Lexus has finished ninth overall in the annual J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality study, dropping six positions compared to the year previous.
The study, which examines problems experienced by vehicle owners during the first 90 days of ownership, is ranked by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) — here’s the overall results:
The lower ranking from Lexus is a combination of three factors:
- An industry-wide increase, with Infiniti and BMW making significant improvements to their initial quality,
- Consumers expecting more from automotive infotainment systems due to smartphone technology, and
- Most importantly, a 13% increase in reported problems across the Lexus lineup.
Lexus did have some success in the vehicle segment rankings, with the LS finishing first in Large Premium Cars, the ES finishing third in Compact Premium Cars, and the NX tying for second in Compact Premium SUVs.
(Along with overall and segment rankings, the J.D. Power IQS also ranks manufacturing plants — the Cambridge Canada RX plant and the Kyushu 2 Japan ES/IS/RX plant were awarded Silver Plant Quality Awards.)
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