It’s safe to say that reliability has never been the strong point of luxury cars. J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Initial Quality Study is a relevant example considering there aren’t any premium brands in the top 4. With 149 problems reported per 100 vehicles, Ram tops the rankings, followed by Chevrolet with 160, Hyundai with 162, and sister brand Kia with 163. Buick rounds off the top 5 as the leader among luxury brands.
The 38th edition of the study ended with an average of 195 problems for 100 cars. BMW fared worse since owners and lessees reported 206 issues. MINI is ahead of its parent company and better than the average, with 182 issues signaled. As to how J.D. Power organized the Initial Quality Study, it spoke with 99,144 purchasers and lessees of 2024MY cars after 90 days of ownership.
The study is more conclusive than before since it includes repair data obtained from franchised new vehicle dealers. We’re being told this data is based on “hundreds of thousands of real-world events.” The study – which ran from July 2023 until May 2024 – encompassed 227 questions covering 10 categories.
Owners and lessees were asked about the car’s powertrain, driving experience, infotainment, screens, controls, features, driving assistance systems, seats, climate/ventilation, and unspecified issues they might’ve had during those first three months since taking delivery.
Although BMW didn’t exactly excel in this year’s study, it did rank the highest in the Small Premium Car segment with the 2 Series Coupe. It also finished second in the Upper Midsize Premium Car category with the 5 Series and third in the Compact Premium Car class with the 3 Series.
Even though reliability is not a key selling point, BMW has been consistently beating Mercedes in the luxury sales race. Coincidentally, the two German premium brands are tied in J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Initial Quality Study. Audi is near the bottom of the rankings with 242 problems or 36 more than its domestic rivals. Polestar is dead last, with 316 issues reported.
The full study is accessible at the link below.
Source: J.D. Power