JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study Points To Chevy As a Top Brand & Silverado HD As A Top Truck

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
3-4-2019

Chevrolet has made progress with dependability according to the most recent 2019 JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). This study measures the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old model-year vehicles. The 2019 study covers model year 2016 vehicles. The study covers 177 specific problems arranged into eight major vehicle categories. A lower score reflects a higher quality level and GM's Chevrolet brand scored 115, finishing fourth behind Lexus, Porsche, and Toyota. Buick was fifth. 

 

GM models were on the podium and finished atop their segments throughout the study. No brand had more segment first, second, and third place models than GM. The Silverado HD scored best in the Heavy Duty Truck Segment. Silverado was second in the "Light Duty" Truck segment and Colorado and Canyon finished second and third in the Midsized Truck segment. The Buick Lacrosse earned the top score in its segment, as did the Verano. The Chevy Sonic scored best in the Small Car category.  Oddly, the luxury Cadillac brand and premium GMC brand did not score as highly as the Chevy brand. 

 

Jump to the JD Power VDS here.

[Sierra Dan]

RAM is way down at the bottom. No surprise there! 

[Cpl_Punishment]

If Chevy is ranked well and GMC is ranked poorly, does that imply that the Chevy cars are really really good and pull the average up? I know they mention that the GMCs can have more luxury components that might be prone to fail, but the LTZ and High Country aren't exactly bare bones trucks. 

[Sierra Dan]

GMC is suppose to be Professional Grade. 

I think the study above has more to do with units sold or model of unit tested.

For example, GMC does not have a car/sedan lineup.

Therefore the problems reported for GMC pertain only to Trucks and SUV's

Trucks and SUV's typically have 4wd or AWD systems that require more mechanical parts & wiring systems that can fail or need to be maintained.

Cars are mechanically simple compared to Trucks and SUVS.

The chart should be broken down into models with problems per manufacturer.

[Sierra Dan]

In the Longevity rankings, GMC is 3rd behind Toyota and Honda.  Go figure!  LOL

 

Credit to John Goreham:

 

 

[aseibel]

20 hours ago, Cpl_Punishment said:

If Chevy is ranked well and GMC is ranked poorly, does that imply that the Chevy cars are really really good and pull the average up? I know they mention that the GMCs can have more luxury components that might be prone to fail, but the LTZ and High Country aren't exactly bare bones trucks. 

I also find the disparity between Chevy and GMC comical. I interpret it to mean that Denali owners are reporting problems with all their fancy "high-end" electronics. While the more common chevy cars and trucks are operating just fine. I'm mostly joking, but it is interesting to think about, when GMC vehicles share almost every mechanical component with Chevy. Cosmetics are the biggest difference. Maybe the chrome badges are defective?

[diyer2]

I know someone who bought a 2007 Denali, 6.2, 6 speed, no AFM with 196 K miles on it.

It uses half a quart of oil between oil changes, 5 K miles.

He had to replace the oil pressure sending unit when the gauge died.

 

This purchase was not by choice.

He's 32 years old and had diabetes from a young age.

He had to have a kidney and liver transplant.

2 year process and missed lots of work.

Had to sell a newer truck and buy an older one due to his medical bills.

He's in better shape but will owe for a long time.

SAD IMO.

 

 

[Cpl_Punishment]

41 minutes ago, aseibel said:

I also find the disparity between Chevy and GMC comical. I interpret it to mean that Denali owners are reporting problems with all their fancy "high-end" electronics. While the more common chevy cars and trucks are operating just fine. I'm mostly joking, but it is interesting to think about, when GMC vehicles share almost every mechanical component with Chevy. Cosmetics are the biggest difference. Maybe the chrome badges are defective?

There is so much misinformation and opinion out there. According to the "experts", the pickups are very reliable but the mechanically-identical SUVs typically top the list of "least reliable vehicles - avoid these at all costs", while also making the list of vehicles most likely to run for over 200k miles. Obviously, you can keep anything running forever with enough maintenance but the average person is going to get fed up with that in a hurry. 

[Colossus]

Yes, if it took into account only the GMC/Chevy trucks and SUVs that both sell- then Chevy would be lower- down where GMC is now.  But Chevy sells a decent amount of cars (that will change very soon as we all know) so...

[K2xxSteve]

Yes, typical level of equipment and higher rates of problems on optional equipment that lower level models might not have can definitely affect the reliability rankings. Typical use can also affect things, with Chevy being a mix of all vehicles the brand makes, and GMC only being trucks and SUVs. 

 

There really isn't a big difference in this list anymore. Geez, I'm shocked to see Honda below industry average here, but the "industry average" has kept getting better and better, so take it for what it's worth. BMW has really cleaned up their act. Both of ours are/were pretty darned good, although I intentionally kept gizmo options to a minimum, because that's exactly the stuff that breaks and then becomes super expensive and a pain to repair or keep working. Most BMWs are pretty well equipped.

"Vehicle reliability" isn't really much of a distinguishing factor anymore, because most brands are pretty darned good unless you're Dodge/RAM, or Volvo and Land Rover, both of which had seen a lot of ownership changes. Not sure they can use that excuse anymore, but for the most part this is splitting hairs in the top 3/4ths of the list. You just don't want to be at the bottom. That said, people here in the D.C. area are lapping up the new Volvo XC90 like crazy. Probably doesn't hurt that the Volvo dealership is literally across the street from my neighborhood. 

[Honor Bound]

On 3/6/2019 at 10:34 AM, aseibel said:

I also find the disparity between Chevy and GMC comical. I interpret it to mean that Denali owners are reporting problems with all their fancy "high-end" electronics. While the more common chevy cars and trucks are operating just fine. I'm mostly joking, but it is interesting to think about, when GMC vehicles share almost every mechanical component with Chevy. Cosmetics are the biggest difference. Maybe the chrome badges are defective?

 

Kind of like Consumer Reports used to report much better reliability numbers from the Toyota Matrix than the Pontiac Vibe back in the day, even though they are mechanically identical.  

What it says is that these sorts of studies have as much to do with the customer demographic and their expectations/honesty than it does with the actual product.  

[CSI-WALLEYE]

On 3/16/2019 at 7:07 AM, Honor Bound said:

 

Kind of like Consumer Reports used to report much better reliability numbers from the Toyota Matrix than the Pontiac Vibe back in the day, even though they are mechanically identical.  

What it says is that these sorts of studies have as much to do with the customer demographic and their expectations/honesty than it does with the actual product.  

I used to trust consumer reports until I was burnt by one of their "best buys".  I did however like the lemon-aid car guide.  That dude (Phil Edmonston) hated all the manufacturers.  But he did not seem to be shilling for anyone.  Unfortunately, he is now retired.  When I was in the market for a truck two years ago it was very difficult to get any unbiased data.  I went off my own experience, others that I know, mechanic's advise and results from two fleet owners.  The general consensus was the GM/Chev was the most reliable truck.  Toyota was also reliable and probably  more reliable than GM but not by that much.  This agrees with the data presented above.  In Alberta, you will pay almost twice as much for a base level Tundra compared to a Sierra.  I just did not think it was worth the extra money.

 

It is a shame that it is so difficult to find good reliable data on dependability.  What do you use for a source of data?