
Nissan’s luxury/performance division is toiling hard to capture market share in North America in the face of stiff competition by the established and lusty European brands. It doesn’t help that Infiniti has had to contend with technology hiccups that irritate owners. Chiefly, Infiniti’s inTouch electronics can be buggy, slow or won’t respond to inputs at all, owners report. The Driver Assist Package may not function and a few sonar control units have been replaced. It’s indicative of problems a number of manufacturers have been grappling with since introducing advanced features such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, collision avoidance and other high-tech gear that comprise the building blocks of autonomous automobiles, says J.D. Power. The adoption of run-flat tires on most trim levels of the Q50 sedan equates to subpar handling when the car is driven hard, and owners note the tires are noisy, unreliable and expensive to replace. Despite Infiniti’s relatively low brand ranking, its QX80 luxury sport utility did earn the highest IQS score in the Large Premium SUV category.
Fiat Chrysler’s time-honoured Jeep brand – often portrayed as America’s tough-as-nails, all-terrain conqueror – has a diehard reputation with its fans. Yet, curiously, owners have to contend with ongoing mechanical problems that recall a darker period in automobile manufacturing. Leaking transfer cases, faulty transmissions, unreliable electrics and the notorious “death wobble” as the suspension components wear are all symptoms of an aging design used by the iconic Wrangler. Modern unibody Jeep platforms are hardly immune to issues, either. The popular Cherokee has been the subject of widespread complaints about its jerky nine-speed automatic transmission. Owners have reported sudden lunges from unexpected downshifts, driveline vibration in low gears, as well as wholesale failures. The Cherokee’s base 2.4-L four-cylinder engine has also exhibited a number of faults, including oil consumption. The brand’s relatively benign standing in the IQS belies bigger problems as the vehicles age, which show up in J.D. Power’s annual dependability studies. Yet despite Jeep’s less than stellar ranking, buyers continue to line up for deals on Jeeps that promise an adventure in ownership.
Subaru has cultivated a sterling reputation for quality in North America over the years – a good thing, too, as its cars were pretty hard on the eyes for the longest time. But its models haven’t always been flawless: the early 2000s models were prone to leaking head gaskets that were expensive to replace on its trademark boxer engines, and more recently Subaru has had to contend with a spate of oil-burning engines. Reflecting the latest IQS study, Subie owners are talking about the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and its tendency to jerk and shudder even while cruising on the highway at a steady speed. It’s too bad as Subaru was an early adopter of the technology (hands up if you remember the tiny Justy). Other gripes include water leaks into the cabin, chip-prone windshields, and in the all-new Impreza, a troublesome audio system and backup camera. The Starlink touch screen and apps are very confusing and convoluted, say owners. There are other carmakers that provide more intuitive interface controls.
As Volkswagen’s aspirational brand – well, if you exclude Bentley and Porsche – Audi has been racking up a lot of sales in recent years with its line of fashionable sports sedans, coupes and sport-utes. The brand exudes a perceived quality that impresses in the showroom. However, a lot of components are drawn from VW’s deep parts bins, including the fussy 2.0-L turbocharged four-cylinder engine that’s notorious for consuming oil. We know of one Montreal Audi dealership that tops up the oil at no cost – and some customers make a habit of dropping in every three weeks. Owners are also reporting engine malfunctions, along with transmission woes, including autoboxes that won’t shift out of Park. Electrical glitches involving the power windows, steering-wheel controls and myriad sensors continue to frustrate owners, especially when repairs can take an excessive number of days. Drivers note that Audi’s head-up display can produce glare and reflections that interfere with the view of the road under certain conditions.
Mazda is a Japanese brand that frequently performs underwhelmingly in J.D. Power’s initial quality and dependability studies for reasons that run contrary to owners’ good word of mouth. Equally curious is the fact that most of the model lineup is imported from Japan, rather than assembled in North America. One problem that has CX-5 owners talking is the large number of windshields that have cracked and/or shattered, sometimes with no apparent stone impact (some sunroofs have shattered without cause, too). Witnesses claim the windshields are too thin and prone to spontaneously cracking. Mazda won’t own up to it, leaving drivers to make insurance claims – though there’s a lawsuit brewing. The audio, infotainment and navigation systems used in several Mazda models have been giving owners headaches, as well. Typical problems include poor Bluetooth connectivity, bad GPS information and intermittent displays. The automatic transmission in the Mazda 6 can sometimes hesitate when shifting from Reverse to Drive – an ominous sign. A few transmissions have been replaced early.
Thanks to unprecedented interest in luxury vehicles by consumers flush with cash and access to low-interest lines of credit, Land Rover is enjoying booming sales with its handsome, contemporary designs and newfound attention to careful assembly in its U.K. facilities. However, Land Rovers continue the tradition of exhibiting reliability issues early in the ownership experience. Electronics can present numerous problems from failed instrument displays to malfunctioning cameras. The standard audio system is largely considered cheap and underwhelming. Bluetooth integration can be spotty. Drivetrain vibration is a common irritant. Owners report plenty of Check Engine lights to decode and software upgrades to perform. The heavy trucks consume brakes and tires rapidly, and engines can seep oil. Despite Tata’s best efforts to add lustre to the brand, Land Rover continues to be dogged by less than flattering assessments by its long-suffering customers.
Mitsubishi is another longtime Japanese carmaker that often doesn’t score well in quality measures, yet when you speak to Mitsubishi owners they largely have good things to say. What gives? We don’t see a lot of complaints by Mitsu owners online, although the automaker’s adherence to the CVT transmission (a product of Nissan’s Jatco) has been shaken by some reliability complaints. The updated Outlander did introduce some electronic snafus related to the forward collision mitigation system and other high-tech driving aids. However, the cars come with a full roster of infotainment features that appear to work well, and why not – Mitsubishi is an electronics maker, too. The single most common gripe has to do with paint quality. Owners are baffled by the rapid accumulation of paint chips and even peeling seen on the hood. Mitsubishi owners might stand to benefit from installing a hood deflector or urethane paint protection. Noteworthy is the fact that Mitsubishi is one of the few manufacturers to provide a comprehensive five-year factory warranty.
Chinese truck manufacturer Geely purchased the automobile division of Volvo in 2010 to help breathe new life into what was becoming a moribund brand (by contrast, Volvo Truck continues to dominate the trucking world and remains headquartered in Sweden). Marshaling considerable resources, Volvo finally introduced its Scalable Product Architecture platform used to underpin its second-generation XC90 sport-ute, as well as the automaker’s premium S/V90 sedans and wagons. The models use various versions of a turbocharged 2.0-L four-cylinder engine, the most powerful of which employs both a turbocharger and a supercharger to produce 316 horsepower. The hybrid model adds an electric motor at the rear axle for a total of 400 hp. Unfortunately, owners have had to contend with numerous electronic glitches, from non-operative instrument displays, to slipping transmissions to faulty door locks and air conditioners, and other electrical malfunctions in these all-new models. Most disconcertingly, the car’s automated braking system reportedly may activate at random, which could lead to a collision. Volvo is working hard to debug its overly complex technologies.
In addition to Land Rover, Tata’s other premium brand acquired from Ford is Jaguar, a famed British motorcycle sidecar and automobile body maker that graduated to building its own sports sedan and roadster models before the Second World War. With a penchant for crafting sleek and sinewy luxury automobiles, Jaguar had few rivals for decades, although reliability issues often dogged the brand. Most recently, its lineup of sporty cars, and now the F-Pace sport utility, has garnered a new audience along with growing scrutiny of their build quality. Owners talk about unreliable electronic interfaces and displays that have to be reset by turning off the engine, as well as random stalling and failure to start. Air conditioning performance can be subpar, and sunroof mechanisms may jam. Owners also report body panel gaps that vary around the F-Pace – a surprising lapse from a reputed coach builder that commands premium prices. Jaguar’s problems per 100 vehicles actually increased from 127 PP100 in 2016 to 148 PP100 this year, a troubling trend that’s moving in the opposite direction from much of the industry.
lity - 2017
Fiat still has a challenge convincing wary Canadians that it is not the same automaker that inelegantly fled North America in 1983, leaving its customers without warranty coverage. Today’s Fiat models, which are sold through Chrysler showrooms, have not been entirely immune to faults that marred the earlier cars. For example, manual transmission users have complained about fast-wearing clutches and pressure plates. At launch the 500L, Fiat’s chubby five-door hatchback with room for five adults, offered a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that has been plagued with problems, including burning clutches, locking gears and a propensity to shut down, say owners. Fiat wisely replaced the dual-clutch transmission with a conventional six-speed automatic supplied by Aisin (a Toyota subsidiary) on new models. Electrical faults are common in other models and Fiat’s little turbo engine can overheat. Owners also report a myriad of irritating glitches, such as hatches that don’t latch easily and radios that go blank. Fiat’s brand resurrection is a work in progress.
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