By Dave Bean, Content Editor, FMW
February 14, 2024
After three years of ownership, owners are finding their vehicles to be noticeably less dependable than reported in the last iteration of the J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS). Year-over-year, the 2024 results reflect a 17% increase in reported vehicle problems from 2023.
What moved the needle so significantly? The fact that there was an increase in problems for roughly two-thirds of all automotive brands that comprise the study, encompassing nearly 200 separate components in total, subdivided into these nine crucial vehicle categories:
- Climate control
- Driver assist elements (ADAS)
- Driving experience
- Exterior
- Features, controls & displays
- Infotainment
- Interior
- Powertrain
- Seats
“Historically, VDS model results mirror the results of the respective model year in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, so a deterioration 
of vehicle dependability is unusual,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. “This can likely be attributed to the tumultuous time during which these vehicles were built, and owners are keeping their vehicles for much longer. In fact, the average age of vehicles on American roads today is approximately 12 years, which underscores the importance of building a vehicle designed to stand the test of time. Automakers must ensure new vehicle technology introduced today will still meet the customer’s needs years down the road.”
The leading problem areas, as reported in the study, include:
- Infotainment System: connectivity with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as voice recognition capabilities
- Driver Assistance Alerts: owners report too many warning signals from too many sources, including lane departure/lane keeping, forward collision and emergency braking
- Electric Vehicles: tires appear to be a major problem area, where replacement needs to occur at a far greater rate than gasoline-powered cars and trucks
2024 J.D. Power Awards for Vehicle Dependability
Despite dismal numbers for most automakers regarding dependability, J.D. Power still presents its annual awards to the makes and models which fared better than the competition. Toyota bested all other OEMs in nine vehicle segments to be the overall winner. And while Toyota took top honors in the Mass Market arena, Chevrolet, Buick and Mini finished second and third (tie). Premium mark accolades went to Lexus, followed by Porsche and BMW.
To learn more about the 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS), click here.
