Genesis, Hyundai's luxury brand, topped an annual U.S. report card on 2018 new-vehicle quality, followed by Kia in second place and Hyundai in third, marking the first time South Korea's three chief automotive brands have topped the closely watched J.D. Power study.
Genesis, with 68 problems reported per 100 vehicles, jumped to No. 1 in its second year as an independent brand. Kia, which had topped the study two consecutive years, dropped to second place with 72. The Hyundai brand improved by 14 points compared with 2017 with 74.
Kia has been the top-ranked mass-market brand for four consecutive years.
The Korean trio have displaced longtime Japanese leaders Toyota and Honda, who rank below the industry average for 2018.
The two Japanese brands have remained relatively stable in terms of the number of problems that customers report, but other automakers have moved ahead, including the Detroit 3.
Genesis, which markets just two vehicles, the G80 and G90 sedans, has a “very clear focus on giving customers exactly what they want and not making” the vehicles “too complicated,” said Dave Sargent, head of the global automotive practice at J.D. Power.
Improvements on the G80 were enough to propel the luxury brand to the top, Sargent said.
J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study scores reflect the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles over the first 90 days of ownership. Across the industry, new-vehicle quality improved for the fourth consecutive year and has reached its best level ever, J.D. Power said.
Porsche placed fourth with 79 problems per 100 vehicles; the Porsche 911 had the lowest number of problems reported per 100 vehicles-- 48 -- among all cars and light trucks.
The Ford brand rounded out the top five with 81, a five-point improvement over 2017. It was followed by Chevrolet, Lincoln, Lexus, Ram and Nissan.
Three Japanese brands -- Lexus, Nissan and Infiniti -- performed better than the industry average.
At the bottom were Land Rover, Jaguar and Volvo, with complex infotainment systems dogging each brand, Power said.
“Mechanical problems are not as prevalent as they used to be,” Sargent said. “Infotainment is the highest problem area on a vehicle. Those design issues drive customers more crazy than breakdowns.”
Other highlights of the 2018 study:
J.D. Power 2018 U.S. Initial Quality Study
Nameplate IQS ranking
Problems per 100 vehicles
Genesis
68
Kia
72
Hyundai
74
Porsche
79
Ford
81
Chevrolet
82
Lincoln
83
Lexus
84
Ram
84
Nissan
85
BMW
87
Cadillac
90
Mini
90
Infiniti
92
Mercedes-Benz
92
Industry Average
93
Buick
95
Jeep
96
Toyota
96
Dodge
98
Acura
99
GMC
99
Mazda
100
Honda
102
Volkswagen
103
Audi
105
Chrysler
111
Mitsubishi
111
Subaru
115
Volvo
122
Jaguar
148
Land Rover
160
The three Korean brands and Porsche rank highest in part because they’ve engineered and kept their electronics and infotainment systems simple and avoided the complexity that leads to software problems or operator confusion, Sargent said.
"As we look to the future, avoiding problems with safety and driver assistance technology is critical," Sargent said in a statement. "In an era of increasingly automated vehicles, vehicle owners have to be comfortable using foundational technologies like lane keep assistance and collision avoidance. Otherwise, automakers will not easily overcome consumer resistance to fully automated [driverless] cars."
Fiat Chrysler improved by seven points, and Ford and General Motors improved by five, surpassing the industry average rate of a four-point improvement.
Five Ford models nabbed segment honors: the Ford Expedition (large SUV), Ford Mustang (sporty car), Ford Super Duty (large heavy-duty pickup), Lincoln Continental (midsize premium car) and Lincoln MKC (compact premium SUV). General Motors had four models that nabbed top segment spots: including the Buick Envision, Chevrolet Silverado and the Silverado HD.
Ford received the most model-level awards, followed by Hyundai Motor Group (four), BMW, GM and Nissan (three each).
J.D. Power said the study is based on responses from 75,712 buyers and lessees of new 2018 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was conducted from February through May.
Top three models per segment
Segment
Highest ranked
Others ranked
Small Car
Kia Rio
Nissan Versa, Chevrolet Bolt
Small Premium Car
Acura ILX
BMW 2 Series, Mercedes-Benz CLA
Compact Car
Toyota Corolla
Chevrolet Cruze, Kia Forte
Compact Premium Car
BMW 4 Series
Infiniti Q60, Lexus ES
Midsize Car
Nissan Altima
Kia Optima, Ford Fusion
Midsize Sporty Car*
Ford Mustang
Minivan
Dodge Grand Caravan
Kia Sedona, Toyota Sienna
Midsize Premium Car
Lincoln Continental
Genesis G80, Lexus GS
Large Car
Nissan Maxima
Ford Taurus, Chrysler 300
Large Premium Car
Genesis G90
BMW 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Small SUV
Hyundai Tucson
Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
Small Premium SUV*
BMW X1 (tie), Mercedes-Benz GLA (tie)
Compact SUV
Buick Envision
Ford Escape, Honda CR-V
Compact Premium SUV
Lincoln MKC
Porsche Macan, Mercedes-Benz GLC
Midsize SUV
Kia Sorento
Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Explorer (tie), Nissan Murano (tie)
Midsize Premium SUV
BMW X6
Lexus RX, Porsche Cayenne
Midsize Pickup
Nissan Frontier
GMC Canyon (tie), Honda Ridgeline (tie)
Large SUV
Ford Expedition
GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe
Large Light Duty Pickup*
Chevrolet Silverado
Large Heavy Duty Pickup*
Chevrolet Silverado HD (tie), Ford Super Duty (tie)
*No other model in this segment performs above segment average.
There must be at least three models with 80% of market sales in any given award segment for an award to be presented. The Large Premium Car segment did not meet criteria to be award eligible, thus no awards will be issued.
