We’ve all seen the J.D. Power awards for decades on billboards and in commercials touting the year’s most dependable automobiles, but what does that award actually mean? Today’s infographic investigates thoroughly into what aspects make up the award and what it all means.
This year it looks like Lexus and Chevy have cornered the majority of compact and mid-size categories. Overall ratings put Lexus on top of everyone, but the industry as a whole has seen a dip in dependability. Reliability has dropped by 3% across the board, but the top problems 2016 vehicles are facing show a different story.
Seven of the top eleven biggest problems were design-related rather than mechanical. I can totally relate to the unreliability of BlueTooth connectivity and poor navigation options. Road and wind noise seem to always be an issue unless you’re driving a BMW and voice recognition still isn’t what it should be.
Overall J.D. Power Dependability Studies are a solid benchmark to look at when purchasing a car. Taking in account brand loyalty and actual reliability is a good formula for dependability.