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Kia Ranks Highest in J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Initial Quality Study

For the first time in 27 years, there’s no premium car brand at the top of the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study. Believe it or not, it’s Kia that dethroned the big guns. Yes, that Kia from South Korea, a brand that produces city cars, sedans, minivans, and the Soul EV.
J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Initial Quality Study 6 photos
Photo: J.D. Power
J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Initial Quality StudyJ.D. Power 2016 U.S. Initial Quality StudyJ.D. Power 2016 U.S. Initial Quality StudyJ.D. Power 2016 U.S. Initial Quality StudyJ.D. Power 2016 U.S. Initial Quality Study
Now in its 30th year, the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study is a big thing in the United States of America because automakers have a tendency to cling to its results for marketing reasons. I understand that and I agree with it. To the uninitiated, I’m much obliged to tell you the study examines problems experienced by vehicle owners during the first 90 days of ownership.

To be more specific, the initial quality of a vehicle is determined by the peeps at J.D. Power by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles, with a lower score reflecting higher quality. Got it? Great stuff!

This is, the industry average is 105 points, while the Big Three in Detroit achieve a combined average of 103 problems recorded per 100 vehicles. Kia, which is the headliner of the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Initial Quality Study, boasts 83. Second and third go to Porsche (84) and Hyundai (92), the sister brand of the winning automaker. Toyota comes in fourth (93), BMW settles for fifth (94), and Chevrolet made it to fifth (95).

So, which automakers are the worst performers? From worst to less worse, the list starts with smart (216 problems) and continues with Fiat (174), Volvo (152), Land Rover (132), MINI (127) and Mazda (127). In their respective segments, the best of the lot are General Motors (Buick Cascada, Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Silverado HD and LD, Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Terrain), Toyota (Lexus CT and GS, Scion tC, Toyota Camry, Corolla, and Highlander), Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Accent and Azera, Kia Soul and Sportage), as well as the almighty Volkswagen Group (Audi Q3 and TT, Porsche Macan and 911).

“Manufacturers are currently making some of the highest quality products we’ve ever seen,” declared Renee Stephens, the vice president of U.S. automotive quality at J.D. Power and Associates. “Tracking our data over the past several years, it has become clear that automakers are listening to the customer, identifying pain points and are focused on continuous improvement. Even as they add more content, including advanced technologies that have had a reputation for causing problems, overall quality continues to improve,” added Mr. Stephens.

Check out the charts & graphs below to find out more about this year's J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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