Lexus Named Top Brand in J.D. Power 2016 Vehicle Dependability Study

krew

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krew
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For the fifth year in a row, Lexus has been named the top brand in the J.D. Power 2016 Vehicle Dependability Study.
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ES can be listed as a lower price(entry level)Premium Car, but is not a Compact Car.
Glad to see my Lexus
was listed as the first in the segment.:thumbsup:


Actually, according to all the surveys from the different parties, there is really one manufacture standing out in common, all the rest brands rated are varying quite huge in the separate surveys.;)
 

ydooby

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Congratz to Lexus but their number of problems per 100 vehicles is getting worse. Hopefully the trend doesn't continue or they may lose the crown next year.
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James

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I do have to say while Lexus is still best I don't like how they have had more problems the last two years. I want them to destroy the competition on this not win by a close margin
 

Gecko

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Not looking to make excuses here, but GS, IS, ES, LS, GX were all redesigned or refreshed around 2013, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the spike in problems.

I also know that Remote Touch has been somewhat unpopular with owners, which could be a significant determining factor.
 

mikeavelli

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Not looking to make excuses here, but GS, IS, ES, LS, GX were all redesigned or refreshed around 2013, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the spike in problems.

I also know that Remote Touch has been somewhat unpopular with owners, which could be a significant determining factor.

Agreed, cars are getting more complicated and since everyone's rankings moved down and they all have infotainment that can be troublesome, that likely is some of the issues being reported.
 
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Gecko

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Two very relevant pieces from AutoBlog:

JD Power 2016 Vehicle Dependability Study
"...Problems with infotainment, navigation, and in-vehicle communication systems accounted for 20 percent of the reported problems, which makes them the biggest issues this year. The most common complaints were about Bluetooth pairing not working, voice recognition not understanding commands, and inaccurate navigation system info."

JD Power needs to rethink its Vehicle Dependability Study
A poor Bluetooth pairing procedure is not the same as a blown engine.

JD Power's 2016 Vehicle Dependability Study is out, and, for the fifth straight year, Lexus is at the top of the rankings. I'm not shocked. In fact, I fully expect that new-car shoppers who buy a brand-new Lexus in 2016 will end up with a car that gives them very little to complain about. I could say the same for Porsche, which landed itself in second place.

But here's where things get murky. Sitting way down in 23rd is Subaru, followed by Scion. These too are automotive brands that I'd have no qualms recommending to buyers, depending on what that buyer is looking for (though Scion is on its way out, its vehicles will be sold as Toyota models starting in August of 2016). And the same can be said of Mazda, which languishes in 21st, just ahead of Chrysler. Why are these generally well-liked makers of reliable automobiles so far down in JD Power's Dependability Study? The answer, unfortunately, is that they don't have very good infotainment systems.

According to JD Power, its study consists of "owner-reported problems during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old vehicles." So this latest report focuses on vehicles from the 2013 model year, which makes sense. But here's where the problems come in: "Symptoms are evaluated in eight vehicle system categories including: exterior; features/controls/displays; seats; interior; the driving experience; audio/entertainment/navigation; heating, ventilation and cooling; and engine/transmission."

Individual scores from each of these eight categories count toward a final all-encompassing score, and it's presented as problems per 100 vehicles. This year, the industry average was 152 problems per 100 vehicles, which is a few percentage points behind the average from last year. So, it would seem cars somehow got less reliable from 2012 to 2013.

Here's the problem: That's not true.

Says JD Power's press release: "The number of engine/transmission problems decreases to 24 PP100 in 2016 from 26 PP100 in 2015." Put simply, owners of 2013 model-year vehicles report fewer of the kinds of problems that keep cars stuck on tow trucks. Which is kinda the definition of dependability. So, why are the overall numbers getting worse?
  • Among owners who experienced a Bluetooth pairing/connectivity problem, 53% said the vehicle didn't find/recognize their mobile phone/device.
  • Among owners who indicate having experienced a voice recognition problem, 67% say the problem was related to the system not recognizing/misinterpreting verbal commands.

Now we get a sense of the problem. If an owner can't get his or her phone to connect via Bluetooth to the audio system, that's a problem. If an owner's audible command isn't properly deciphered by that annoying synthesized voice all infotainment systems seem plagued by, that's a problem. But are either of those problems as serious as a transmission that won't shift, or an engine that won't start? Not by my standards. But by JD Power's, the answer is yes.


JD Power rationalizes this discrepancy by saying that vehicle faults – such as a broken engine or transmission – can be fixed, while poorly designed user interfaces will irritate the consumer for the life of the vehicle. That may be true, but this isn't a Vehicle Irritation Study, it's a Vehicle Dependability Study. And a dependable vehicle is a vehicle that doesn't leave you stranded.

The moral of the story is this: Until the eight categories that make up JD Power's Vehicle Dependability Study get some sort of meaningful weighted rank, they need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2016/02/25/jd-power-rethink-vehicle-dependability-opinion/

Really, really well stated!!
 

James

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Two very relevant pieces from AutoBlog:



JD Power needs to rethink its Vehicle Dependability Study
A poor Bluetooth pairing procedure is not the same as a blown engine.

JD Power's 2016 Vehicle Dependability Study is out, and, for the fifth straight year, Lexus is at the top of the rankings. I'm not shocked. In fact, I fully expect that new-car shoppers who buy a brand-new Lexus in 2016 will end up with a car that gives them very little to complain about. I could say the same for Porsche, which landed itself in second place.

But here's where things get murky. Sitting way down in 23rd is Subaru, followed by Scion. These too are automotive brands that I'd have no qualms recommending to buyers, depending on what that buyer is looking for (though Scion is on its way out, its vehicles will be sold as Toyota models starting in August of 2016). And the same can be said of Mazda, which languishes in 21st, just ahead of Chrysler. Why are these generally well-liked makers of reliable automobiles so far down in JD Power's Dependability Study? The answer, unfortunately, is that they don't have very good infotainment systems.

According to JD Power, its study consists of "owner-reported problems during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old vehicles." So this latest report focuses on vehicles from the 2013 model year, which makes sense. But here's where the problems come in: "Symptoms are evaluated in eight vehicle system categories including: exterior; features/controls/displays; seats; interior; the driving experience; audio/entertainment/navigation; heating, ventilation and cooling; and engine/transmission."

Individual scores from each of these eight categories count toward a final all-encompassing score, and it's presented as problems per 100 vehicles. This year, the industry average was 152 problems per 100 vehicles, which is a few percentage points behind the average from last year. So, it would seem cars somehow got less reliable from 2012 to 2013.

Here's the problem: That's not true.

Says JD Power's press release: "The number of engine/transmission problems decreases to 24 PP100 in 2016 from 26 PP100 in 2015." Put simply, owners of 2013 model-year vehicles report fewer of the kinds of problems that keep cars stuck on tow trucks. Which is kinda the definition of dependability. So, why are the overall numbers getting worse?
  • Among owners who experienced a Bluetooth pairing/connectivity problem, 53% said the vehicle didn't find/recognize their mobile phone/device.
  • Among owners who indicate having experienced a voice recognition problem, 67% say the problem was related to the system not recognizing/misinterpreting verbal commands.

Now we get a sense of the problem. If an owner can't get his or her phone to connect via Bluetooth to the audio system, that's a problem. If an owner's audible command isn't properly deciphered by that annoying synthesized voice all infotainment systems seem plagued by, that's a problem. But are either of those problems as serious as a transmission that won't shift, or an engine that won't start? Not by my standards. But by JD Power's, the answer is yes.


JD Power rationalizes this discrepancy by saying that vehicle faults – such as a broken engine or transmission – can be fixed, while poorly designed user interfaces will irritate the consumer for the life of the vehicle. That may be true, but this isn't a Vehicle Irritation Study, it's a Vehicle Dependability Study. And a dependable vehicle is a vehicle that doesn't leave you stranded.

The moral of the story is this: Until the eight categories that make up JD Power's Vehicle Dependability Study get some sort of meaningful weighted rank, they need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2016/02/25/jd-power-rethink-vehicle-dependability-opinion/

Really, really well stated!!
So is it safe to assume for Lexus it's on their mouse interface system?
 
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Issues like this are pretty hard to ensure are fully the car or manufacturer's fault. Bluetooth pairing/connectivity problem could be a problem with the individuals bluetooth enabled phone or setting not necessarily always the car. I'll give you an example, I purchased my car and my phone at about the same time and for the first year no problems, but then as my phone's software was getting updated every year and apps that use the bluetooth get updated sometimes it wouldn't connect or the volume control wouldn't work. Hardly the car's fault, mainly the software on my phone not being backwards compatible or vis versa.

Voice Recognition, works pretty well but it does need ideal conditions and sometimes people don't pronounce things well enough for the VR to pick it up, so again. not always going to be the car's vault.

Overall to me...when it comes to things in my opinion that are actually important..Lexus should have a bigger margin.
  • Among owners who experienced a Bluetooth pairing/connectivity problem, 53% said the vehicle didn't find/recognize their mobile phone/device.
  • Among owners who indicate having experienced a voice recognition problem, 67% say the problem was related to the system not recognizing/misinterpreting verbal commands. "
 

mikeavelli

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Issues like this are pretty hard to ensure are fully the car or manufacturer's fault. Bluetooth pairing/connectivity problem could be a problem with the individuals bluetooth enabled phone or setting not necessarily always the car. I'll give you an example, I purchased my car and my phone at about the same time and for the first year no problems, but then as my phone's software was getting updated every year and apps that use the bluetooth get updated sometimes it wouldn't connect or the volume control wouldn't work. Hardly the car's fault, mainly the software on my phone not being backwards compatible or vis versa.

Voice Recognition, works pretty well but it does need ideal conditions and sometimes people don't pronounce things well enough for the VR to pick it up, so again. not always going to be the car's vault.

Overall to me...when it comes to things in my opinion that are actually important..Lexus should have a bigger margin.
  • Among owners who experienced a Bluetooth pairing/connectivity problem, 53% said the vehicle didn't find/recognize their mobile phone/device.
  • Among owners who indicate having experienced a voice recognition problem, 67% say the problem was related to the system not recognizing/misinterpreting verbal commands. "

That is also a good point. They are blaming the car when it could be the user or electronic device.
 

Bulldog 1

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Pair of 2015's here. Switched from T-Mobile to AT&T to Verizon in just a few months recently. Called Verizon technology support with two brand new phones that refused to pair. After a very pleasant conversation over a few minutes, everything works fine.
I've read this before about infotainment being the number one reason manufacturers get dinged.
They should re-weigh the importance of each module, as mentioned, because my car dying on the side of the road pales in comparison to an easily overcome Bluetooth issue.
Your phone company or your delivery specialist at the dealer can solve the majority of problems mentioned here.
 

IS-SV

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I always have good success using only iPhones (6s, previously 5s and 5c) with easy pairings with multiple Lexus and Mercedes cars and 1 Alpine setup(aftermarket nav in Honda). No specialists help needed thankfully.
 

abraxas

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Cadillac, Lincoln, Mercedes rated near the top regarding reliability? No way. This completely conflicts with Consumer Reports who base their reliability ratings based on consumers' experiences. Lexus is rated at the top in CR.

One of the reasons why I chose Lexus is because of the reliability of the brand. I just don't need the aggravation of having to deal with repairs or minor issues.

Never had a problem pairing a phone with Lexus or Toyotas.
 

Gecko

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I think that short of FAILURE of electrical systems, JD Power needs to come up with a way to move issues related to infotaiment over to a measure in their owner satisfaction study.

Dependability, to me and many others, is measured in what keeps your car from running as intended, or what keeps you out of the dealership.

I really don't think these phone pairing and infotainment issues are indicators of whether or not your car is going to start.
 

IS-SV

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Does JD Powers have the influence they used to have anymore? (or were assumed to have) Not clear to me that they do.