Hyundai 2nd highest non-premium brand in JD Power Initial Quality Study

New vehicle quality across the entire Hyundai line-up resulted in the company being ranked as the second-highest non-premium brand in JD Power’s 2019 US Initial Quality Study (IQS)SM for the second consecutive year.

Hyundai owners reported three fewer problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) than in 2018 as Hyundai also maintained its third overall ranking with a significant 12 PP100 fewer than the fourth place brand.

In the model segments, the new Hyundai Santa Fe received the midsize SUV award and was one of only three vehicles to win one of the 21 segments in its launch year. Hyundai’s entire line-up performed well – with Tucson, Elantra, Accent and Veloster all finishing second in their respective segments, while Kona and Sonata each were third.

As a brand, Hyundai ranked first in two of the eight categories with the fewest reported ACEN (Audio, Communication, Entertainment, and Navigation) and seat problems. JD Power also classifies problems as either design or defect/malfunction, and Hyundai finished with the lowest number of design related problems among non-premium brands.

“The experience in our local market backs the results shown in the JD Power study and is also reflected in Hyundai Automotive SA’s low warranty burn rate across the range of models that we sell in South Africa,” says Stanley Anderson, sales and operations director of Hyundai Automotive SA.

Hyundai’s strong showing in JD Power’s IQS follows its fifth place non-premium ranking in JD Power’s 2019 US Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), demonstrating its quality leadership over time. The Santa Fe was also ranked highest in its class in the JD Power 2019 VDS.

One of the key findings in the 2019 Initial Quality Study is that the gap between Korean brands and others continues to widen, said JD Power in its media release.

Initial quality is measured by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership, with a lower score reflecting higher quality. In this year’s study, only 13 brands improved, while 18 worsened. The industry average remained unchanged at 93 PP100.

JD Power measures initial quality by the number of problems owners experience per 100 vehicles during the first 90 days of ownership, with a lower score reflecting higher quality. Hyundai had 71 PP100, outpacing the industry average of 93 PP100.

In its 33rd year, the 2019 U.S. IQS is based on responses from 76,256 purchasers and lessees of new 2019 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study is based on 233 questions organized into eight vehicle categories which are designed to provide manufacturers with information to help with the identification of problems and drive product improvement.

The study was fielded from February through May 2019 with data compiled on 32 brands, 191 models and 142 assembly lines. More information on the JD Power 2019 US IQS can be found at

https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2019-initial-quality-study-iqs.

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