2023 J.D Power's Initial Quality Study Finds That Cars Are Getting More Problematic

Things are getting worse, actually.

If you thought your new car was a little more problematic than your last one, chances are you’re not just imagining things. The J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Initial Quality Study shows that the amount of problems per car has gone up this year. Again.

For 2023, the average number of issues per 100 vehicles is now ranked at 192. This is an increase of 12 problems from 2022, which in itself was up 18 problems from 2021. We want lower numbers, the lower the number the fewer problems per car. No doubt these quality issues are alarming. “The automotive industry is facing a wide range of quality problems, a phenomenon not seen in the 37-year history of the IQS,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. Yikes.

Really, it’s all the connectedness in cars and tech features that have contributed steady uptick in issues. J.D. Power says that driving experience issues has stayed flat over the years. The biggest problems are coming from the features, controls, and displays category and the infotainment category. But, other issues present themselves, too. Or, rather, refuse to present themselves – self-presenting hidden door handles are starting to become problematic amongst owners.

As far as actual score, Dodge takes tops as the least problematic manufacturer, scoring 140 problems per 100 cars. Shockingly, Alfa Romeo scores high at 143 problems per 100 cars, and even Maserati has improved a lot for 2023. Hyper-connected EV brands like Lucid, Tesla, Polestar, and Rivian sit at the back of the list.

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