Vehicle Dependability in Mexico is Under the Weather due to Pandemic, J.D. Power Finds

MEXICO CITY: 24 Nov. 2022 — The COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the Mexico automotive market is crystallized in the J.D. Power 2022 Mexico Vehicle Dependability Study ^SM (VDS), released today, with results of the study heavily influenced by problems with vehicles manufactured during the pandemic. With the first three years of vehicle ownership being critical for brand loyalty, the study reveals that the overall number of problems cited per vehicle acutely increases to 233 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) from 201 PP100 in 2021.

Two of Mexico’s largest volume segments are helping to drive the overall industry’s problems increase. The compact segment (267 PP100) has the most problems, while the entry sub-compact segment (265 PP100) has the highest year-over-year increase of 77 PP100. Mexico’s second fastest-growing segment, crossovers (184 PP100), has the third most problems.

“Automakers have a tremendous opportunity in front of them to keep customers in their brand,” said Gerardo Gomez, country manager at J.D. Power de Mexico. “From bumper to bumper, there are areas to improve upon and owners are feeling the adverse effect when taking their vehicle in for repair. The cost for servicing a vehicle nearly doubles as reported problems increase from zero to five. The first place where automakers need to start is  addressing the most numerous problems owners are citing. Otherwise, these problems will spread and create detractors of the brand.”

The study, now in its eighth 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. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality.

Following are some key findings of the 2022 study:

• More problems cost owners more money at the dealership: Nearly one in five (17%) owners are experiencing more than five problems. At the same time, those owners are spending 98% more money on servicing their vehicle than owners who had zero problems. The increase in problems and spending results in a decrease in satisfaction of 91 points (on a 1,000-point scale).
• Problematic areas spread: Owners cited more problems with their vehicle’s interior, driving experience and engine/transmission, as the three categories each have increased 7 PP100 year over year. Interior has the highest number of problems (46 PP100), while driving experience (33 PP100) ranked second and engine/transmission (29 PP100) ranked fourth. Interior is the most problematic area for a seventh consecutive year, while easily scuffed or soiled materials accounts for twice as many problems as any other interior category.

Highest-Rankings Brands

MINI ranks highest in vehicle dependability among premium brands with a score of 158 PP100. BMW ranks second (210 PP100).

Mitsubishi ranks highest overall in vehicle dependability, with a score of 147 PP100. Suzuki (189 PP100) ranks second among mass market brands and Honda ranks third (202 PP100).

The 2022 Mexico Vehicle Dependability Study is based on the evaluations of 6,772 interviews with owners in Mexico who purchased their vehicle from 2019 through 2021. The study was fielded from March through August 2022.

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
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