GM Scores Big Wins In J.D. Power Dependability Study

TROY (WWJ) - The made-in-Michigan Buick Verano received the highest scores in the latest J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study. In addition, General Motors vehicles won eight segment awards, the most of any car maker.

"GM continues to perform well in the study," said J.D. Power Vice President of Automotive David Sargent. "Most of the brands for GM increased in Ranking."

[JD Power Dependability Study, Brand Rankings]

Lexus was the top brand overall, with Buick the top domestic brand, in the annual survey of people who own three-year old vehicles.

Overall, dependability fell slightly from the 2015 study. Sargent says complaints were not with engines or systems that actually move the vehicles, but with technology.

[JD Power Dependability Study, Segment Winners]

Voice control, Sargent says, is a particular source of complaint.

"A lot of these systems don't recognize the customers commands, or don't recognize them consistently enough for consumers to feel comfortable using them."

This hurt brands like Ford and Dodge that have been depending on technology to distinguish their products.

General Motors, however, trumpeting its strong performance, and the top finish of the Buick Verano, which is built at GM's Orion Plant.

"Buick's ranking is a demonstration of our mission to provide the best in reliability, quality and customer service," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick. "As we enter an exciting year of vehicle launches, we will show both new and returning customers that quality continues to be a top priority for the brand."

The study could mean some problems ahead for an industry that will be relying more on technology in the future.

"If you think about the technology problems from the study in the context of conversations around autonomous vehicles, the industry clearly has more work to do to secure the trust of consumers," said Stephens. "Right now, if consumers can't rely on their vehicle to connect to their smartphone, or have faith that their navigation system will route them to their destination, they're certainly not yet ready to trust that autonomous technology will keep their vehicle out of the ditch."

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