JD Power, the US-based industry analytics and consumer research specialist, has released its 2026 Initial Quality Study, a much-anticipated (and often feared) annual report looking at the way cars are built and how they operate.
And despite a "sharp rise" in overall vehicle quality, this year's study has highlighted connectivity as a significant stumbling block for manufacturers and consumers.
As its name implies, the Initial Quality Study is based on responses from purchasers and lessees of new vehicles (this year 78,514 people) surveyed after 90 days of ownership.
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The quality audit is split into eight market segments and covers 10 categories - Multimedia, Features, controls & displays, Exterior, Interior, Driving assistance, Seats, Powertrain, Driving experience, Climate and Unspecified (unclassified gripes). Issues are rated according to Problems Per 100 vehicles (PP100).
In 2026, fewer problems were cited across nine of the 10 categories, with Multimedia the exception, where "connectivity issues continue to strain customer experience with new-vehicle quality."
Introducing the report, JD Power Senior Director of Auto Benchmarking Frank Hanley said, "As more technology is introduced into vehicles, keeping the experience simple matters more than ever.
"The biggest gains in quality come from features that are easy to use - simple controls, less-intrusive driver assistance and software that works the way customers expect.
"When technology becomes too complicated, the likelihood of customers experiencing a problem rises considerably," he said.
The total number of reported problems with new vehicles improved to 175 PP100, down from 192 PP100 in 2025, which JD Power said is the best year-on-year improvement since 1997 and the fourth-best performance in the 40-year history of the survey.
But Multimedia saw an increase of 1.4 PP100 in reported problems - typically issues with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity and touchscreen displays - for a total of 44.4 PP100 across mass market segments and 38.3 PP100 in the premium groupings.
Porsche was the highest-ranking brand overall with an initial quality score of 138 PP100, ahead of Genesis (151 PP100) and Lexus (156 PP100).
Toyota Motor Corporation's Kyushu 1 plant in Japan, which manufactures the Lexus NX and Lexus UX, received the Platinum Plant Quality Award which is based on detected defects and malfunctions.