More Appealing Vehicles in Mexico are Problem-Free, J.D. Power Finds

Vehicle owners in Mexico are more emotionally satisfied and excited with their 1- to 3-year-old vehicles this year than a year ago, according to the APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) section of the J.D. Power 2021 Mexico Vehicle Dependability Study^SM (VDS), released today. The overall APEAL Index score improves to 872 (on a 1,000-point scale), 10 points higher than in 2020. However, when vehicle owners experience a problem, the APEAL score decreases 41 points, underscoring the importance of customer satisfaction based on quality.

Owners’ emotional attachment to their vehicle and level of excitement across vehicle attributes are combined into an overall APEAL Index score, with a higher score indicating higher satisfaction.

“The APEAL satisfaction gap between premium and mass market vehicle owners is just 26 points, down from 62 points in 2019 and 35 in 2020,” said Brais Álvarez, account manager at J.D. Power de México. “The features and technologies historically associated with premium vehicles are now making their way into mass market vehicles, but automakers cannot ignore key problem areas because satisfaction will quickly erode if problems are not resolved.”

Following are some key findings of the 2021 study:

• Engine/transmission improvements can increase customer satisfaction: The engine/transmission category sees an increase of 11 problems per 100 (PP100) between 2020 and 2018 model-year vehicles, while transmission noise (3.6 on a 5-point scale) rates as the highest problem in terms of severity for owners. Automakers need to pay special attention to improving the engine/transmission quality as this represents the most important driver for APEAL satisfaction.
• Fuel economy leaves owners wanting: Fuel economy/driving range is the second-most important APEAL factor (12%) in the study. However, fuel economy has one of the lowest levels of overall satisfaction (854) for a second consecutive year.

Highest-Ranking Brands

GMC ranks highest in APEAL among premium brands, with a score of 925. Mercedes-Benz ranks second (916).

Jeep ranks highest in APEAL among mass market brands, with score of 905. Mazda ranks second (904). Hyundai (892) and Toyota (892) rank third in a tie.

The APEAL section of the 2021 Mexico Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from 6,733 original owners of 2018 to 2020 model-year vehicles. The study was fielded from May through September 2021.

About J.D. Power
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit https://mexico.jdpower.com/.

Media Relations Contacts
Fabiana Duran; Mexico City; +52 55 1012 0885; fabiana@mediaroom.mx
Brais Alvarez Gallardo, J.D. Power; Mexico City; +5255 74744074;  brais.alvarez@jdpa.com
Geno Effler, J.D. Power; U.S.A.; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules: www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info