Ram Tops 2024 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

We talked about this on the show Saturday and I am pleased to bring it to you today, and I will admit there were some real surprises.  - Jerry Reynolds, Host of the Car Pro Show.

J.D. Power is sharing its 2024 Initial Quality Study.  Overall,  problems are up this year over last. But on the bright side, they didn't increase as much as in the past two years. 

New this year,  the study incorporates franchise dealership repair visits with the Voice of the Customer (VOC) data to create a more expansive metric for problems per 100 vehicles (PP100).  This year's industry average is 195 PP100 versus 192 PP100 in 2023. That's up just 3 points compared to a 12 point increase in 2023's study and an 18 point increase in the 2022 study.

Mass market brands, with a combined average of 181 PP100, outperform the industry average. Meanwhile, premium brands—often including more complicated systems and thus more reliance on connectivity—average 232 PP100. A lower score reflects higher vehicle quality.

“It is not surprising that the introduction of new technology has challenged manufacturers to maintain vehicle quality,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. “However, the industry can take solace in the fact that some problem areas such as voice recognition and parking cameras are seen as less problematic now than they were a year ago.”

Top 10 J.D Power 2024 Initial Quality Brands

Ram is the number one brand in terms of initial quality in 2024, moving up one from second place in 2023.  It's one of six brands that return to the Top 10 from 2023. Dodge, Alfa Romeo, GMC and Cadillac drop off this year's list, meanwhile  Hyundai, Nissan, Ford and Honda now take a spot:

1. Ram  
2. Chevrolet  
3. Hyundai
4. Kia 
5. Buick
6. Nissan
7. Porsche
8. Lexus
9. Ford
10. Honda

Ram ranks highest of mass market brands. Porsche ranks highest among premium brands.

Electric Vehicles Issues Continue

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) continue to be problematic in the repair department. J.D. Power says proponents of BEVs often state these vehicles should be less problematic and require fewer repairs than gas-powered vehicles since they have fewer parts and systems. However, J.D. Power says newly incorporated repair data shows BEVs, as well as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), require more repairs than gas-powered vehicles in all repair categories.

“Owners of cutting edge, tech-filled BEVs and PHEVs are experiencing problems that are of a severity level high enough for them to take their new vehicle into the dealership at a rate three times higher than that of gas-powered vehicle owners,” Hanley said.

Let's look at the 2024 numbers:

• Gas- and diesel-powered vehicles average 180 PP100 
• BEVs are 86 points higher at 266 PP100

J.D. Power researchers say while there are no notable improvements in BEV quality this year, the gap between Tesla’s BEV quality and that of traditional OEMs’ BEV quality has closed, with both at 266 PP100.  In the past, Tesla has performed better, but that is not the case this year.  J.D. Power also says the removal of traditional feature controls, such as turn signals and wiper stalks, has not been well received by Tesla customers.

Key Findings

• Frustration rising from false warnings: Often, owners don’t understand what warnings mean. For instance, rear seat reminder technology, designed to help vehicle owners avoid inadvertently leaving a child or pet in the rear seat when exiting the vehicle, contributes 1.7 PP100 across the industry. Some mistakenly perceive it signals an unbuckled seat belt or cite the warning goes off when no one is present in the rear seat. Furthermore, advanced driver assistance systems, intended to save lives and reduce injuries, are irritating vehicle owners with inaccurate and annoying alerts from rear cross traffic warning and reverse automatic emergency braking features, a newly added feature to the survey this year.
• Owners want to cut the cord: Problems with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay persist as the feature remains one of the top 10 problems. Customers most frequently experience difficulties connecting to their vehicle or losing connection. More than 50% of Apple users and 42% of Samsung users access their respective feature every time they drive, illustrating that customers want their smartphone experience brought into the vehicle and also desire the feature to be integrated wirelessly.
• In-vehicle controls are out of control: Features, controls and displays is the second most problematic category in the study, slightly better than only the notoriously issue-prone infotainment category. From such seemingly simple functions like windshield wipers and rear-view mirror to the more intricate operation of an OEM smartphone application, this category is particularly troublesome in EVs. The PP100 incidence in this category is more than 30% higher in EVs than in gas-powered vehicles. This is exacerbated by Tesla’s recent switch to steering wheel-mounted buttons for horn and turn signal functions, a change not well received by owners.
• One problem area that stinks: While, figuratively, all vehicle problems stink, there is one problem that is increasingly prevalent: unpleasant interior smell. This issue has worsened the most from 2023, with every brand except Kia and Nissan having an increase in unpleasant interior smell problems.  Problem odors are described by owners to be emanating from their vehicle’s heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems.

To see the entire study including charts of the specific winners, click here.

Photo:  Stellantis.