Dodge, Ram, Alfa Romeo top J.D. Power initial quality survey
Tesla ranked near the bottom — with a catch
It was a big day for Stellantis brands Dodge, Ram, and Alfa Romeo on Thursday, as they finished first, second, and third in the widely followed J.D. Power Initial Quality Study. Interestingly, these results come despite the study showing overall quality of new vehicles deteriorating over time.
This year’s J.D. Power study polled 93,380 buyers and lessees of new 2023 model-year cars in the US, using a survey that tracks nine different vehicle categories like infotainment, features, powertrain, and driving experience. Based on a problems-per-100 vehicle (PP100) metric, the study found that Dodge was the highest-ranking brand overall in initial quality with a score of 140, with Ram (141) ranking a close second and Alfa Romeo third (143). GM’s Buick (162) and Chevrolet (166) rounded out the top 5.
The overall trend as noted by J.D. Power, however, was a rising number of complaints overall, with technology issues the main culprit.
"The automotive industry is facing a wide range of quality problems, a phenomenon not seen in the 37-year history of the [study]," said Frank Hanley, J.D. Power senior director of auto benchmarking, in a statement. "From persistent problems carrying over from years past to an increase in new types of problems, today’s new vehicles are more complex—offering new and exciting technology—but not always satisfying owners."
The key findings from the survey found among other things that vehicle basics— like door handle functionality – were increasingly problematic, safety systems like collision warnings were causing hiccups, and wireless smartphone charging could be hit and miss. But in other areas owners were happier with features like smartphone apps that could connect with the car.
Rankings across the spectrum… and Tesla
Looking across premium and luxury brands, which typically suffer more from quality issues due to reliance on new technology and advanced features, the aforementioned Alfa Romeo tops the quality rankings, followed by Porsche (167) and Cadillac (170).
At the bottom of the overall rankings list were Tesla (257) and Polestar (313), which both ranked well below the industry average of 192; however, J.D. Power says both of these brands were not "rank eligible" because the brands did not meet the study’s award criteria. This is because Tesla and Polestar did not grant J.D. Power permission to survey its owners in states where authorization is required.
The scores for Tesla and Polestar were calculated based on a sample of surveys from owners in the other states, J.D. Power said. With that caveat in mind, J.D. Power found that Tesla’s score increased (or worsened) by 31, while Polestar’s improved by 15.
In terms of other pure play EV-makers, J.D. Power said Lucid (340) and Rivian (282) were included in the overall industry calculations for the first time, but the two automakers’ sales were too small a sample size to be award-eligible.
Looking deeper into the models themselves, across the automakers GM cars received the most awards (seven), followed by Hyundai (five) and Toyota (four). Among the individual brands, Chevrolet and Kia received the most segment awards at four each. Vehicles in these winning categories were models like the Kia Rio, Toyota Camry, Audi A3, Buick Encore GX, Lexus GX, Chevy Equinox, and Toyota 4Runner.
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Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.
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