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J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study takes an annual look at new cars and polls owners about issues with their vehicles within the first 90 days of ownership, covering all parts of the ownership experience. Last year, Korea's three marques -- Genesis, Hyundai and Kia -- landed in the top three slots of the study, and this year, things don't appear all that different.
Genesis has come out on top in the 2019 Initial Quality Study (IQS), J.D. Power announced on Wednesday. Its ranking of 63 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) is the best of any automaker, but Kia and Hyundai were hot on its heels with scores of 70 PP100 and 71 PP100, respectively. The next-best automakers were Ford (83), Lincoln (84), Chevrolet (85) and Nissan (86). The industry average was 93 problems per 100 vehicles.
The gap between Korean and other automakers continues to widen, comparing this data with last year's, which J.D. Power partially attributes to improvements in infotainment and electronics, areas that can be frustrating for many new owners. On the whole, infotainment problems appear to be decreasing, according to J.D. Power, while advanced driver-assist systems are growing increasingly complex, subjecting cars to great scrutiny from owners.
New cars appear to receive greater complaints, likely because they pack more newfangled technology than carryover models do. According to J.D. Power, vehicles launched in 2019 had an average rating of 103 problems per 100 vehicles, the best it's ever been, but it's still above carryover models' average score of 91.
Domestic automakers hover around the industry average, but Ford, Lincoln, Chevrolet, Dodge and Buick all beat the mean score of 93. European brands, on the other hand, are all below the industry average. Land Rover and Jaguar are at the bottom of the barrel, with scores of 123 and 130, respectively. Credit where it's due, though: Both automakers have improved their scores since last year.
What's interesting is that, despite Porsche's below-average score of 96 as a brand, the Porsche 911 took home the honor of being the least problematic vehicle across the industry (by J.D. Power's metrics, at least), with a score of 58 problems per 100 vehicles. The IQS also breaks its scores down by vehicle segments, and Hyundai took home six model-level awards, more than any other automaker. General Motors picks up five awards, while BMW is right behind it with three. You can take a look at all the individual winners in the gallery below.
