"The Japanese" Are Not The Same: We Study The Ratings Of (un) Reliability In Different Countries

"Reliability is all about timely service, and nothing more." “A new 'German'? Yes, he will reach the maximum from the salon to the buyer! ". "No, the" Japanese "are not the same …" "Prado, two million kilometers, normal flight!" Do you recognize? There is no end to such discussions, especially after various publications on the topic of reliability. Not for ignition, but for the sake of interest, we decided to collect ratings of the quality and reliability of cars in different countries for 2019-2020 - in order to compare the assessments of real buyers

In the selection, we mainly used data from the analytical company J. D. Power and Associates is one of the largest researchers on the planet. The American organization has grown to 18 offices around the world and a staff of 800 specialized specialists.

For J. D. Power regularly conducts two main studies. The first concerns new cars and ownership experience for the first three (sometimes more) months: Initial Quality Study (IQS) … Here, buyers complain about both serious defects, such as the gaps between the body panels, and problems with the electronics, up to the braking multimedia system.

The second study is called Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and builds on the estimates of owners of 3–4 year olds who have experienced malfunctions in the past 6–12 months (time frames differ slightly in individual countries). VDS includes up to 177 questions in eight categories.

Based on all this data, the automaker in both categories is assigned a PP100 (number of problems per 100 cars) and, given sufficient data, specific winning models in different segments are highlighted.

J. D. Power 2020 Initial Quality Study (IQS) - USA

Let's start with the most recent rating for the quality of new cars in the United States. And immediately from the unusual: if in the 2019 study, the first three places were taken exclusively by Korean brands, then in 2020 Ki was made up by Dodge, Chevrolet and Ram. Moreover, Dodge became the first American brand to reach the top of the list.

Owners of 87,272 cars took part in the 2020 study (by the way, already 34th in a row), answering 223 questions in nine categories. The four-door Chevrolet Sonic got the highest rating among specific models (in 2019 it was … Porsche 911!), It also surpassed KiRio and Hyundai Accent in the small car segment.

Among the small premium models, the Audi A3 was recognized as the best, the Mustang became the best mid-size sports car, and the Nissan Armad became a large crossover. Winners in other segments are shown in the gallery below.

KiSedon and Ford Ranger were named winners among minivans and mid-size pickups, respectively, and Toyot Tundr and Ford Super Duty among large and very large pickups.

Interestingly, the Tesla brand first appeared in the 2020 ranking, and with a disastrous result: 250 problems per hundred cars. Buyers most often complained about the build quality of the body and interior. However, the result is not officially recognized: Tesl obstructed a survey of buyers in 15 states, and according to the rules of the study, residents of the whole country should participate in it.

J. D. Power 2020 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) - USA

And here is the latest ranking of used (three-year) cars in the United States, 31st in a row. Among the 2017 model year, the least complaints were received by the Genesis brand, which first appeared on the J. D. Power. Lexus is in second place - the leader of 2019, Porsche has dropped to fourth from the second line of the previous rating.

Among the evaluations of specific used models in 2020, the Lexus ES (and the first in the premium compact car category) was voted the most problem-free car in 2020, with a record score of only 52 complaints per hundred units. It is curious that in the 2019 ranking this title was awarded to the Porsche 911 (it also won the 2019 ranking of new cars).

And the Nissan Leaf became the first electric car to take the top spot in its segment (in this case, the compact car segment). Among the mid-size cars, the Buick Regal (Opel Insignia) took the lead, among the large ones - the flagship Toyot Avalon sedan. The best "mid-range" pickup was named the Nissan Frontier, and the large crossover was named the Chevrolet Tahoe. The rest of the best in their segments are presented in the gallery below.

Among the minivans, ToyotSienna won, and the most reliable large pickups were recognized as the Ford F-150, ToyotTundr and Chevrolet Silverado HD.

J. D. Power 2019 Initial Quality Study (IQS) - China

Fast forward to China - to the quality rating of new IQS machines in 2019 (the last one released at the time of preparation of the material). In J. D. Power noted that in this study, 20th in a row, Chinese brands have taken a stronger position than ever and are generally closing the gap with international brands.

Nevertheless, the best result among the Chinese brands is the seventh line at GAC Trumpchi. In total, almost 33.5 thousand owners of 266 models from 67 different brands took part in the survey. The most problem-free car was not determined, but the winning cars were found in 17 categories - see the gallery below.

J. D. Power 2019 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) - China

What about the 2019 ranking of used cars in China? The 10th study surveyed owners of cars aged 13 to 48 months who had experienced malfunctions in the past six months. The highest place for the Chinese brand in the overall standings is again the seventh. However, the number of identified problems per 100 cars at Roewe coincided with four other manufacturers.

The most reliable car among specific models was not selected, but the winners were determined in 18 categories. There are three models of Chinese brands, apart from joint ventures with local products: Haval H1 (small crossover), Dongfeng Fengguang 370 (compact minivan) and BYD Song Max (mid-size minivan). The best large minivan was the HondElysion. The rest of the leaders are in the gallery.

J. D. Power 2019 Initial Quality Study (IQS) - Japan

What cars are considered the highest quality in the land of "eternal" cars? No, in the first place - not Toyota. The 2019 new car rankings were compiled with the help of nearly 22,000 owners who made a purchase two to nine months ago. And most of all the Japanese were satisfied with the Daihatsu brand.

Unfortunately, among the specific models, only a few winners in their segments were singled out (a pair of Daihatsu, a compact hybrid ToyotAqua, a Nissan Leaf and a Honda minivan). And there was no survey among used cars for 2019. But, yes - in the Japanese VDS 2018 ranking, Lexus and Toyot were in the lead (51 and 61 problems per 100 cars, respectively). Moreover, the survey was conducted among owners of cars aged from 37 to 54 months, faced with malfunctions over the past year.

J. D. Power 2019 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) - UK

We leave for Great Britain, where, judging by the figures, Toyota is valued almost half as much as Peugeot. A 2019 study of used cars under three years old showed an average of 119 problems per 100 cars, and Toyota scored 134 points. The German top three are doing even worse.

As for the specific winning models in different segments, there were eight of them. All of them are in the gallery below. Now let's move on to the most interesting part - Germany.

TÜV-Report 2020 - Germany

German motorists from year to year use a very interesting rating of the Association for Technical Supervision TÜV, which is compiled based on the results of real technical inspections of cars and the frequency of their visits for unplanned repairs. This is how the percentage of malfunctions for each specific model is revealed - taking into account the age and average mileage of representatives.

The tables below show the top 10 models (or more, with the same figures for different cars) for each of the age categories - there are five of these categories in total.

It is noteworthy that the Porsche 911, which was the leader in the 2019 TÜV rating, lost the lead over the new Mercedes model. I wonder if this trend will continue for GLC as we age. However, in 2019, there were seven Mercedes-Benz models among the most reliable 2-3-year-old cars.

As a bonus, we will also present the lists of cars with the worst marks in the 2020 TÜV rating - also in five age categories.