Hyundai, Kia, Toyota cars rated among best by J.D. Power

SEOUL, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia took the highest spots in J.D. Power quality survey this year.

The 2023 Vehicle Dependability Study was announced Thursday after a reliability survey of more than 30,000 original owners of 2020 model-year vehicles. The vehicles consisted of 31 lines of brands from 16 parent makers.

Hyundai Motor, together with its other makes Kia and Genesis, received an average score of 160, edging out Toyota (163) and General Motors (165). Genesis represents Hyundai's premium line of luxury vehicles.

Lower scores meant fewer problems and higher reliability, according to J.D. Power, which conducted the study from August through November last year.

Some 184 potential issues across nine major categories were covered in the survey, including climate response, driving assistance, driving experience, interior, powertrain and seats.

"Having vehicles with strong dependability scores will nurture a positive brand perception and drive foot traffic," J.D. Power Vice President Jonathan Banks said in a statement.

For mass-market vehicle category, Kia took the top spot with 152 points, ahead of Buick with 159 points and Chevrolet with 162.

In the premium sector, Lexus outshone other brands with 133 points. Genesis came in second with 144, followed by Cadillac with 173 and BMW with 184.

"J.D. Power's annual report is arguably the most prestigious dependability survey. Hence, ranking high in the survey typically means better customer satisfaction," Daelim University automotive Professor Kim Pil-soo told UPI News Korea.

"J.D. Power also said that its 2023 survey showed an overall industry improvement from the prior year. This demonstrates how competitive the environment is among the automakers worldwide," he said.

The 2023 J.D. Power study also noted that the average score for the big global brands in aggregate had improved by 6 points to 186 from the year before.