2013 J.D. Power US Vehicle Dependability Survey

No shock about Toyota and the Prius being mentioned. But was VERY shocked and happy the Lincoln was rated right up there tying Toyota

 

On average, these cars are 4-6 months old. The correlation of these results to what I call long term dependability is quite poor and so for my purposes this study is useless.

 

I stand in part corrected.

JD says "The 2013 Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from more than 37,000 original owners of 2010 model-year vehicles after 3 years of ownership. The study was fielded between October and December 2012."

If we figure the average car was bought in June 2010, and the average survey filled out in November 2012, the average car age is 29 months old although the age range would be from (10/2009 - 12/2012) at most to about (3/2011 - 10/2012) for the youngest.

To my mind, still a new car survey, and not a dependability survey.

 

Better what the car feels like after 3 years, or 5 years. This is useful for people like my philanthropist friend who buys a new car every year, sometimes twice a year and donates the "old" ones. At that rate, this dependability study matters to her.

To me who buys a car every couple years but holds on to them for 5+ years, this is useless.

 

Toyota - Oh what a felling!!!!

DBCassidy

 

Of our five vehicles (too many), four of five are in the top five dependable brands. The VW (NewBeetle) is fourth from the bottom. But it's been problem free for six and a half years.

 

Consumer reports' annual survey includes cars from <1 to ~ 10 years old. That is how they are able to provide this graph:


This divergence in reliability is all the more important when we consider that most of the 'problems' of new (< 3 yrs) cars have nothing to do with driveability. 5-10 year old cars are taken to the garage when they are unsafe or do not go, not because of squeaks.

Incidentally, JDP used to survey ~ 4 -5 year old cars but switched to it's current format some (5?) years ago "to highlight the improved reliability of domestic brands." Since then I have taken their spin, and raised them to irrelevance.

 

dup posting

 

Agree. It's nowhere near long enough.

That said, it's great to see the 2010 Prius still was the highest ranked under "compact car" despite model year 2010 being the 1st year of Gen 3.

 

I wonder what happened to Scion...
2 first places, one third, and brand below industry average?
Am I missing some discontinued model as a bad actor for dependability?
Current iQ, xB, xC, xD and FR-S seem well built...