Last Updated on May 24, 2023 by Victor A
One of the more important aspects of a vehicle is how dependable it is since no one likes to spend time and money repairing their car. A reliable car is a car that you can count on, and that’s why this list of the most reliable car brands of 2022 might serve you well.
When it comes to determining the reliability of a car brand, the most important factors are the number of recalls, the number of complaints filed against the brand, and the average repair costs, although other factors should always be considered.
The latest J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study shows the most reliable car brands of the year by conducting a redesigned study in which they added new areas like:
- Customer satisfaction after some time
- An updated list of problems, including how the technology performs after 3 years
- How habitual a brand updates the software and the method
Top 10 most reliable car brands of 2022
Now that you understand how dependability is considered, we are going to show you the top 10 most dependable car brands of this year based on the 2022 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study.
The way cars are ranked is by the average number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), the lower the number, the more reliable the brand will be.
This year the average for mass-market brands is 190 PP100, while premium brands are rated at 204 PP100. The reason for this is that usually, these brands add more technology and features to their cars which can result in more problems.
Mass market brands average 190 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), which is 14 PP100 lower than for premium brands (204 PP100). Premium brands typically incorporate more technology in their vehicles, which increases the likelihood of problems occurring.
1) Kia (145 PP100)
For the first time, Kia achieves a well-deserved top spot in the list, the Korean brand ranked third in the 2021 study, and the improvement that they experienced this year is largely due to Kia owners’ satisfaction.
This is also the first time in history that a non-premium brand ranks first in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study.
Another notable mention is that the Kia Sorento has ranked first as the most dependable car in the Midsize SUV segment for the second consecutive year, while the Kia EV6 has ranked first in the best performance category in the Compact SUV segment.
2) Buick (147 PP100)
The American brand owned by General Motors ranks second in this year’s study, its rating has been greatly affected by how well its new models stayed reliable for the first months after being purchased.
Buick won the award for the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Initial Quality Study which rates brands by how many problems customers experience three months after purchasing a vehicle.
Buick has managed to improve this year, while most brands have found more problems.
In the small SUV segment, the Buick Encore GX has ranked first in the overall rating category.
3-) Hyundai (148 PP100)
Another Korean brand on the list is Hyundai Motor which has improved from seventh last year to third this year in the ranking.
With this third ranking, Hyundai has secured the highest ranking in its history.
The Hyundai Palisade ranks number one in the best performance category for the Upper Midsize SUV segment, while the Hyundai Santa Fe is the most dependable midsize SUV of this year.
4) Genesis (155 PP100)
Another brand from the Hyundai Motor Group sneaks into the top positions of the ranking.
Genesis secures the fourth spot in the overall dependability ranking, while it manages to rank number one in the premium brands ranking for its second consecutive year, and ranks first in the Initial Quality Study ranking.
What’s more impressive about this second consecutive first position is that this is their only third year of eligibility in the J.D Power ranking.
The Genesis GV70 dominates the best performance category in the Compact Premium SUV segment of the study.
5) Toyota (158 PP100)
With the rise of Korean brands, Toyota finds itself losing a position compared with last year’s study.
Toyota knows how to make reliable cars, and that’s why you’ve always been able to find it around the top spots of any reliability ranking, however this year it’s been hard for the Japanese automaker due to the chip’s shortage.
The Japanese automaker’s SUVs didn’t earn any awards this year, but they still ranked high in most of the categories.
6) Lexus (159 PP100)
Lexus faces a similar problem as Toyota, the chip shortage and the pandemic have considerably impacted the Japanese brand production processes.
From outranking everyone last year to landing in a respectable sixth position this year, Lexus finds itself in a complicated situation.
Although Lexus has lost five positions this year, it still managed to gain the award of the most dependable car for three of its SUVs.
The Lexus NX in the Compact Premium SUV, the Lexus UX in the Small Premium SUV, and the Lexus RX in the Midsize Premium SUV segment.
7) Porsche (162 PP100)
The only European brand in the Top 10 is Porsche, which like the previous two brands, also lost some positions.
The German car brand was last year’s second most dependable brand, however, the pandemic and the chip shortage have made a big impact on this year’s ranking.
When it comes to SUVs, the Porsche Cayenne earns an award in the Best Performance category in the midsize premium SUV category.
8) Dodge (166 PP100)
We are glad to see Dodge entering the Top 10 this year since they are the automaker that came out with the word “dependable”.
The American brand has made an enormous jump from being ranked the eighteenth most dependable brand of 2021 to the seventh this year.
The automaker owned by the Stellants group couldn’t land an award for its only SUV in the market right now, the Dodge Durango.
However, we have high hopes for the all-new Dodge Hornet which is based on the Alfa Romeo Tonale, which we could see them gaining an award in next year’s study.
9) Cadillac (168 PP100)
Cadillac is another brand that lost some positions, from being in the 6th position in 2021, it now finds itself in the 9th.
Nevertheless, losing three positions is not that bad in such an unstable year, with all the new models that the American automaker is releasing we could see them jumping positions in 2023.
The brand’s SUVs didn’t earn any awards this year, however, the Cadillac XT5 landed a second position in the dependability category for the midsize premium SUV segment.
10) Chevrolet (171 PP100)
The last spot in the Top 10 most reliable car brands of 2022 list goes to Chevrolet, another manufacturer from General Motors.
Chevrolet gains two positions from last year, the American brand manages to gain some positions by staying consistent.
The Toyota Motor Corporation and General Motors Company have each received five dependability segment awards, which makes them the most awarded companies this year.
In the large SUV segment, the Chevrolet Suburban received an award in the dependability category.
The Korean automakers are the most reliable car brands of 2022
What’s clear is that the Hyundai Motor Group is the clear winner this year, with three of their brands ranking first, second, and fourth.
In a challenging year where production has been problematic, and with market uncertainty they went ahead of all the other manufacturers to secure the first positions.
Buick also deserves some praise for going from the fifth position to the second one, making it the only American manufacturer that is positioned in the first seven positions.
Some of the problems we are seeing this year will likely continue in the next one, but hopefully, the situation improves and we can see better results in the 2023 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study.
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