This Automaker Ranks The Highest For New-Car Quality, According To JD Power

Shopping for a new car can be fun, but the financial investment required makes the experience stressful as well. Anyone spending tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle should carefully research a range of makes and models before even heading out for test drives.  J.D. Power uses data from extensive surveys to compile annual rankings according to resale value, customer satisfaction, and reliability, and J.D. Power 's 2025 Initial Quality Survey named Lexus as the brand to beat. 

The study evaluated responses to a 227-question survey that went out to over 92,000 people who bought or leased 2025 model year vehicles. Respondents were asked about problems during their first 90 days with the vehicle, and each model was scored according to the number of reported issues per 100 vehicles. 

Each brand's vehicles were then averaged, and Lexus was tops with a score of 166 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). Since they're measuring adverse events, a lower score is better here. Behind Lexus were two other premium brands: Jaguar at 175 PP100 and Hyundai's luxury division Genesis at 183 PP100. The top three mass-market brands were Nissan (169 PP100), Hyundai (173 PP100), and Chevrolet (178 PP100).

Along with ranking brands by initial quality, the survey made some broader conclusions. Many car owners complained about overly complex touchscreen systems, and J.D. Power's senior director of auto benchmarking Frank Hanley said "Owners find these things to be overly complicated and too distracting to use while driving" and recommended a move back to physical controls.

The study also concluded that premium-brand vehicles tended to present more problems than those in the mass market sector during the first 90 days off the lot; that's certainly worth considering if you're on the fence about ponying up for a luxury ride. Nissan was tops among mass-market brands and second overall, but Nissan's financial woes mean the brand faces an uncertain future. The most trouble-free model was the Porsche 911 at 116 PP100, but American automakers fared well in individual market segments. General Motors earned the most model-level awards with five; Ford was in second place with four, and Honda rounded out the top three with best-in-segment wins for the Honda Odyssey, Acura Integra, and Acura RDX.