Technology-loving drivers want to be able to use their devices on the road, and how well they work in the car affects how the owners view their vehicle's dependability.
A new study from J.D. Power found that Bluetooth connectivity and issues with voice recognition were the two most common problems drivers reported after three years of vehicle ownership. Their perceptions of how well their technology syncs with the vehicle had a definite impact on whether or not they would purchase the same brand the next time they went automobile shopping.
The two most commonly identified problems, Bluetooth pairing and the accuracy of built-in voice recognition systems, were issues for owners at 90 days according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Initial Quality Study, as well as in this study conducted three years later.
Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive at J.D. Power says that owners view technology issues as significant that "don't go away after the ownership honeymoon period is over…Owners clearly want the latest technology in their vehicles, and they don't hesitate to express their disapproval when it doesn't work. Their definition of dependability is increasingly influenced by usability."
The study found that 56% of the owners who didn't report any problems with their vehicle "definitely will purchase the same brand the next time," while only 43% who reported three or more problems said they were likely to purchase the same brand.
Access to technology while driving is important and 55% of the owners said their Bluetooth would not recognize their phone and 31% said it would not automatically connect when they entered their vehicle.
Powertrain and transmission issues were the next most frequently identified problems with nearly 30% of the respondents saying they were frequently the result of transmission hesitation and rough shifting. J.D. Power found that six of the top 10 problems were design-related and not actual defects or malfunctions of the vehicles. Overall vehicle dependability averaged 147 PP100 (problems per 100 vehicles) or approximately 1.5 problems per vehicle.
Top honors for the most dependable vehicle went to Lexus for the fourth consecutive year with a score of 89. Buick jumped three positions in the rankings to come in at number two with a score of 110. Rounding out the top 5 slots were Toyota (111), Cadillac (114) and Honda (116). Coming in last was Fiat at 273, followed by Land Rover (258) and Jeep (197).
Here's a look at the top three models for some of the car segments. A full list of the rankings and car segments can be found here.
Small Car
- Scion xD
- Toyota Yaris
- Honda Fit
Compact Car
- Toyota Corolla
- Nissan LEAF
- Honda Civic
Midsize Car
- Chevrolet Malibu
- Nissan Altima
- Toyota Camry
Large Car
- Buick LaCrosse
- Toyota Avalon
- Ford Taurus
Compact SUV
- GMC Terrain
- Toyota FJ Cruiser
- Toyota RAV 4
Midsize SUV
- Nissan Murano
- Buick Enclave
- Toyota Highlander
- Toyota Venza
Large SUV
- GMC Yukon
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- Chevrolet Suburban
Minivan
- Toyota Sienna
- Honda Odyssey
Midsize Pickup
- Honda Ridgeline
- Nissan Frontier
- Toyota Tacoma
Large Light Duty Pickup
- GMC Sierra LD
- Chevrolet Silverado LD
- Ram 1500 LD
Large Heavy Duty Pickup
- Chevrolet Silverado HD
- GMC Sierra HD
This was the 26th year for the J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study.
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