J.D. Power Study Finds Vehicles Built During Pandemic Continue to Frustrate Owners

The auto-industry analysts at J.D. Power say vehicles built during the COVID-19 pandemic are more problematic than those manufactured any year since 2009. The firm’s 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on 34,175 survey responses from drivers who purchased model-year 2022 vehicles new and still own them.

The survey asks respondents to record issues in 184 specific problem areas across nine major vehicle categories: climate; driving assistance; driving experience; exterior; features, controls and displays; infotainment; interior; powertrain; and seats. That feedback is then tabulated into problems per 100 vehicles, or what J.D. Power refers to as PP100. VDS scoring is like golf: The lower the score, the better.

Related: J.D. Power Study Finds Growing Frustration With Advanced Tech

Overall, problems increased 6%, to 202 PP100, from last year’s VDS, which looked at vehicles from model-year 2021. J.D. Power notes that this correlates with its Initial Quality Study for 2022 models, which showed a marked decline from the previous year. “It’s important to remember that today’s three-year-old vehicles were built during a time when the industry was grappling with major disruptions,” says Jason Norton, J.D. Power’s director of auto benchmarking. “Supply chain issues, record-high vehicle prices, and personnel disruption in the wake of the pandemic were problematic.”

Hard Problems With Software

The firm points out that software defects have an inordinate impact on VDS results. Mass-market brands saw a 16-point increase in complaints related to software defects, which more than covers the overall 12-point slip from last year. Indeed, half of the top 10 issues reported are related to smartphone integration, usage or connectivity. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are the top problem across all brands for the second consecutive year, up to 8.4 PP100 from 6.3 in 2024. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity account for 4.6 and 2.4 PP100, respectively.

J.D. Power notes that, while software accounts for 9% of all complaints today, that exposure could lead to ballooning trouble as vehicles become more reliant on software. Over-the-air updates to keep up with pace of change in smartphone tech are only a partial fix. Thirty-six percent of surveyed owners reported performing an OTA update since purchasing their vehicle, but of those, only 30% noted a resulting improvement.

Different Yokes for Different Strokes

J.D. Power also tracks relative scores for various powertrain types. Electric vehicles improved tremendously from the 2021 models surveyed for last year’s VDS, lopping 33 PP100 from their score to land at 223. Overall, plug-in hybrids were rated the most problematic, with 242 PP100, followed by diesels (233) and gas-powered vehicles (200). Regular hybrids eked out a 1-point victory with 199 PP100.

VDS findings also suggest that it is better to wait than to buy a new model during its first year on sale. Of the 27 new models launched for 2022, only four did better than the average for their market segment. Carryover models averaged 196 PP100, while fresh debuts averaged 241, falling short of their established competition in every single category.

Brand Rankings

For the third year in a row, Lexus leads the J.D. Power VDS, with 140 PP100. Among premium brands, Cadillac ranked second with a score of 169 PP100 and Porsche third, with 186. Buick takes the honors among mainstream brands with 143 PP100, followed by Mazda and Toyota in a close fight, with 161 and 162, respectively. The study’s average was 202 PP100. The full list of brand rankings is as follows:

• Lexus: 140
• Buick: 143
• Mazda: 161
• Toyota: 162
• Cadillac: 169
• Chevrolet: 169
• GMC: 181
• Porsche: 186
• BMW: 189
• Mini: 190
• Kia: 196
• Honda: 201
• Ford: 208
• Infiniti: 208
• Tesla: 209 (Note that because Tesla does not meet the study’s award criteria, the brand’s result is unofficial.)
• Alfa Romeo: 211
• Subaru: 212
• Genesis: 213
• Nissan: 215
• Lincoln: 221
• Hyundai: 222
• Ram: 242
• Volvo: 242
• Mercedes-Benz: 243
• Acura: 249
• Mitsubishi: 256
• Land Rover: 270
• Audi: 273
• Jeep: 275
• Chrysler: 282
• Volkswagen: 285

Vehicle Segment Rankings

By vehicle segment, Toyota and GM tied for the lead, with top-ranking models in six classes apiece. The late Toyota Avalon can fairly be considered the tiebreaker, as it was the highest-ranking vehicle overall; however, it was the only vehicle in its segment to meet the firm’s criteria for an award. The top three models per segment (as defined by J.D. Power and where sufficient data was available) are as follows, with the highest ranked vehicle listed first:

Cars

• Compact Car: Toyota Corolla, Kia Forte, Subaru Impreza
• Compact Premium Car: BMW 3 Series, BMW 4 Series
• Mid-Size Car: Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Hyundai Sonata
• Premium Sporty Car: Chevrolet Corvette

SUVs

• Compact SUV: Toyota RAV4, GMC Terrain, Mazda CX-5
• Compact Premium SUV: Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X4, BMW X3
• Small SUV: Nissan Kicks, Subaru Crosstrek, Buick Encore GX
• Mid-Size SUV: Nissan Murano, Chevrolet Blazer, Toyota Venza
• Mid-Size Premium SUV: Lexus GX, Lexus RX, Cadillac XT5
• Upper Mid-Size SUV: GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, Mazda CX-9
• Upper Mid-Size Premium SUV: Cadillac XT6, BMW X5, Land Rover Range Rover Sport
• Large SUV: Chevrolet Tahoe

Pickup Trucks and Minivan

• Mid-Size Pickup: Toyota Tacoma, GMC Canyon, Chevrolet Colorado
• Large Light-Duty Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra
• Large Heavy-Duty Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD
• Minivan: Toyota Sienna

Related Video:

More From Cars.com:

• J.D. Power Finds Public-Charging Infrastructure Improving
• 2024 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study Now Incorporates Repair Visits, Ram Tops List
• 2024 J.D. Power APEAL Study: Porsche, Mini Top List on Owner Satisfaction
• Find Your Next Car

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.