Ram ranks highest in J.D. Power's 2024 Initial Quality Survey (2024)

• J.D. Power’s latest survey suggests Ram is the highest-ranked brand for quality after 90 days of ownership
• General Motors, meanwhile, had the highest number of individual awards
• The study found that electric vehicles overall are more problematic than their gasoline equivalents
• Tesla, previously ranked higher than traditional automakers for quality, is now at par with them

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Ram took the top spot in the newly-released J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Initial Quality Study late June, although its stablemate Dodge ended up at the opposite end in last place. And surprisingly, while battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are generally thought to have fewer issues and don’t require as many repairs as gasoline cars since they don’t have as many moving parts, the study found that EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) require more repairs in all repair categories than their gas-powered equivalents.

The annual study, now in its 38th year, uses responses from buyers and lessees of new 2024-model-year vehicles surveyed after 90 days of ownership. For the first time, this year’s study also includes repair data based on issues reported to franchised new-vehicle dealers by consumers.

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The study rates automakers by problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), and for this year, the industry average is 195 PP100. Mainstream brands averaged 181 PP100, while premium brands, which can contain more complicated systems and connectivity, averaged 232 PP100. The lower the score, the higher the vehicle quality.

“It is not surprising that the introduction of new technology has challenged manufacturers to maintain vehicle quality,” said Frank Hanley, J.D. Power’s senior director of auto benchmarking. “However, the industry can take solace in the fact that some problem areas, such as voice recognition and parking cameras, are seen as less problematic now than they were a year ago.”

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Hanley added that “owners of cutting-edge, tech-filled BEVs and PHEVs are experiencing problems that are of a severity level high enough for them to take their new vehicle into the dealership at a rate three times higher than that of gas-powered vehicle owners.” Overall, gasoline and diesel vehicles averaged 180 PP100 in the study, while BEVs ranked 266 PP100. The study also noted that while Tesla had traditionally outperformed the traditional automakers in quality, the gap has now closed, and both sides now average 266 PP100.

The study covers ten categories of vehicle problems: infotainment; features, controls, and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; powertrain; seats; driving experience; climate; and “unspecified,” but only regarding repairs, not consumer responses.

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Key findings in the study

• One of the top-ten problems is still connectivity with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with customers frequently experiencing difficulty connecting or losing the connection. More than 50% of Apple users and 42% of those with Samsung phones access that connectivity every time they drive.
• The second-most problematic category is in-vehicle controls and displays, coming in closely behind frustration with infotainment. Dissatisfaction is 30% higher in BEVs than in gasoline vehicles, which J.D. Power said is “exacerbated by Tesla’s recent switch to steering wheel-mounted buttons for horn and turn signal functions, a change not well received by owners.”
• Owners are frustrated with false warnings, including advanced driver assistance systems that give inaccurate and annoying alerts for rear cross-traffic warning and rear emergency braking. Owners also reported rear-seat reminders that went off when no one was in the rear seat; or that they think it’s warning of an unbuckled rear seatbelt.
• Problems with unpleasant interior smells have gotten worse since the 2023 study in all brands except for Kia and Nissan. Owners say the smells seem to be coming from their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

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How the brands lined up

Ram was the highest-ranking brand at 149 PP100 (remember, the lower the number, the better the score). It was followed by Chevrolet at 160; Hyundai at 162; Kia at 163; Buick at 164; Nissan at 166; and then by Porsche, the highest-ranked premium brand, at 172 PP100.

From there, brands above the industry average of 195 PP100, in order, were Lexus, Ford, Honda, Mini, Subaru, Genesis, Infiniti, Jaguar, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Acura.

Jeep was first below the industry average at 200 PP100, followed in order by GMC, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, Land Rover, Lincoln, Alfa Romeo, Mazda, Volkswagen, Audi, Volvo, and finally Dodge at 301 PP100.

J.D. Power also assigns a score but does not rank three automakers, as they don’t have enough data for ranking. All three are exclusively EV automakers: Rivian and Tesla at 266 PP100, and Polestar at 316 PP100.

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Manufacturing awards

In addition to the vehicles, the study looks at auto plants that produce vehicles for the U.S. market with the lowest number of defects or malfunctions. The highest award overall went to Toyota’s Takaoka facility in Japan, which makes the Toyota RAV4 and Venza, and ranked 16 PP100. Of the three highest plants in North and South America, two are in Canada. Both Honda’s plant in Alliston, Ontario, which makes the CR-V; and Toyota’s factory in Cambridge, Ontario, which makes the Lexus RX, both rated 24 PP100, followed by Toyota’s plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, which makes the Lexus ES and rated 25 PP100.

The individual vehicle awards

The study also ranks the top three models for fewest PP100 in their segments. Where only one or two are awarded, it means that no other models performed at or above the segment average.

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Highest Initial Quality Model

Lexus LC

Small Premium Car

1. BMW 2 Series

Compact Car

1. Kia Forte
2. Nissan Sentra
3. Hyundai Elantra

Compact Premium Car

1. Lexus IS
2. Cadillac CT4
3. BMW 3 Series

Midsize Car

1. Toyota Camry
2. Nissan Altima
3. Chevrolet Malibu

Premium Sporty Car

1. Lexus LC
2. Porsche 911
3. Chevrolet Corvette

Upper Midsize Premium Car

1. Genesis G80
2. BMW 5 Series

Small SUV

1. Ford Bronco Sport
2. Kia Seltos
3. Kia Soul

Small Premium SUV

1. Lexus UX
2. Audi Q3

Compact SUV

1. Chevrolet Equinox
2. GMC Terrain
3. Hyundai Tucson

Compact Premium SUV

1. BMW X4
2. Alfa Romeo Stelvio
3. Porsche Macan

Midsize SUV

1. Nissan Murano
2. Chevrolet Blazer
3. Ford Edge

Midsize Premium SUV

1. Cadillac XT5
2. Lexus RX

Upper Midsize SUV

1. Chevrolet Traverse
2. Ford Explorer
3. Kia Telluride

Upper Midsize Premium SUV

1. Cadillac XT6
2. Porsche Cayenne
3. Genesis GV80

Large SUV

1. Chevrolet Tahoe
2. Chevrolet Suburban

Large Premium SUV

1. Infiniti QX80
2. Cadillac Escalade
3. Land Rover Range Rover

Minivan

1. Kia Carnival

Midsize Pickup

1. Hyundai Santa Cruz
2. Ford Maverick
3. Nissan Frontier

Large Light-Duty Pickup

1. Ram 1500

Large Heavy-Duty Pickup

1. Chevrolet Silverado HD
2. Ford Super Duty
3. Ram 2500/3500

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