Quality issues are persisting in the automotive industry as problems with new vehicles reach a record high, according to a J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS).
The number of problems per 100 vehicles — which J.D. Power expressed as PP100 — reached 30 PP100 over the last two years; these issues are 12 PP100 greater than in 2022, which the company said follows an increase of 18 PP100 in 2022 from 2021. The lower the score, the higher the vehicle quality.
“The automotive industry is facing a wide range of quality problems, a phenomenon not seen in the 37-year history of the IQS,” said Frank Hanley, Senior Director of Auto Benchmarking at J.D. Power, in a statement. “The industry is at a major crossroad and the path each manufacturer chooses is paramount for its future.”
For 2023, the industry average is 192 PP100. Hanley said problems from years past continue to carry over, new types of issues are surfacing, and consumers are not always satisfied with their new vehicles — which are more complex now thanks to new technology.
According to J.D. Power, the continued decline in new vehicle quality stems from a number of factors, including greater usage and penetration of technology, the ongoing integration of known problematic audio systems into new models, and poor sounding horns. They also listed cup holders that do not serve their purpose as an example, along with new models with 11 PP100 more than carryover models.
“The largest year-over-year increase in the number of problems is in the features, controls and displays category (+3.2 PP100), followed by infotainment (+2.3 PP100),” said J.D. Power in its news release.
The 2023 study, fielded from February through May, is based on responses from 93,380 buyers and lessees of new 2023 model-year vehicles. All consumers were surveyed early in their ownership period.
