Hyundai Motor Group ranks first in US vehicle dependability study

Hyundai Motor Group has once again topped the U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) conducted by J.D. Power, ranking first among 16 global automotive groups for the second consecutive year.

Genesis ranked second with 144 points, Kia Corp. ranked third with 152 points, and Hyundai Motor Co. ranked eighth with 170 points out of 31 brands.

The VDS measures problems experienced by original owners of three-year old vehicles and calculates overall dependability by the number of problems per 100 vehicles. Thus, a lower score reflects a higher level of quality. 

By group, Hyundai Motor Group received a score of 160 points, the lowest average score among 16 global automotive groups, beating Toyota (163 points) and General Motors (165 points). This is the second consecutive year that Hyundai Motor Group has topped the list, with Kia claiming top Overall Nameplate honors for three consecutive years and Genesis ranking second among 13 luxury brands.

Hyundai and Kia vehicles also claimed several awards by car type, with the Kia K3 (Forte), K5 (Optima), and Sportage winning the Best Quality Award in their respective categories. Hyundai's Elantra (Avante) won excellent quality award in subcompact cars, followed by the Santa Fe in the Best Midsize SUV category, and the Kia Sorento in the Best Upper Midsize SUV category and the Kia Carnival (Sedona) in the Best Minivan car class.

"The reason why Hyundai Motor Group has achieved the best durability among global automotive groups is due to constant efforts by all sectors to improve quality," said a Hyundai Motor Group official.

Write to Hung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com