This is the big J.D. Power survey of the year. The one automakers try to do their best in for bragging rights. Looking at the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), the quality of new vehicles is up industry-wide year over year. Porsche is the highest-ranking overall brand and its 911 is the #1 ranked overall model in the industry.
“This recognition reflects the collective effort of a team deeply committed to striving for the best,” said Timo Resch, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. “Winning this award speaks to the painstaking focus on even the smallest details that our engineers put into each of our vehicles to give our customers the standard of quality they rightly expect from Porsche. We also thank our dealer partners, whose commitment to serving customers is instrumental in earning this kind of recognition.”
According to the study, overall new-vehicle quality, as measured by the total number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) experienced in the first 90 days of ownership, has improved sharply this year, with fewer problems cited across nine of 10 categories evaluated. The exception is infotainment and researchers say connectivity issues continue to strain customer experience with new-vehicle quality. A lower PP100 score indicates higher vehicle quality.
“As more technology is introduced into vehicles, keeping the experience simple matters more than ever,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at JD Power. “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.”
Following are some key findings of the 2026 IQS:
The U.S. Initial Quality Study, now in its 40th year, is based this year on responses from 78,514 purchasers and lessees of new 2026 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The IQS additionally incorporates repair visit data based on hundreds of thousands of real-world events reported to franchised new-vehicle dealers. The methodology unites state-of-the-art vehicle repair data with traditional JD Power Voice of the Customer (VOC) data fielded continuously year-round and published monthly for subscribing clients. The enhanced IQS data enables automakers to quickly identify potential issues before they become bigger problems in the quality landscape.
The dataset is based on a battery of 227 VOC questions plus relevant repair data, all of which is organized into 10 vehicle categories: infotainment; features, controls and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; seats; powertrain; driving experience; climate; and unspecified (unique to repair). The dataset is designed to provide manufacturers with information to facilitate the identification of problems and to drive product improvement. The data was collected from June 2025 through May 2026.
Highest-Ranking Brands and Models
Porsche is the highest-ranking brand overall in initial quality with a score of 138 PP100. Among premium brands, Genesis (151 PP100) takes second and Lexus (156 PP100), which ranked first last year, moves to third.
Among mass market brands, Ford ranks highest with a score of 152 PP100. Nissan (156 PP100)m last year's #1 ranked, moves to second and Buick (162 PP100) takes third third.
The parent corporation receiving the most model-level awards is BMW (six awards). Hyundai Motor Group (five awards) ranks second and General Motors Company (four awards) ranks third. Among brands, BMW receives the most segment awards (six). Ford and Hyundai rank second, in a tie, each with three segment awards.
Plant Quality Awards: Toyota, Hyundai, Porsche
Toyota Motor Corporation, Hyundai Motor Group and Porsche AG all receive plant quality awards. The awards are based solely on defects and malfunctions and exclude design-related problems and repair incidents.
Toyota's Kyushu 1, Japan plant, where the automakers builds the Lexus NX and Lexus UX, receives the Platinum Plant Quality Award.
The Gold Plant Quality Award for North/South America goes to the Hyundai Motor Group’s Nuevo Leon KMX, Mexico plant, which the automaker builds the Kia K4. Two Porsche plants tie for the Gold Plant Quality Awards for Europe and Africa: Porsche AG’s Leipzig, Germany plant produces the Porsche Macan and Porsche Panamera, and the Porsche AG Stuttgart, Germany plant produces the Porsche 911 and the Porsche Taycan.
To see the complete rankings, visit J.D. Power here.