Status: 02/15/2023 2:46 p.m
The US car market is the second largest in the world – and therefore very important for German manufacturers. However, according to a study, their US customers often complain about quality problems.
According to a study, customers of German car brands in the USA often complain about quality problems. According to the renowned study by the market research company JD Power, the Korean car brands Kia, Genesis and Hyundai occupy three of the top four places in terms of reliability. The manufacturers BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Audi only achieved places 15, 19, 22 and 26. A total of 33 brands were examined in the “US Vehicle Dependability Study”.
The study is based on the number of reported defects per 100 vehicles of the 2019 model year. Among experts, the study is one of the best-known instruments for measuring customer satisfaction in the US car market. This is the second largest in the world after China.
Porsche does well
The Kia, Genesis and Hyundai brands all belong to the South Korean car group Hyundai. The Buick brand of the US group General Motors (GM) is also well ahead in the ranking in second place. The Japanese manufacturer Toyota is fifth, its luxury brand Lexus sixth.
The best German brand is Porsche in seventh place. For the second time in a row, the Porsche 911 was the best-rated model in the study.
Driver assistance systems are also taken into account
The survey is designed differently than, for example, the ADAC breakdown statistics, in which vehicles that are actually broken down are recorded. Modern vehicles have more and more complicated comfort and assistance functions, which can lead to dissatisfaction among car owners in the event of errors.
The study, now being carried out for the 33rd time, was expanded to include driver satisfaction with lane departure warning systems or distance cruise control. The reliability of the air conditioning, the driving experience, the exterior, functions, controls and displays, the infotainment system, as well as the interior, drive train and seats have already been queried in the past.
“Reliability is becoming more important”
“Many owners are keeping their vehicles longer, so long-term reliability becomes even more important,” said David Amodeo, director of global automotive division at JD Power. Some car manufacturers are much better at preventing technical problems from occurring than others. “These problems include the mechanics, the exterior and interior of the vehicle, but also infotainment systems, driver assistance systems and all other electronic systems in modern vehicles.”
According to JD Powers, updates to car software are becoming increasingly important: “Mobile phones, for example, are constantly being updated with software updates, and car manufacturers are increasingly having to use this approach to fix problems,” according to the market researchers.
More technology, more technical problems
According to JD Powers, vehicles from the mass-market manufacturers examined were on average even a little more reliable than expensive cars: mass brands had an average of 190 problems per 100 vehicles – 14 fewer than so-called premium brands.
Cars that cost above average tend to have more technology, making problems more likely, market researchers said. “At the same time, the build quality of mass-market vehicles has improved significantly and now matches that of premium brands.”