Hyundai Cars Are Close To Tops On This Year’s JD Powers Quality Study

Hyundai finds itself near the top of the list for being one of the best cars on the market behind the big price tag brands, according to JD Power and Associates’ 2014 Initial Quality Study. USA Today tells us that the survey ranks brands and individual models for fewest problems per 100 vehicles within the first ninety days of ownership.

JD Power and Associates conceded that the raw number of problems per vehicle are on the rise with the advent of so much new and changing technology. That factor alone seems to have uncovered some surprising results. As far as the top rankings are concerned, Porsche came in at number one with 74 problems per 100 vehicles within the first 90 days of ownership. Jaguar came in second with 87 problems, followed by Lexus with 92, and then Hyundai with 94 problems per 100 vehicles.

That’s a great statement for Hyundai to make, especially since the 2013 results had Hyundai down on the 10th spot on the list. Hyundai models will cost consumers considerably less money than the high end brands dominating the top of the list. Hyundai’s philosophy is pretty straightforward. “Go after the big ones; make measurable improvements,” says Dave Zuchowski, CEO of Hyundai Motor America. Mr. Zuchowski further stated that Hyundai’s impressive ranking on the list “speaks to our long-term commitment to quality.” Mr. Zuchowski further said that some of the changes undertaken by Hyundai included finding new places for hardware (like microphones) to improve in-car voice recognition systems as well as improving relationships with consumers on the dealer side, such as having sales people pair customers’ cell phones with their new vehicles before leaving in their new cars. Hyundai grabbed two top awards on this year’s survey: one for having the highest ranked compact car, the Elantra, and another for creating the world’s highest ranked midsize premium car, its Genesis sedan.

Overall quality isn’t the only place where Hyundai is making waves. In a recent story by The Inquisitr, the manufacturer’s 2015 Hyundai Genesis also ranked among the world’s safest cars.

In case you’re wondering who rounded out the bottom of this year’s survey, those dubious awards go to Jeep, Mitsubishi, and Fiat.

The industry average this year was 116 problems per 100 vehicles within the first 90 days of ownership. This is a metric that Fiat didn’t even come close to grasping with 206 problems per 100 vehicles. To make matters worse, Fiat seemingly blamed the intellectual abilities of its customers for its poor performance on the survey. According to Fiat, its problems were, at least in part, due to “European design features (that) might prompt some owners to check more boxes on the IQS survey.”

That’s good to know Fiat. For all the other consumers out there who might not understand European design features or want to shell out massive amounts of money, it’s nice to know that an affordable and reliable brand like Hyundai has made the mark.