J.D. Power Puts Any Toyota Reliability Questions to Rest
The latest J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study is concluded, and Lexus ranks first among all brands. Toyota models also show strong reliability scores, with four models receiving top honors. Add the two Lexus models that took home awards, and Toyota Motor Corporation receives the most model-level awards with six, which is more than any other automaker. Does this put any Toyota reliability questions to rest?
Is the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study a good barometer of Toyota’s reliability?
This study isn’t based on predicted results but on actual data. Each year, when J.D. Power releases the results of the VDS, the numbers offer three years’ worth of data. The 2023 VDS shows an improvement compared to 2022. This study uses the average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles. The improvement across the automotive industry from last year to this year is six PP100.
What causes the most PP100 in the VDS?
The average number of PP100 in the auto industry is 182 for mass-market brands and 205 for premium brands. This study’s largest number of problems come from new technology, which typically rolls out to premium brands before moving into mass-market models. Thus, the discrepancy and why premium problems tend to have more reported problems than more common names.
Toyota and Lexus show top models in the VDS
Toyota and Lexus reach the top marks for reliability with SUVs which are the highest-ranked models in the VDS. The Toyota C-HR and Lexus RX each achieved 111 PP100, and show improvement in eight of the nine problem categories compared to 2022.
Which Toyota and Lexus models won awards as the most reliable models?
The six winners for Toyota Motor Corporation and their respective vehicle classes are:
- Lexus NX – Compact Premium SUV
- Lexus RX – Midsize Premium SUV
- Toyota C-HR – Small SUV
- Toyota Highlander – Upper Midsize SUV
- Toyota Sienna – Minivan
- Toyota Tacoma – Midsize Pickup
Most of us aren’t shocked by these names or that Toyota won six awards across the two brands.
Which brands have the fewest problems in this J.D. Power study?
In the premium category, Lexus ranked highest overall for all brands with 133 PP100. The next three premium brands in this category are:
- Genesis – 144 PP100
- Cadillac – 173 PP100
- BMW – 184 PP100
Kia leads the mass market segment with 152 PP100. Other brands with high rankings are:
- Buick – 159 PP100
- Chevrolet – 162 PP100
- Mitsubishi – 167 PP100
- Toyota – 168 PP100
What vehicle technology is the most problematic?
The J.D. Power VDS tells us the technology built into infotainment systems continues to be the most problematic. Thankfully, the vehicle safety systems are the new tech items giving drivers issues. Infotainment problems tend to be nearly twice as troublesome as any other category. Some of the most common problems reported for infotainment systems are:
- Built-in voice recognition
- Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity
- Built-in Bluetooth system connectivity
- Touchscreen/display screen difficult to use
- Not enough power plugs/USB ports
- Navigation system inaccurate/outdated map
What does this study tell us about Toyota and Lexus’s reliability?
Toyota and Lexus’s vehicles are reliable vehicles. Using this J.D. Power study, this is not speculation, opinion, or conjecture but a statement of fact.
The VDS takes data from three years to provide results. Toyota and Lexus rank high with six award-winning models and with both brands in the top five in their respective categories. Lexus is the highest-ranking brand for reliability and dependability with owners after three years of ownership.
Next, check out the Lexus RX reliability ratings, or learn more about some of the most reliable Toyota and Lexus vehicles in this video below:
