JD Power praises Hyundai, Kia
Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors saw their best evaluations ever in the JD Power 2017 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS).
Now in its 28th year, the VDS examines problems experienced during the first 12 months by original owners of 2014 model-year vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles, with a lower score reflecting higher quality. It covers 177 specific problems grouped into eight major vehicle categories.
According to the U.S.-based business research corporation, Thursday, Hyundai Motor received 133 points in the study, ranking it sixth and achieving the biggest improvement among all car makers in the study.
It is also Hyundai Motor’s best-ever ranking in the VDS. The world’s fifth-largest automaker ranked 19th by receiving 151 points in last year’s study.
“Hyundai Motor’s dedication to product quality is a foundational part of our overall strategy. The VDS ranking demonstrates our continuous efforts to be better,” said Barry Ratzlaff, vice president in charge of customer satisfaction at Hyundai Motor America.
“Quality is a priority for customers, and we’re constantly trying to improve the indicators measured by the JD Power Initial Quality Study (IQS) rankings as well, thereby improving long-term dependability.”
Hyundai Motor’s sister brand Kia Motors also received 148 points in the study to rank at 11th among 31 global automakers.
German premium sports car make r Porsche and Japanese luxury brand Lexus jointly topped the dependability study by winning 110 points this year. Lexus has topped the ranking for six consecutive years.
Toyota, Buick and Mercedes-Benz followed the list by receiving 123, 126 and 131 points, respectively.
In the vehicle model classification, the Hyundai Motor Sonata sedan took second place jointly with the Toyota Camry in the mid-size sedan category while the Kia Soul also ranked second in the compact multi-purpose vehicle division.
The VDS and IQS are two of the JD Power key quality studies. The VDS measures problems of three-year-old vehicles, primarily in categories such as engine/transmission, driving experience and audio/communication/entertainment/navigation while the IQS measures quality after 90 days of ownership.
“We find buyers are increasingly avoiding models with poor reputations for dependability, so manufacturers can’t afford to let quality slip, particularly on their best sellers,” said Dave Sargent, vice president of global automotive at JD Power.
“While many expensive and niche vehicles do have excellent quality, the fact is that most consumers are shopping in the high-volume mainstream segments. The good news is that consumers don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a dependable vehicle.”