Dealer Service Facilities Play Crucial Role in Increasing Vehicle Dependability, J.D. Power Finds

MEXICO CITY: 15 Nov. 2019 — Vehicle owners in Mexico who have visited non-dealer service facilities in the past 12 months have 47 more problems per 100 vehicles than owners who take their vehicles to dealer facilities, so the onus is on dealers to keep customers in-house to improve perceived vehicle dependability, according to the J.D. Power 2019 Mexico Vehicle Dependability Study^SM (VDS), released today. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality. 

"The most frequently reported problems have remained consistent from 2018," said Gerardo Gomez, Senior Director and Country Manager, J.D. Power de Mexico. "Owners are taking their vehicles to dealers primarily to solve problems about half the time, most of which are simple like fixing Bluetooth connectivity issues. When owners bring their vehicles to an authorized dealer, it allows automakers to track and address frequently recurring problems with specific makes and models. When automakers are able to tackle these problems, drivers are more satisfied."

The study, now in its fifth year, measures problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of vehicles in Mexico after 12-36 months of ownership. The study examines 177 problems across eight categories: exterior; driving experience; features/controls/displays (FCD); audio/communication/entertainment/navigation (ACEN); seats; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); interior; and engine/transmission. 

Following are key findings of the 2019 study:

• Vehicle dependability improves across all categories: The industry average for 2019 is 148 PP100, an improvement of 19 PP100 from 2018. Additionally, all eight problem categories improve year over year, with FCD and ACEN improving the most (-4.5 PP100 and -3.3 PP100, respectively).   
   
• Engine/transmission and driving experience account for most severe problems: Vehicle owners rate problems with their vehicles on a severity scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most severe. The four most severe problems belong to the engine/transmission category—excessive fuel consumption; fluid leaks; abnormal transmission noises; and abnormal engine noises—followed by the driving experience category, which accounts for two of the most severe problems: brakes are noisy and strut/shock absorber problem. Excessive fuel consumption triggers the most dealer visits with 70% of owners having taken their vehicles to the dealer to get it fixed.
   
• Vehicle age vs. problems by category: There is a direct correlation between the frequency of problems and the age of a vehicle. Owners have nearly twice as many problems across all measured categories during the third year of ownership than in the first year. The top three problems presented in the three years of purchase sampled in the study are built-in Bluetooth mobile phone/device frequent pairing/connectivity issues; materials scuff/soil easily; and noisy brakes are consistently.
   
• More problems mean lower repurchase intent: More than half (58%) of customers who do not experience problems with their vehicles are willing to recommend their vehicle and 61% say they would repurchase the same vehicle. Recommendation and repurchase intent drop to 17% when a vehicle that has one problem.  

Study Rankings

BMW ranks highest in vehicle dependability among luxury brands, and performs best highest overall, with a score of 81 PP100. Audi ranks second with 84 PP100 and MINI ranks third with 88 PP100. 

Hyundai ranks highest among mass market brands with a score of 102 PP100. Toyota ranks second with 113 PP100, followed by Kia with 114 PP100.

The 2019 Mexico Vehicle Dependability Study is based on the evaluations of 8,186 interviews with owners in Mexico who purchased their vehicle from February 2016 through February 2018. The study was fielded from March through August 2019. 

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power has offices serving North America, South America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Media Relations Contacts
Silvia Mosqueda; Mexico City; +52 1 55 5368 2177; smosqueda@sintralogistics.com
Brais Álvarez; Mexico City; +52 1 55 7474 4074; brais.alvarez@jdpa.com
Geno Effler; U.S.A.; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com

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