New vehicle quality dips sharply, J.D. Power Study reveals

J.D. Power’s 2022 Initial Quality Study, which was recently published, showed a sharp decline in newly built cars in 2022, 11% to be exact. This surprising number is concerning key players in the automotive industry like Buick, Chevrolet, and Dodge. An 11% decline is the largest decline that has ever been noted. Previously, the largest decline recorded was only 3%, but times are different with persistent problems in the supply chain.

David Amodeo, Director of Global Automotive at J.D. Power, is concerned with this massive decrease and believes that the problem lies in the lack of raw materials, a surge in prices, and a decrease in employment. As the supply chain weakens and encounters more challenges, car companies are slowing down vehicle production and making costly mistakes that are ultimately affecting the quality of their vehicles.

Although Tesla is a huge electric vehicle company, it scored poorly in the study and was seventh from the bottom. Car buyers found problems like poor panel alignment and paint quality in their Tesla vehicles. Alongside Tesla, the companies Volvo, Chrysler, and Polestar rated the worst.

Surprisingly, General Motors rose from twelfth place to first in the best quality of new car production for 2022. Even with this drastic improvement, though, only approximately nine automakers increased their car quality.

Did you enjoy this article? Read other articles on CBT News here. Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic by submitting a letter to the editor here, or connect with us at newsroom@cbtnews.com.