Which New Cars Cause The Least Trouble For Owners?
For the 39th year, J.D. Power has surveyed car owners to find out how many problems they have had with their new cars. Fortunately, the overall scores have increased a little bit over last year.
You probably won’t be surprised to see Lexus top J.D. Power’s 2025 Initial Quality Study (IQS). Surprisingly, Lexus found itself in eighth place last year with a score of 173 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) but rebounded in 2025 to lead the pack with a score of 166 PP100. Ram, last year’s surprise victor, fell dramatically this year. Ram went from 148 PP100 to 218 PP100, dropping all the way down to 25th (that’s 7 spots from the very bottom).
J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study: Top 10 |
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Lexus: 166 PP100 |
Nissan: 169 |
Hyundai: 173 |
Jaguar: 175 |
Chevrolet: 178 |
Honda: 179 |
Dodge: 180 |
Kia: 181 |
Buick: 183 |
Genesis: 183 |
Yes, we were as surprised as you are to see Jaguar in fourth place. The British brand hasn’t historically been known as trouble-free, but when you consider that all of Jaguar’s current models have been on the market for several years at this point, it makes sense that they’d have the kinks ironed out. Similarly, Nissan’s lineup last year consisted mostly of well-established models, as did Dodge’s.
J.D. Power also ranks individual models, and the brand that received more model-level awards than any other is General Motors with five (Buick Encore GX, Cadillac XT5, Chevrolet Blazer, Chevrolet Silverado and Chevrolet Tahoe). Ford was next with four awards (Ford Escape, Ford F-150, Ford Mustang and Ford Super Duty), followed by Honda with three (Acura Integra, Acura RDX and Honda Odyssey). Of the top 10 brands in J.D. Power’s latest IQS, one is British, three are Korean, three are Japanese, and three are American.
It’s important to keep in mind that J.D. Power surveys owners – in this case 92,694 purchasers and lessees of new 2025 model-year vehicles – in 10 vehicle categories: infotainment; features, controls and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; powertrain; seats; driving experience; climate; and unspecified (unique to repair). Over the last several years, owners have logged more complaints about infotainment system issues than any other category, and that holds true for 2025. While problems with infotainment tech are legitimate, they aren’t as serious as engine or transmission problems that can leave an owner stranded. Still, all complaints are counted and are factored into the IQS scores.
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Growing up in a family obsessed with performance and as the son of an automotive engineer, Jeremy Korzeniewski has spent his entire life as a car enthusiast. Also an avid motorcyclist, Jeremy has spent the last two decades writing about the transportation industry and providing insights to many of the largest automotive publications in the world.
More by Jeremy Korzeniewski
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