Dodge tops J.D. Power quality ranking
J.D. Power’s annual Initial Quality Study puts Dodge and Kia at the very top, marking the first time a U.S. manufacturer has netted the highest rank in the report, even if technically in a tie. Dodge’s sibling brand Ram placed third.
The study tries to quantify reliability by counting the number of problems owners have with their new 2020 model year vehicles in the first 90 days of ownership, measuring components that fail, as well as features that are difficult to use, hard to understand, or don’t work the way owners want.
The initial quality score is expressed in the number of problems per 100 vehicles, or PP100. The lower the score, the fewer problems, and therefore the higher the initial quality rating. The industry average PP100 score for 2020 was 166.
For the first time in the 34-year study, Dodge scored an overall win for highest initial quality, with a PP100 score of 136.
Kia tied with Dodge for the win, which means it has ranked highest in initial quality for a mass-market brand for the sixth consecutive year.
Another first this year is the inclusion of Tesla, which placed dead last because Tesla didn’t grant the market researcher permission to survey its car owners in 15 states, including its home in California. Those surveyed from other states reported 250 problems per 100 vehicles, more than any other brand and well below the average.
The most improved year-overyear manufacturer for 2020 was Mitsubishi, moving from 30th place in 2019 up to sixth. Driving.ca