Lexus Tops 2017 J.D. Power’s Dependability Rankings

Lexus Logs Sixth Straight Year Atop J.D. Power’s Vehicle Dependability Study

Another year, another first place finish for Lexus. The luxury automaker has once again landed atop the J.D. Power 2017 Vehicle Dependability Study, marking the brand’s sixth consecutive year leading the pack. This year, however, Lexus shares the top spot with Porsche in a dead tie. The latest study marks its 28th year and examines problems faced over the last 12 months by original owners of 2014 vehicles.

J.D. Power’s overall dependability rankings are determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles. A lower score indicates a higher rate of dependability, focusing on 177 unique problems across eight categories. Both Lexus and Porsche finished with an overall dependability score of 110. For comparison, Fiat recorded the worst score with a 298.

A total of three Lexus models received segment awards. The ES won “Best Compact Premium Car,” the GS won “Best Midsize Premium Car,” and the RX received “Best Midsize Premium SUV. Those three helped Toyota win 10 of 18 segment awards, the most by any automaker in the history of the J.D. Power study. Toyota finished third in overall quality with a score of 123.

One interesting takeaway from the 2017 study is that overall dependability decreased for the second straight year. This decline can be attributed directly to an increase in technology-related problems. Most notably, the Audio/Communication/Entertainment/Navigation (ACEN) category, which accounted for 22% of all reported problems.

Issues with Bluetooth pairing and connectivity, along with command misinterpretation by voice recognition, also haunted owners. Unsurprisingly, more tech means more wear and tear on batteries, too. Reports of battery failure were up 44% in 2017 over last year.

But at least Lexus owners can take solace in the fact that once again, they are driving the most dependable vehicles on the planet — even if they have to share that bragging right with Porsche owners this year.

Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.