JD Power Releases 2013 Dependability Study, Shows Improvements In Reliability

JD Power and Associates has released its 2013 dependability report, which shows that the reliability of three-year-old cars has improved over last year. This is the 24th year straight that the organization has released its dependability report, which looks at the reported problems per 100 cars. Dependability has jumped 5-percent over 2012.

According to the study, 2010 models that were new or redesigned averaged a PP100 score of 116, a better score than last year's 133, which concerned 2009 models. Refreshed 2010 models, which J.D. Power states are models with only slight changes, had the best PP100 score at 111. Refreshed 2010 models, which J.D. Power states are models with only slight changes, had the best PP100 score at 111. Tallying it all up, the overall dependability score for the year was 126, a 5-percent improvement over 2012's overall score of 132.

This is the lowest PP100 rating that has ever been given over the course of J.D Power's dependability reports. Out of the brands looked at in the report, 21 out of 31 showed an improvement over last year, with domestic models beating out imports just a tad. Overall, three-year cars are more reliable than ever, and drivers should feel confident driving them.

Said J.D. Power's Vice President David Sargent had this to say: "There is a perception that all-new models, or models that undergo a major redesign, are more problematic than carryover models. Data from the 2013 VDS suggests that this is not the case. The rapid improvement in fundamental vehicle dependability each year is more than offsetting any initial glitches that all-new or redesigned models may have."

[via JD Power]