Kia ranks first in 2022 US vehicle dependability study

Kia claims the highest overall rating when it comes to vehicle dependability in a study conducted by J.D.Power in the United States. This is the first time that Kia ranked highest overall after finishing third in 2021.

Kia bested other car brands in the US when it comes to dependability

The said vehicle dependability study was based on responses from 29,847 car owners of 2019 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. Similar to J.D. Power’s previous studies, the car brands are ranked based on the number of problems per 100 vehicles.

The 2022 J.D. Power US vehicle dependability study was conducted from July 2021 until November 2021. Kia emerged as the overall top car brand (both mass market and premium brands) that has the fewest reported problems after three years of ownership. Participating brands were measured for the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). The lower the score, the more reliable the car. 

“Many owners are holding on to their vehicles longer, so long-term dependability is even more critical. Some automakers are performing much better than others at preventing problems from occurring. These problems include the vehicle’s mechanicals, exterior and interior—but also infotainment systems, driver assistance systems and all the other electronic systems in today’s vehicles,” director of global automotive at J.D. Power David Amodeo said.  

Infotainment systems are one of the categories assessed in the study

The study covered 184 specific problems areas across nine major vehicle categories that include the following: 

- Climate

- Driving Assistance (new category in the study)

- Driving Experience

- Exterior

- Features/Controls/Display

- Infotainment

- Interior

- Powertrain

- Seats

J.D. Power said that the infotainment category is regarded by car owners as the most problematic, with an average of 51.9 PP100. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity were among the problems reported in regards to the infotainment category. In our previous report, J.D. Power stated that the consumers revealed that the wireless phone connectivity of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is not consistent, and not that smooth.  

2022 JD Power US vehicle dependability study rankings

That said, Kia ranks highest overall in vehicle dependability with a score of 145 PP100. It is followed by Buick with 147 PP100 while Hyundai completes the top three car brands with 148 PP100. 

Genesis, the luxury division of Hyundai, ranked fourth with 155 PP100 while Toyota settled for fifth with 158 PP100. The recent vehicle dependability study showed that Korean automakers have dominated the top five highest overall rankings. More importantly, Kia and Genesis ranked the highest in the mass-market and premium brands category.

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