Cars and Drivers

The Worst Car Brand in America

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: June 29, 2024 7:11 am

Last Updated: July 1, 2024 7:10 am

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• The 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study reveals which automaker is the worst American car brand.

Once a year, J.D. Power releases one of the most important evaluations of American car brands: the J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study. It has just released the 2024 version.

The study looks at problems per 100 vehicles. The current version is the 38th year. J.D. Power polled 99,144 people from July 2023 to May 2024. The study looks at the categories of infotainment, features, controls, and displays: exterior, driving assistance, interior, powertrain, seats, driving experience, climate, and unique to repair.

One thing stands out. People prefer simple, familiar driving features. New technology features tend to drive poor scores. Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, said, “It is not surprising that the introduction of new technology has challenged manufacturers to maintain vehicle quality.” These systems often give what the research firm called “false warnings.” Drivers do not like the addition of Apple CarPay and Android Auto because they add even more complexity. Drivers also do not want complex infotainment systems that control simple features like windshield wipers.

The measured brands were divided into” premium brands” and “mass market brands.” Ram, the pickup and van manufacturer, held the top position. It scored 149 out of 100 vehicles. Porsche had the top premium brand spot, with 172 problems per 100 vehicles. The average for all brands measured was 195 per 100.

The bottom spot belonged to Dodge, making it the worst car brand in America. Its score was much worse than any other brand, with 301 problems per 100 vehicles. (Avoid all car brands except these 10.)

Dodge is barely a brand. The gasoline-powered versions of their muscle cars, the Challenger and Charger, are being discontinued. The all-electric Charger Daytona SRT will replace them. V8 engines are disappearing across the industry. Their gas mileage is too low. With the largest Dodge engine, the Charger gets 13 MPG in city driving.

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