Buick has climbed to second place, moving up three positions since from 2014, echoing the results of Consumer Reports‘ latest rankings. Following behind Buick are Toyota, Cadillac, and Honda and Porsche in a tie.
Scion showed the highest gains, improving by 13 rank positions, while Ram jumped by 11 spots — the only Fiat Chrysler brand to score above the industry average. Fiat sits at the bottom of the list, with more than three times the reported problems per 100 vehicles than Lexus.
Toyota’s brands also dominated the top models in car segments, winning with the Corolla, the Lexus ES and the Scion xD and tC. General Motors took most of the others with its Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Camaro and Malibu, while the Mercedes-Benz E-Class was the only German vehicle to lead a car category.
GM led the truck, van and pickup segments, with top honors for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, Terrain and Yukon. Toyota topped three segments with its Sienna, Lexus GS and Scion xB. Other winners include the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class, Nissan Murano, Kia Sportage and Honda Ridgeline.
Putting the reliability rankings into perspective, the top two problems reported by owners are Bluetooth connectivity issues and deficiencies with voice-command technology.
“Owners clearly want the latest technology in their vehicles, and they don’t hesitate to express their disapproval when it doesn’t work,” said JD Power automotive VP Renee Stephens. “Their definition of dependability is increasingly influenced by usability.”
Although most of the problems are related to arguably minor technology issues, the study still finds a high number of engine and transmission problems. Nearly 30 percent of such complaints are related to transmission hesitation and rough shifting.
The study is based on responses from more than 34,000 original owners of 2012-model-year vehicles after three years of ownership.
Leave a Reply