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Chrysler comes in dead last in JD Power & Associates Reliability Survey

Chrysler and all of the Chrysler Group's vehicle brands have come in dead last in JD Power and Associates Reliability Survey.
jeep cherokee

Chrysler's other vehicle brands include Dodge, Jeep, and Ram Trucks. Why did all these brands receive such a low reliability rating from JD Power and Associates Reliability Survey?

JD Power and Associates rates the reliability of vehicles by the number of problems per 100 vehicles. (This is an industry standard rating metric.) Out of 32 rated automakers in the reliability survey Chrysler came in last place with 192 problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge second to last with 183 problems per 100 vehicles, and Jeep and 179 problems per 100 vehicles. Ram was at least fourth with only 174 problems per 100 vehicles. So not only did Chrysler come in dead last, but all of it's brands are considered the worst in terms of reliability by JD Power and Associates.

In comparison Lexus, which came in first, only had 86 problems per 100 vehicles. (Toyota came in fourth with 104 problems per 100 vehicles.) Showing even though Toyota had problems in 2011 with the Tsunami and Earthquakes in Japan and flooding in Thailand, it is sill producing excellent vehicles.

JD Power and Associates points out that 25 of 32 brands showed fewer problems than over the previous year of the study. It says 2009 model-year vehicles ranked high overall in initial quality, meaning fewest problems right after initial purchase, and now it is showing up in longer-term quality. So many automakers have improved, but it seems Chrysler is still lagging behind the rest of the pack.

"Despite facing immense challenge in 2009, automakers placed a keen focus on delivering outstanding levels of quality, which they understood would be essential to their long-term success," says David Sargent, JD Power and Associates vice president.

JD Power and Associates study was based on responses from around 31,000 vehicle owners

Chrysler has long been plagued by reliability issues. The automaker has scored poorly and last in Consumer Reports ratings and surveys for vehicle quality and reliability as well.

This news is really not good for the company as it is trying to gain market share in 2012. JD Power and Associates Reliability Survey is closely watched by industry analysts and more importantly consumers. Chrysler has it's work cutout if it wants to improve all of its brands images and bring in new customers. Reliability is a very important factor when buying a new car.

Chrysler's halftime Super Bowl commercial was recently spoofed on Saturday Night Live by Bill Hader. I wonder if they will spoof these survey results too?

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Comments

Adam Yamada-Hanff    February 20, 2012 - 9:31AM

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You realize that NASA experts in electronics and computers found no issues with Toyota vehicles? Also NHTSA even admitted that it was stupid people who claimed "unintended acceleration."

The recall was around 8 million vehicles. Don't let bias alter facts.

Btw - if a person can't tell the difference between pedals, don't drive! It's not the complicated!

Tim (not verified)    January 28, 2014 - 8:31AM

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All this yammering about bailout and not a word on how Chrysler at least paid their debt in full with interest unlike Chevrolet... you people are completely biased. I have owned nothing but new Chrysler products since 2001 and have NEVER had to take any of them in for service, never!

Adam Yamada-Hanff    February 16, 2012 - 2:13PM

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If you any problem you should contact JD Power & Associates and complain. I am not the one who complied the survey on reliability. I just reported and wrote about it.

Chrysler has consistently come in last in Consumer Reports and this survey. So the data does support that they are building and still building unreliable vehicles.

Btw - I am fixing something on our Chrysler almost every week. Of course I don't fix my Toyota or Honda every week! They actually work!

Anonymous (not verified)    February 16, 2012 - 9:53AM

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Why doesn't your article specify the model years covered by the survey ? This makes a big difference in the take of the article. Slanted ??

Anonymous (not verified)    February 16, 2012 - 2:38PM

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Heres a Interesting fact based on 2011 Statistics.

Top Three in Recalls for 2011,
Toyota, 3.5 million vehicles .
Ford, 3.2 million vehicles.
Honda, 2 million vehicles.
Source, Safercars.gov

Adam Yamada-Hanff    February 16, 2012 - 3:59PM

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If I remember correctly each of those brands sold many more cars than Chrysler in 2011. So it would not be surprising to have more recalls.

You think it is Toyota's fault people are so stupid they don't know the difference between a gas pedal and brake pedal? If you are one of those people, you shouldn't be driving!

There are a variety of recall issues and ever major automaker has them.

Anonymous (not verified)    February 16, 2012 - 7:49PM

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Sorry thats nothing to consider, It doesnt matter how many are sold. its the Amount of Cars that were built with the recall. Nice try.. there can be a Recall of 1000 cars, 400 could had been sold, 200 could be sitting in the shipping yard, 400 Could be sitting on Dealer lots. All of that 1000 cars produced could be affected by a Recall.

Aaron Turpen    February 16, 2012 - 8:01PM

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So if I build two cars in my garage and one of them has a recall, that doesn't mean anything? But if I build 100,000 cars and 1,000 of them get a recall, that's something? You have no idea how statistics work, do you?

The guy who built two cars with one screwup has a 50% recall rate whereas the guy who built 100,000 cars with 1,000 screwups has only a 1% recall rate.

If all you want are low overall recall numbers, not low chances of a recall, then you'd better stop worshiping Chrysler and go with a much smaller company that only makes a handful of cars a year. Their number of recalls will be much smaller, though I can't say much about your chances of having one.

Aaron Turpen    February 16, 2012 - 4:47PM

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Now consider those in terms of market share instead of pure recall numbers. Toyota ranks 17th, Chrysler ranks 7th, Land Rover ranks 1st in number of recalls per vehicle sold. Ford is 10th and GM is 11th.

You can find this information on Edmunds.com or at Safecars.gov if you look for it.

Justin (not verified)    February 20, 2012 - 7:43PM

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Would love to see something regarding the 2011 or 2012 models. I've owned an 2007 ES 350 since new and its been a solid car, but the transmission self-destructed at 26,000 miles due to a snap ring failing. It ended up losing second gear all together. I also have a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT that has been a blast to drive but now that its got 110,000 on it, problems have begun popping up, the latest being a blown head gasket thats gonna run me $2400 to repair. I like the looks of some of the new Chrysler products. Ive owned a few in the 90s and was satisfied with them. I think in all honesty all manufacturers build great cars these days when you compare them to what was being churned out 15 years ago. I will say though, the new Toyotas are good, but a far cry from what they used to produce. We have a 2008 Camry XLE in the family that has one of the worst interiors I've ever been in. Toyota can do much better! I'm enjoying the website but the tone of this article is a little inflammatory...

Adam Yamada-Hanff    February 20, 2012 - 8:49PM

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All manufacturers vehicles are subject to problems. I will admit that not even Toyota is immune.

Overall though Japanese vehicles are much better built and will last longer. Personal experience driving and working on lots of different cars, along with data from reputable automotive sources only confirm this.

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your Subaru Justin. I have driven Subarus with over 200,000 miles and they still feel like solid cars. They are great vehicles and I wouldn't hesitate to spend that money to repair yours. Make sure to maintain any car properly and it should last you.

I apologize you feel this article is inflammatory, but I think you are confusing the article with the comments. I do not appreciate when people post comments that are not based on facts and are bordering on racism. I hope you can understand that.

NameLikeNoOther (not verified)    February 13, 2014 - 5:38PM

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I have a 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee that has leaked oil since it was purchased new. It was fixed once under warranty and now after warranty it is leaking the same way. The leak is from the Engine Oil Cooler at the Bottom of the Engine V. The vehicle laos leaks water in through the sunroof and had fried out the Stereo amplifier once under warranty and again after warranty. The vehicle also leaks water in through rear window hatch that has caused the lock mechanism and corresponding electronics to corrode so that it cannot be opened at all and the interior light and chime come on randomly, it also causes the alarm to constantly go off when parked locked because it thinks the door has been opened even though it has not, if parked long enough this ensures that the battery is dead upon return. The leather seats are not real leather. It has plastic skid plates that 30 cm of snow on a regular road pulled off. Various buttons routinely malfunction. The dealership does not want to take responsibility for this Lemon nor does Chrysler Canada. I sincerely hope that they go out of business for the good of Consumers.