The American data analysis company JD Power published the 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study, in which it analyzed responses from 33,268 owners of 2023 model-year vehicles, with three years of use, covering 184 possible problems in areas such as engine, interior, driver assistance systems, air conditioning, and infotainment.
Among premium brands, Lexus led again for the fourth consecutive year, with 151 problems per 100 vehicles, followed by Cadillac (175) and Porsche (182). Among mass-market brands, first place went to Buick, with 160 problems per 100 automobiles, followed by MINI (168) and Chevrolet (178).
Although Toyota did not lead the brand rankings, the Toyota group was the one that earned the most model awards, with eight distinctions, including the Lexus IS, which was the model with the best overall rating in the study, in addition to the Lexus UX, Lexus GX, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Sienna, and Toyota 4Runner.
The industry average rose to 204 problems per 100 vehicles, the highest value since the study was restructured in 2022. The area that continued to generate the most complaints was the infotainment system, especially the mobile phone connection through Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Plug-in hybrids were the technology with the most problems (281 per 100 vehicles), followed by battery electric vehicles (237), while gasoline cars had the lowest value (198). The study is conducted in the United States, so the range of models and conditions of use may not fully correspond to the Portuguese market.
