Auto Brands That Aren’t Making the Right First Impression

Based on the current methods of measurement, it seems some auto brands are not performaning as well as may be expected.
The J.D. Power award for Initial Quality is a measurement of the problems that owners experience with their vehicles during the first ninety days of ownership. This means the vehicle is making a first impression upon you at a time when you certainly don’t expect to need to bring the model in for any type of maintenance or repairs. The brands that haven’t been able to make the right first impression are:

GMC

With some new models in the market and large SUVs like the Yukon and Yukon XL that we know and admire, it’s easy to see that GMC has a challenge. They are currently the best of the worst on the market, which will hopefully change as some of the models become perfected. Does this mean you should avoid GMC when you’re looking for a vehicle? Not necessarily.

Mazda

The “zoom zoom” brand might stop zooming on you and has plenty of room to grow and improve as a brand. The brand is able to offer us a large number of affordable models to choose from for the drive but does have a reported 100 problems for every 100 vehicles making it one issue for every model reported during the first ninety days.

Honda

When you create some of the smallest and cheapest vehicles on the market there’s a good chance of having more problems than other brands. Honda has been known to be a reliable brand and one that you enjoy driving, but it was reported to have 102 problems for every 100 vehicles during the first ninety days of ownership.

Volkswagen

Here’s a brand that’s working hard to change its perceived reputation and offer us more of the vehicles we want. Along the way, VW is going to experience some bumps in the road and one of those is the fact that it has 103 problems for every 100 vehicles sold. That’s not the best way to make a first impression, but it’s certainly not the worst.

Audi

It shouldn’t be any surprise that Audi is part of this list because VW is and Audi is part of the VW Group. These vehicles have a reported 105 problems for every 100 vehicles, which isn’t the best way to start the relationship with your vehicle. Thankfully, once some of the initial items are worked out, you’re going to have an excellent ride in the Audi you choose.

Chrysler/Mitsubishi

In the fifth worst spot on the list is a pair of brands that are all but extinct. The Chrysler brand has dwindled to only two models while Mitsubishi has its own troubles. In both cases, the reported number of issues comes in at 111 per every 100 vehicles. that makes it difficult for you to know you’re getting quality in the models form these two brands.

Subaru

This brand being so low on the list is a bit alarming because Subaru is well-known for being the brand that brings us AWD in nearly every model. If you choose an affordable AWD vehicle from Subaru you can bet you’re going to have more control and a great system, just understand there may be some issues that you experience during the first few months.

Volvo

As one of the biggest surprises on the list, the Volvo brand shows up as the third worst brand when it comes to Initial Quality. There are 122 problems reported for every 100 models sold, hopefully, none of these problems are part of the safety that Volvo prides itself on. This premium brand is one that needs to make some changes and move up to the top of the list.

Jaguar

There are only a few models offered in the Jaguar lineup and when the vehicles are reported to have 148 problems for every 100 vehicles during the first ninety days, you might want to look elsewhere for the vehicle you’re going to drive. Jaguar has a history of being troublesome and even though some feel this is part of the charm, it’s not what you want in a new model.

Land Rover

You might find this brand shocking as it’s the worst brand when it comes to making the first impression you want. Land Rover vehicles have reported 160 problems for every 100 models sold. When you’re expecting a vehicle to be able to handle the drive in the wilderness, having troubles early on isn’t a good sign of reliability on the trails.