Study: Lexus, Nissan Top Initial Quality Study

• J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study found that Lexus and Nissan build cars with the fewest early problems
• Lexus wins often; Nissan’s victory is a surprise

Lexus and Nissan make the highest-quality new cars, according to a new study.  

J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study asks drivers to cite the problems they experience in the first 90 days of owning a new car. It’s less valuable, in the long run, than the company’s Vehicle Dependability Study, which asks the same question over three years of ownership.

But it can help car shoppers spot trends in a fast-changing market. In recent years, the study has helped warn of quality problems with pandemic-era cars and shown that startup automakers often struggle with quality at first but get better as they grow.

This year, its biggest lessons may be that quality is improving industrywide and that Nissan can still build an appealing vehicle despite significant financial problems and questions about its long-term survival.

Overall Quality Improving

• The average car shows better initial quality this year than last

Last year, the study revealed an average of 194 problems in the first 90 days. This year, the industry average was 192.

Luxury brands typically perform worse in this study because they have more features, which means more potential failures. The average luxury automaker showed dramatic improvement, going from 230 last year to just 203 this year.

Plug-in Hybrids Trouble-Prone

• Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), with their dual powertrains, had the most problems

As the auto industry transitions to electric power, plug-in hybrids can seem like brilliant bridge technology. A PHEV can travel around-town distances on electric power alone, but can take longer trips on gasoline. Owning one is like having an electric vehicle (EV) for errands and a gas-powered car for road trips.

But they’re complex, essentially switching back and forth between two powertrains. That complexity invites problems. PHEVs had an average of 237 problems in the first three months, J.D. Power says. EVs had 212. Hybrids had just 196, and pure gas-powered cars 184.

Touchscreens, Cupholders Common Complaints

• Automakers keep eliminating buttons in favor of touchscreens, which introduces problems
• Cupholders are a growing complaint as Americans choose larger water bottles

If there’s a trend that has dominated interior design in the 2020s, it’s touchscreens. Some cars now come with screens for the driver, a touchscreen in the center controlling infotainment and climate, a passenger-side touchscreen, and even rear-seat entertainment screens.

Buttons are disappearing. That’s troubling enough that European law now mandates buttons for some essential functions.

Drivers find the screen trend frustrating, the researchers found.

“While customers do find the larger touchscreens visually appealing, their functionality within the vehicle is an increasing source of frustration,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power.“Customers are having to tap and swipe through multiple screens to access key vehicle functions like climate settings and built-in garage door openers. Owners find these things to be overly complicated and too distracting to use while driving.”

An old technology also proved newly problematic. Researchers noted an uptick in complaints about cupholders.

“Owners are now bringing more reusable containers into their vehicles,” J.D. Power notes. “Manufacturers are struggling to keep up with being able to accommodate all the different shapes and sizes.”

The Rankings:

*Tesla and Rivian are not officially ranked. J.D. Power did not explain why this year. In past years, researchers have said the companies “do not grant J.D. Power permission to survey its owners in states where authorization is required. Nonetheless, a score was calculated based on a sample of surveys from owners in the other states.”

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