J.D. Power is sharing the results of its 2024 U.S. Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study and with it comes some good news. It appears automakers are making headway in improving infotainment systems. In this year's study, researchers say infotainment drops from being 25% of the industry problems. J.D. Power says the biggest improvements amongst the top 10 problems cited by drivers are voice recognition, lack of USB ports and inconsistent volume.
“It is great to see OEMs and suppliers taking action on what were typically the biggest contributors to the increases in vehicle multimedia quality problems,” said Ashley Edgar, senior director of automotive benchmarking at J.D. Power. “Previously long-standing issues have been addressed and those updates can be seen in the problem decreases. Looking ahead, to continue decreasing problems, further optimization of Apple Car Play and Android Auto should remain a top priority.”
The study shows that in 2020, overall multimedia problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) was at 39.1, a number that's steadily increased until 2024 with 43.7 PP100, excluding repair data. A lower score reflects higher quality.
Here are the highest-ranked vehicles ranked by segment when it comes to the overall multimedia customer quality and satisfaction index rating:
The Cadillac Escalade ranked highest of the four with a 935 based on a 1,000 point scale.
When it comes to navigation suppliers, the top three ranked are:
Alps Alpine audio is the highest ranked speaker supplier system with the Volvo V60 ranking first of vehicles.
The 2024 U.S. Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 99,144 purchasers and lessees of new 2024 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. Study field dates were from July 2023-May 2024. For more info visit J.D. Powers.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy. Credit: Hyundai.