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J.D. Power’s 2022 Worst Car Brands for DependabilityJ.D. Power’s 2022 Worst Car Brands for Dependability
The annual dependability survey looks at three years of driving 2019 models.
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Images courtesy of Land Rover, Audi, and Stellantis
J.D. Power’s annual survey of drivers has compiled the reliability scores for 2019 models, and along with the happy winners, there is also a roster of those companies whose cars were more trouble-prone.
The study covers 184 specific problem areas across nine major vehicle categories: climate; driving assistance (new in 2022); driving experience; exterior; features/controls/ displays; infotainment; interior; powertrain; and seats.
As a rule of thumb, premium brands fared worse than their mass-market counterparts. That’s because the posh models tend to be loaded with more new technology, which presents more opportunities for problems.
Also, the definition of “dependability” needs some explanation here; carmakers were dinged for not having enough USB outlets in their cars, so that’s hardly a strand-you-roadside kind of “dependability” concern.
The 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from 29,487 original owners of 2019 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study was fielded from July 2021 through November 2021.
The survey found an average of 192 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), which means that the average 2019 car in the survey had 1.9 problems during the last three years. The worst-scoring brands had more problems than that, with the last-place brand averaging 288 PP100, or close to three problems in three years. Click through our gallery to see which brands ended up at the bottom of J.D. Power’s dependability list.
About the Author
Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.
A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.
Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.
Dan, testing the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish. ANDY MORGAN/ASTON MARTIN
He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.
He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.
He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.
He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.
Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.
He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
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