The U.S. automotive market is the second largest in the world, and therefore, very important for German manufacturers. However, according to the study, American customers often complain about problems with the quality of German cars.
According to a study by J.D. Power, owners of German cars in the USA often complain about quality problems, while Korean brands – Kia, Genesis, and Hyundai – take 3 out of 4 first places in terms of reliability, tagesschau reports.
BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Audi take only 15, 19, 22, and 26 places. In total, 33 car brands have been included in the “U.S. Vehicle Reliability Study”.
The analysis is based on the number of registered defects per 100 vehicles of the 2019 model year. Among experts, such research is one of the most popular tools for measuring customer satisfaction in the American market which is the second largest in the world after China.
Porsche is doing well
Leading brands Kia, Genesis and Hyundai belong to the Hyundai Motor Group; American General Motors’ Buick is in second, Japanese Toyota is the fifth, and Lexus, Toyota’s luxury marque, is the sixth.
The best German brand is Porsche, and it is in seventh place. For the second time in a row, the Porsche 911 is ranked the highest in the study.
Driver assistance systems are included
Modern vehicles have increasingly complex comfort and assistance functions, which can cause dissatisfaction among car owners in case of malfunction. The study, now in its 33rd year, has been expanded to include driver satisfaction with lane departure warning systems or remote cruise control.
In addition, factors such as air conditioning reliability, driving experience, exterior, functionality, controls and displays, infotainment, interior, powertrain, and seating have been considered.
“Reliability is becoming more important”
“Many owners are driving their vehicles longer, making long-term reliability even more important,” director of global automotive at J.D. Power David Amodeo said. Some car manufacturers are much better at preventing technical problems than others. “These challenges include the vehicle’s mechanics, exterior and interior, as well as infotainment systems, driver assistance systems and all other electronic systems in modern cars.”
According to J.D. Power, car software updates are becoming increasingly important: “Mobile phones, for example, are constantly being updated, and car manufacturers are increasingly having to use this approach to solve problems,” market researchers say.
More technology, more technical problems
According to JD Power, mass-market cars are on average slightly more reliable than luxury vehicles: mass-market brands have an average of 190 problems per 100 vehicles – 14 fewer than premium brands.
Cars priced above the average tend to have more technology, making problems more likely, market researchers report. At the same time, the build quality of mass-market vehicles has improved significantly and now matches the quality of premium brands.
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