J.D. Power has released its 2017 Vehicle Dependability Study, which examines problems experienced by owners of 2014 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The Porsche nameplate once again tops the ratings, tying with Toyota’s Lexus brand. Mercedes-Benz and BMW also had strong showings, placing in fifth and seventh place, respectively.
Responses from 35,186 owners served as the basis of the study, which was conducted from October to December last year. Dependability is measured by taking a look at the number of problems experienced for every 100 vehicles.
While many drivers love new technology in their vehicles, technology-related problems have contributed to dependability worsening in the industry for a second consecutive year. The Audio/Communication/Entertainment/Navigation (ACEN) category continues to be the most problematic area, accounting for 22% of all problems reported—up from 20% last year.
New to the top 10 list of problems reported in 2017 is battery failure. In fact, 44% more owners report a battery failure this year than in 2016. Batteries are the most frequently replaced component not related to normal wear and tear in 3-year-old vehicles at 6.1%—up 1.3 percentage points from 2016.