BMW Ranks 7th in J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study 2017

Jason · 02-23-2017, 04:14 PM

BIMMERPOST NEWS

75
COMMENTS

BMW has ranked 7th in this year's J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, up 7 spots from last year's 14th place ranking.

COSTA MESA, Calif.: 22 Feb. 2017 — While Lexus and Porsche nameplates lead the industry in vehicle dependability, owners of many high-volume vehicles are also rewarded with excellent long-term quality, according to the J.D. Power 2017 Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS), released today.

The study, now in its 28th year, examines problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of 2014 model-year vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality. The study covers 177 specific problems grouped into eight major vehicle categories.

The study finds that the 10 top-selling 2014 model-year vehicles average 134 PP100, which is significantly better than the industry average of 156 PP100. Two perennial best sellers—the Ford F-150 and the Toyota Camry—also lead their segments in the VDS this year.

“We find buyers are increasingly avoiding models with poor reputations for dependability, so manufacturers can’t afford to let quality slip, particularly on their best sellers,” said Dave Sargent, vice president, global automotive at J.D. Power. “While many expensive and niche vehicles do have excellent quality, the fact is that most consumers are shopping in the high-volume mainstream segments. The good news is that consumers don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a very dependable vehicle.”

J.D. Power finds that in addition to impacting purchase decisions and brand loyalty, better long-term quality is a key factor in contributing to higher residual values for vehicles. For example, J.D. Power estimates that Toyota—the highest-ranked non-premium brand in the study—has a residual values benefit of more than $750 per vehicle, compared with the average brand. This translates into a benefit of more than $1.3 billion for the 2014 model year alone.

“In the current industry environment of record levels of leasing and long-term loans, higher residual values allow automakers to provide more competitive deals to buyers,” said Jonathan Banks, vice president of vehicle analysis and analytics at J.D. Power. “This creates the opportunity to achieve higher market share and/or elevated profit margins.”

Other Key Findings

Continuing increases in technology-related problems have contributed to dependability worsening in the industry for a second consecutive year. The industry average of 156 PP100 is a 4 PP100 increase from 2016.

The Audio/Communication/Entertainment/Navigation (ACEN) category continues to be the most problematic area, accounting for 22% of all problems reported—up from 20% last year.

For a third consecutive year, the problems most reported by owners are Bluetooth pairing/connectivity and built-in voice recognition misinterpreting commands.
New to the top 10 list of problems reported in 2017 is battery failure. In fact, 44% more owners report a battery failure this year than in 2016. Batteries are the most frequently replaced component not related to normal wear and tear in 3-year-old vehicles at 6.1%—up 1.3 percentage points from 2016.

The 2017 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from 35,186 original owners of 2014 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study was fielded from October through December 2016.

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Name: 17_vds_chart_1.jpg
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Size: 203.5 KB

Delta0311 · 02-23-2017, 04:22 PM

Damn Infinity is damn near POS level. I figured they'd be up closer to Lexus ranking. And Fiat, that thing was always garbage.

Downeaster1 · 02-23-2017, 05:02 PM

After working as both a service advisor and technician for German-specific vehicles, hell would fucking freeze over before I ever would recommend someone buy a Porsche.

jpm5150 · 02-23-2017, 05:04 PM

Some of this makes sense, others, not so much. For example, Honda and Acura are pretty much the same, why are they vastly different? Same with Nissan/Infiniti. What's interesting, in both cases, the premium brand from the company faired worse.

Laserdude · 02-23-2017, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downeaster1

After working as both a service advisor and technician for German-specific vehicles, hell would fucking freeze over before I ever would recommend someone buy a Porsche.

Why? They're great cars and pretty much as reliable as it gets

WillSkill · 02-23-2017, 05:09 PM

Glad BMW's are getting more reliable

BoosTonian · 02-23-2017, 05:10 PM

Fiats come off the production line with issues..lol

Z K · 02-23-2017, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoosTonian

Fiats come off the production line with issues..lol

I bet Alfa Romeo gets just as bad reliability. The 4C I drove was very fun to drive but the build quality screamed home made kit car.

Germanauto · 02-23-2017, 05:15 PM

I always take these "dependability" surveys with a grain of salt. Fact is that the Japanese makes are the most reliable and cheapest to operate, whereas the Germans are the opposite. GM and Ford are average to below-average, and Chrysler has been clogged at the bottom of the toilet for generations.

ndinh · 02-23-2017, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downeaster1

After working as both a service advisor and technician for German-specific vehicles, hell would fucking freeze over before I ever would recommend someone buy a Porsche.

Interesting because year after year, Porsche falls in #2 behind Lexus and I've owned Lexus' and they're crazy reliable.

Surprised at a few spots....Acura being so low, Audi barely above average and Jags really stepping up their game because a few years ago Jags were crap.

goj · 02-23-2017, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delta0311

Damn Infinity is damn near POS level. I figured they'd be up closer to Lexus ranking. And Fiat, that thing was always garbage.

Infiniti is POS level in this study...

F32Fleet · 02-23-2017, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downeaster1

After working as both a service advisor and technician for German-specific vehicles, hell would fucking freeze over before I ever would recommend someone buy a Porsche.

I suspect they're generally low mileage cars. 3 yr old 911 with 15k miles on the odo.

F32Fleet · 02-23-2017, 05:36 PM

I really wish JD performed a five year study. Cars age a lot between the 3 and 5 yr mark.

CalCarNut · 02-23-2017, 05:43 PM

Geez. dont buy a Fiat....

Still not impressive..139 for every 100 cars..so we're all screwed and 39% of us will get bitten twice....

jpnh · 02-23-2017, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CalCarNut

Geez. dont buy a Fiat....

Still not impressive..139 for every 100 cars..so we're all screwed and 39% of us will get bitten twice....

Fiat is a given

I'm pretty sure that lots of folks will have zero issues while others will have multiple.....unfortunately thats the way it usually goes....some folks do in fact get away unscathed

ciaranob · 02-23-2017, 06:01 PM

Buick!!!! Would never have figured they'd rank this high

Ghetto2315 · 02-23-2017, 06:01 PM

FYI, some of these problems aren't actual problems but rather the owners not understanding how their car operates. For example, customer takes delivery of their car and struggles with their Bluetooth (but it's their phone) or doesn't understand how to operate the voice control function so they think the car is broken. So they bring their car in for service as an issue which creates these quality issue problems when it actually wasn't a problem to begin with. Happens a lot with new 7-Series owners and older-aged customers who have a hard time grasping all the technology and amenities the car offers.

All the major brands like BMW, Benz and Lexus send trainers to dealers to help identify these false issues that would trigger a "problem" so they can boost these JDP scores

CalCarNut · 02-23-2017, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpnh

Fiat is a given

I'm pretty sure that lots of folks will have zero issues while others will have multiple.....unfortunately thats the way it usually goes....some folks do in fact get away unscathed

True enough..almost 2 yrs in, I haven't had any issues with my '15..(although its not driven as much as it should to be a fair example..with not even 12K on it)

3M TAPE · 02-23-2017, 06:23 PM

My family went thru 3 Infinitis, never had A SINGLE issue, literally.
Were we lucky?

Destroya · 02-23-2017, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghetto2315

FYI, some of these problems aren't actual problems but rather the owners not understanding how their car operates. For example, customer takes delivery of their car and struggles with their Bluetooth (but it's their phone) or doesn't understand how to operate the voice control function so they think the car is broken. So they bring their car in for service as an issue which creates these quality issue problems when it actually wasn't a problem to begin with. Happens a lot with new 7-Series owners and older-aged customers who have a hard time grasping all the technology and amenities the car offers.

All the major brands like BMW, Benz and Lexus send trainers to dealers to help identify these false issues that would trigger a "problem" so they can boost these JDP scores

Yes, that's why BMW pushes the Genius service so hard.

M3xican · 02-23-2017, 08:08 PM

All I'm gonna say is that the horn on my F80 stopped working today.

MalibuBimmer · 02-23-2017, 08:31 PM

Where's Tesla? Did Elon Musk pay somebody to keep off the list?

02-23-2017, 04:14 PM	#1
Jason Administrator 43610 Rep 21,325 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	BMW Ranks 7th in J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study 2017 BIMMERPOST NEWS BMW Ranks 7th in J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study 2017 75 COMMENTS Tweet BMW has ranked 7th in this year's J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, up 7 spots from last year's 14th place ranking. COSTA MESA, Calif.: 22 Feb. 2017 — While Lexus and Porsche nameplates lead the industry in vehicle dependability, owners of many high-volume vehicles are also rewarded with excellent long-term quality, according to the J.D. Power 2017 Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS), released today. The study, now in its 28th year, examines problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of 2014 model-year vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality. The study covers 177 specific problems grouped into eight major vehicle categories. The study finds that the 10 top-selling 2014 model-year vehicles average 134 PP100, which is significantly better than the industry average of 156 PP100. Two perennial best sellers—the Ford F-150 and the Toyota Camry—also lead their segments in the VDS this year. “We find buyers are increasingly avoiding models with poor reputations for dependability, so manufacturers can’t afford to let quality slip, particularly on their best sellers,” said Dave Sargent, vice president, global automotive at J.D. Power. “While many expensive and niche vehicles do have excellent quality, the fact is that most consumers are shopping in the high-volume mainstream segments. The good news is that consumers don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a very dependable vehicle.” J.D. Power finds that in addition to impacting purchase decisions and brand loyalty, better long-term quality is a key factor in contributing to higher residual values for vehicles. For example, J.D. Power estimates that Toyota—the highest-ranked non-premium brand in the study—has a residual values benefit of more than $750 per vehicle, compared with the average brand. This translates into a benefit of more than $1.3 billion for the 2014 model year alone. “In the current industry environment of record levels of leasing and long-term loans, higher residual values allow automakers to provide more competitive deals to buyers,” said Jonathan Banks, vice president of vehicle analysis and analytics at J.D. Power. “This creates the opportunity to achieve higher market share and/or elevated profit margins.” Other Key Findings Continuing increases in technology-related problems have contributed to dependability worsening in the industry for a second consecutive year. The industry average of 156 PP100 is a 4 PP100 increase from 2016. The Audio/Communication/Entertainment/Navigation (ACEN) category continues to be the most problematic area, accounting for 22% of all problems reported—up from 20% last year. For a third consecutive year, the problems most reported by owners are Bluetooth pairing/connectivity and built-in voice recognition misinterpreting commands. New to the top 10 list of problems reported in 2017 is battery failure. In fact, 44% more owners report a battery failure this year than in 2016. Batteries are the most frequently replaced component not related to normal wear and tear in 3-year-old vehicles at 6.1%—up 1.3 percentage points from 2016. The 2017 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from 35,186 original owners of 2014 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study was fielded from October through December 2016. __________________ Check on the Latest BMW News Become a fan of Bimmerpost Facebook Follow us on Bimmerpost Twitter Subscribe to Bimmerpost Youtube Channel
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02-23-2017, 05:02 PM	#3
Downeaster1 BMW Master Tech 591 Rep 852 Posts Drives: Bunch of leaking water pumps Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0) Garage List 2017 BMW M3 [0.00] 2015 Aston Martin V ... [0.00] 2010 Lamborghini LP ... [0.00] 1985 Alpina C2 2.7 [0.00] 2017 BMW M3 [0.00] 2008 BMW 128i [10.00] 2013 BMW 135is [0.00] 1992 BMW 325i [0.00]	After working as both a service advisor and technician for German-specific vehicles, hell would fucking freeze over before I ever would recommend someone buy a Porsche. __________________ 135is #502 of 586 BMW LED Performance Wheel \| OEM FULL Carbon Fiber \| E9X M3 Gauge Cluster \| E9X Exterior Mirrors \| E9X M3 Full Suspension \| E9X M3 Diff \| PT-CAN2 Enabled \| Bilstiens \| Michelin PSS's \| NBT Navigation Retrofit with Touch Pad
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02-23-2017, 05:04 PM	#4
jpm5150 Private 60 Rep 62 Posts Drives: 2021 X5 M50 Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Seattle iTrader: (0)	Some of this makes sense, others, not so much. For example, Honda and Acura are pretty much the same, why are they vastly different? Same with Nissan/Infiniti. What's interesting, in both cases, the premium brand from the company faired worse.
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02-23-2017, 05:09 PM	#6
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02-23-2017, 04:22 PM	#2
Delta0311 Banned 7484 Rep 10,119 Posts Drives: 2011 BMW 335xi E92 2016 228xi Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NJ iTrader: (1)	Damn Infinity is damn near POS level. I figured they'd be up closer to Lexus ranking. And Fiat, that thing was always garbage.
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02-23-2017, 05:15 PM	#9
Germanauto Major General 9841 Rep 6,142 Posts Drives: Alfa Romeo Giulia, Rosso Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: LA iTrader: (0)	I always take these "dependability" surveys with a grain of salt. Fact is that the Japanese makes are the most reliable and cheapest to operate, whereas the Germans are the opposite. GM and Ford are average to below-average, and Chrysler has been clogged at the bottom of the toilet for generations.
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02-23-2017, 05:36 PM	#13
F32Fleet Lieutenant General 3905 Rep 10,603 Posts Drives: 2015 435i Join Date: May 2005 Location: Southeastern US iTrader: (0)	I really wish JD performed a five year study. Cars age a lot between the 3 and 5 yr mark. __________________ "Drive more, worry less. " 435i, MPPK, MPE, M-Sport Line
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02-23-2017, 05:43 PM	#14
CalCarNut Brigadier General 1065 Rep 3,258 Posts Drives: 2015 F36 Jet Black Sport Line Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Blue Skies iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW X3 [0.00] 2015 BMW 428i Gran ... [10.00] 1996 Chevrolet Impa ... [8.00]	Geez. dont buy a Fiat.... Still not impressive..139 for every 100 cars..so we're all screwed and 39% of us will get bitten twice.... __________________ 2015 BMW F36 428i JetBlack. Sport Line Edition 25% 3M Tint\|
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02-23-2017, 06:01 PM	#16
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02-23-2017, 06:23 PM	#19
3M TAPE Banned 350 Rep 1,225 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: States iTrader: (0)	My family went thru 3 Infinitis, never had A SINGLE issue, literally. Were we lucky?
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