NEWS

2019 Kia Sorento | Cars.com photo by Brian Wong
Related: Shopping for a Used Car? Here Are the Most Reliable 2018 Vehicles According to JD Power
With new methodology that evaluates a more robust set of features and technologies, JD Power collected responses from nearly 30,000 original owners of 2019 model-year vehicles. We detail the features measured for 2022, as well as the top-ranked cars and key takeaways for used shoppers.
What’s Wrong With Your Car?
The VDS evaluates 184 specific problems experienced by 2019 vehicle owners that fall into one of nine larger categories: climate, driving assistance, driving experience, exterior, features/controls/displays, infotainment, interior, powertrain and seats. Automakers and individual models are assigned a score based on the number of reported problems per 100 vehicles, a metric JD Power calls PP100. The lower the score, the higher the ranking.
New Criteria for 2022

Most of the safety features can be turned on and off within the instrument panel screen, via controls on the steering wheel. | Cars.com photo by Brian Wong
“Many owners are holding on to their vehicles longer, so long-term dependability is even more critical,” said David Amodeo, director of global automotive at JD Power, in a company statement. “Some automakers are performing much better than others at preventing problems from occurring. These problems include the vehicle’s mechanicals, exterior and interior — but also infotainment systems, driver-assistance systems and all the other electronic systems in today’s vehicles.”
Most Reliable Car Brands

2019 Kia Optima | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry
Notably absent from the list is Tesla, which offers too small of a sample size to include, according to JD Power. However, the Tesla Model 3 earned a top accolade in the firm’s new Electric-Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study.
Here’s the complete list of brands examined in the 2022 Vehicle Dependability Study, ranked by their PP100 score (the industry average is 192):
1. Kia (145)
2. Buick (147)
3. Hyundai (148)
4. Genesis (155)
5. Toyota (158)
6. Lexus (159)
7. Porsche (162)
8. Dodge (166)
9. Cadillac (168)
10. Chevrolet (171)
11. MINI (173)
12. Mazda (179)
13. Lincoln (180)
14. Mitsubishi (183)
15. BMW (187)
16. Ford (188)
17. GMC (192)
18. Mercedes-Benz (195)
19. Jeep (201)
20. Nissan (205)
21. Volkswagen (217)
22. Subaru (226)
23. Infiniti (228)
24. Honda (230)
25. Audi (232)
26. Jaguar (233)
27. Chrysler (240)
28. Acura (244)
29. Alfa Romeo (245)
30. Volvo (256)
31. Ram (266)
32. Land Rover (284)
Most Reliable Cars

2019 Buick Envision | Cars.com photo by Brian Wong
- Compact Car: Toyota Corolla
- Compact Premium Car: BMW 4 Series
- Compact Sporty Car: Mazda MX-5 Miata
- Mid-Size Car: Hyundai Sonata
- Mid-Size Sporty Car: Ford Mustang
- Mid-Size Premium Car: Lincoln MKZ
- Large Car: Chevrolet Impala
- Small SUV: Buick Encore
- Small Premium SUV: Lexus UX
- Compact SUV: Buick Envision
- Compact Premium SUV: Lexus NX
- Mid-Size SUV: Hyundai Santa Fe
- Mid-Size Premium SUV: Lexus RX
- Upper Mid-Size SUV: Kia Sorento
- Upper Mid-Size Premium SUV: Porsche Cayenne
- Large SUV: Chevrolet Suburban
- Mid-Size Pickup: Nissan Frontier
- Large Light-Duty Pickup: Toyota Tundra
- Large Heavy-Duty Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado HD
- Minivan: Dodge Grand Caravan
The Takeaways
Several trends emerged that can help used-car shoppers choose the most dependable models.
Skip the Luxury Badge, Skip the Headaches

2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport PHEV | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry
99 Problems and Infotainment Is One

2021 Volkswagen ID.4 | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry
- Built-in voice recognition (8.3 PP100)
- Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity (5.4)
- Built-in Bluetooth system (4.5)
- Not enough power plugs/USB ports (4.2)
- Navigation systems difficult to understand/use (3.7)
- Touchscreen/display screen (3.6)
- Navigation system inaccurate/outdated map (3.6)
It’s worth noting that among the frustrations above are apparent aspects of owners simply didn’t like (too few USB ports, for example), not just objective malfunctions. It wasn’t immediately clear how much the VDS weights the two, but past JD Power reliability studies have incorporated both sides.
Initial Quality Correlated to Dependability

2019 Genesis G70 3.3T | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry
More From Cars.com:
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.