The quality of new vehicles has improved industry-wide year over year. According to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS),SM overall new-vehicle quality, as measured by the total number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) experienced in the first 90 days of ownership, has improved sharply this year, with fewer problems cited across nine of 10 categories evaluated. Infotainment is the exception, where connectivity issues continue to strain customer experience with new-vehicle quality. A lower PP100 score indicates higher vehicle quality.
“As more technology is introduced into vehicles, keeping the experience simple matters more than ever,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at JD Power. “The biggest gains in quality come from features that are easy to use—simple controls, less-intrusive driver assistance and software that works the way customers expect. When technology becomes too complicated, the likelihood of customers experiencing a problem rises considerably.”
Following are some key findings of the 2026 IQS:
The U.S. Initial Quality Study, now in its 40th year, is based this year on responses from 78,514 purchasers and lessees of new 2026 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The IQS additionally incorporates repair visit data based on hundreds of thousands of real-world events reported to franchised new-vehicle dealers. The methodology unites state-of-the-art vehicle repair data with traditional JD Power Voice of the Customer (VOC) data fielded continuously year-round and published monthly for subscribing clients. The enhanced IQS data enables automakers to quickly identify potential issues before they become bigger problems in the quality landscape.
The dataset is based on a battery of 227 VOC questions plus relevant repair data, all of which is organized into 10 vehicle categories: infotainment; features, controls and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; seats; powertrain; driving experience; climate; and unspecified (unique to repair). The dataset is designed to provide manufacturers with information to facilitate the identification of problems and to drive product improvement. The data was collected from June 2025 through May 2026.
Highest-Ranking Brands and Models
Porsche is the highest-ranking brand overall in initial quality with a score of 138 PP100. Among premium brands, Genesis (151 PP100) ranks second and Lexus (156 PP100) ranks third.
Among mass market brands, Ford ranks highest with a score of 152 PP100. Nissan (156 PP100) ranks second and Buick (162 PP100) ranks third.
The parent corporation receiving the most model-level awards is BMW (six awards). Hyundai Motor Group (five awards) ranks second and General Motors Company (four awards) ranks third. Among brands, BMW receives the most segment awards (six). Ford and Hyundai rank second, in a tie, each with three segment awards.
Plant Quality Awards
Toyota Motor Corporation’s Kyushu 1, Japan plant, which manufactures the Lexus NX and Lexus UX, receives the Platinum Plant Quality Award. Plant quality awards are based solely on defects and malfunctions and exclude design-related problems and repair incidents.
The Gold Plant Quality Award for North/South America goes to the Hyundai Motor Group’s Nuevo Leon KMX, Mexico plant, which produces the Kia K4. The Gold Plant Quality Awards for Europe and Africa, in a tie, go to Porsche AG’s Leipzig, Germany plant, which produces the Porsche Macan and Porsche Panamera, and the Posche AG Stuttgart, Germany plant, which produces the Porsche 911 and the Porsche Taycan.
For more information about the U.S. Initial Quality Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/us-initial-quality-study-iqs.