Now in its 28th year, the J.D. Power IQS tracks the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) reported within the first 90-days of vehicle ownership. The study assigns a higher quality rating to vehicles with lower PP100 scores.
In the 2014 edition of the IQS, the industry average rose from 113 PP100 in 2013 to 116 PP100. A closer look at the data reveals that all-new or significantly updated models were partly to blame for that rise, with new vehicles averaging 128 PP100. Carryover vehicles averaged just 113 PP100.
“Automakers are trying to give consumers the new features and technology they want without introducing additional quality problems into their vehicles,” said David Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power. “However, almost all automakers are struggling to do this flawlessly with some consumers indicating that the technology is hard to understand, difficult to use, or simply does not always work as designed.”
Porsche was largely able to overcome those technological obstacle to snag its second-straight first-place finish in the IQS with 74 PP100. Jaguar (87), Lexus (92), Hyundai (94) and Toyota (105) rounded out the top five.
The study’s bottom five brands included Mazda (139), Scion (140), Mitsubishi (145), Jeep (146) and Fiat (206). Of note, Fiat’s IQS rating fell by a staggering 52 points from 2013′s study.
Ford was a big mover in this year’s IQS, moving from 10 spots below the industry average in 2013 to three spots above in the 2014 study. Nissan’s Infiniti luxury brand posted one of the survey’s biggest drops, falling from fourth place overall in 2013 to 23rd in this year’s IQS.
General Motors earned the most segments wins of any automaker with six, followed by Hyundai with five.
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