Ram again tops J.D. Power Initial Quality ranking; Dodge is last
Luke RamsethRam scored best in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Initial Quality Survey for the second time in four years, while Chevrolet and Hyundai rounded out the top three in the annual ranking.
Ram has been at or near the top of the survey results for four of the past five years. But another Stellantis NV brand, Dodge, came in last place this year, flipping its result from last year, when it won top honors.
“This recognition is particularly uplifting because our customers are extremely demanding,” Chris Feuell, the Ram brand's CEO, said in a statement.
Buick and Ford were the other Detroit Three brands that came in above the study's average initial quality score. The top-ranked premium brand was Porsche.
In its 38th year, the J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey was based this year on 99,144 responses from buyers and lessees of 2024 model-year cars who were queried about their problems after 90 days with the vehicle. For the first time, the results also tapped data from repair visits at dealerships. The ranking is based on each brand's problems per 100 vehicles; Ram had 149, while Dodge had 301. The average was 195.
In the vehicle segment rankings, the Ram 1500 won the top award for large light-duty pickup, while highest in heavy duty pickup was Chevrolet Silverado HD. Other top-ranked vehicles from Detroit automakers in their respective segments included Ford Bronco Sport; Chevrolet Equinox, Traverse and Tahoe; and Cadillac XT5 and XT6.
J.D. Power noted that electric vehicles, despite having fewer parts and systems, are requiring more repairs than gas-powered cars in all maintenance categories, according to the recent survey results. Plug-in hybrids are also requiring more fixes.
“Owners of cutting edge, tech-filled BEVs and PHEVs are experiencing problems that are of a severity level high enough for them to take their new vehicle into the dealership at a rate three times higher than that of gas-powered vehicle owners,” Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, said in a statement.
He also noted that, while introduction of new technology in cars in recent years has "challenged manufacturers to maintain vehicle quality," some problem areas such as voice recognition and parking cameras appear to be improving, per this year's survey results.
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