Kia Named Highest Dependable Brand During 2023 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study
Every year, automotive publications and organizations that place a focus on the auto industry from time-to-time publish reviews and put together “Best of” lists. 2023 feels like the busiest year so far with awards, lists, studies, and competitions running amuck with another chance to win a prestigious title nearly every week. One automaker that seems to stand out during all of this is the Kia Corporation. Every competition that takes place has a Kia model listed, and the one of the most recent rewards is earning the title of the number one mass-market brand during the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study.
“J.D. Power collects and assembles tens of thousands of customer voices from verified owners. Kia customers have responded with high quality ratings praising their experience after three years of ownership…Earning the distinction of the most dependable mass market brand for the third year in a row, in addition to receiving awards for the Kia Sportage, Kia Forte, and Kia Optima shows that Kia has listened to the voice of the customer and is giving them the dependability they desire.” – Doug Betts, President, Global Automotive Division, J.D. Power
That’s right. This wouldn’t be the first time the Kia Corporation took over the auto industry and another study by J.D. Power. Ranking the highest during the J.D. Power 2022 Vehicle Dependability Study amongst 33 brands, and earning various segment awards during the 2021 IQS and 2021 J.D. Power APEAL Study , Kia continues to shake things up. Due to its recent surge to the top for the last three years, Kia Corp has ushered in a new model lineup, the Kia Carnival , to make its move from mass-market cars to luxury cars. Called a “Multi-purpose Vehicle” (MPV), the Carnival isn’t just another SUV or minivan for the automaker, it’s a combination of both, offering best-in-class power and cargo space, modern technology and driver-assist features, and an impressive 3,500-pound towing capacity. The Carnival can do it all, and as the first entry as a luxury car, Kia is already making waves.
Vehicle Dependability isn’t like the Initial Quality Study (IQS) by J.D. Power that gives insight into how consumers feel about their vehicles after 90-days of ownership. The U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study takes a look at three-year old vehicles and asks owners how they feel about them as they start to leave their prime age behind. Like many other studies, the Dependability Study was conducted over several months (12 months for this study), and sent out surveys to the original owners of three-year old vehicles to collect data and find the highest ranked brands in the industry. Like other studies, a 100-point scale was used to rank vehicles, and the overall dependability of a vehicle was determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100).
The data for this study was collected from 30,062 completed surveys that examined how well 2020 model-year vehicles are performing in terms of quality, component replacement, and appeal. Nine major vehicle categories were comprised, covering 184 specific problem areas consumers may run into down the line. These consist of the climate; driving assistance; driving experience; exterior; features/controls/displays; infotainment; interior; powertrain; and seating. The lower a score, the higher level of reliability a vehicle has. Alongside the prestigious title of most dependable, Kia models also won three segment awards – the Forte (Compact Car), Optima (Midsize Car), and Sportage (Compact SUV).Want to find these highly dependable Kia models? Find a new Kia Miami Lakes Automall .
Photo Source/Copyright: Kia Media
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