Kia: New king in J.D. Power’s most reliable auto brand rankings

Kia Corp. is the top-ranked automaker in J.D. Power’s 2022 US Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) ahead of General Motor Co.’s Buick as well as premium brands such as Porsche and Lexus.

According to the consumer reliability study released on Friday, Kia was named the overall leader among 139 models from 32 global brands, including mass-market and luxury cars.

This marks the first time that a non-premium brand has been awarded the overall top honor in the history of VDS.

Kia’s latest achievement comes on the heels of the company ascending to the top post in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study (IQS) awards in past years.

Friday’s VDS data showed Kia’s sister company Hyundai Motor Co. and the South Korean automotive group’s standalone premium brand Genesis ranked third and fourth overall, followed by Japan’s Toyota Motor and its luxury brand Lexus. In the premium segment, Genesis ranked first.

No European brand was on the top 10 list, except Porsche in seventh.

“We at Hyundai Motor Group hold long-term ownership satisfaction as one of the key benchmarks for success,” said Cha Seog-ju, head of Hyundai Motor Group's quality division.

“The VDS results speak to Hyundai, Kia and Genesis’s dedication to delivering vehicles that not only excel in areas long appreciated by owners, like design and driving experience, but also across innovative technologies that have become a crucial part of the overall ownership experience.”

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The industry-wide study examined problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old vehicles, which are 2019 models.

Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles. Thus, a lower score reflects a higher level of quality.

Kia jumped two spots in the ranking from the previous year to claim the overall top honor this year with a score of 145.

Genesis notched up four spots overall and three positions in the premium category with a score of 155.

Hyundai Motor improved its rating by four spots overall and one spot in the mass-market category with a score of 148.

By category, the Kia Sorento was the No. 1 in the upper midsize SUV segment, while Hyundai Motor’s Santa Fe and Sonata took top honors in the midsize SUV and midsize sedan segments, respectively.

For the latest vehicle dependability study, J.D. Power surveyed nearly 30,000 customers in the US, covering 184 specific problem areas across nine major vehicle categories, including climate, driving assistance, exterior, features, displays and seats.

Write to Byung-Uk Do at dodo@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.