Seven Toyota, Lexus and Scion (Toyota nameplate in the USA) models captured segment awards in the 2013 American J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study, more than any other automaker.
Each year, the research firm determines which are the most reliable vehicles on American roads and publishes the list in its Vehicle Dependability Study. Reliability is gauged by looking at the number of problems reported by owners of 3-year-old cars to see how they’re faring after a few years of wear and tear.
The study also found:
- Toyota is the highest ranked non-premium nameplate and tied for third place for the second consecutive year;
- Sister brand, Lexus, ranks highest in vehicle dependability for the second consecutive year by improving 15 fewer problems/100; and
- The Lexus RX is the first SUV to lead the industry with the fewest reported problems at just 57 problems/100.
2013 Vehicle Dependability Study performers by segment
| Segment | Ranking | Model | Problems/100 |
| Sub-Compact Car | 1 | Scion xD | 112 |
| 2 | Toyota Yaris | 122 | |
| Compact Car | 1 | Toyota Prius | 95 |
| Entry Premium Car | 1 | Lexus ES350 | 58 |
| Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle | 1 | Scion xB | 138 |
| Compact Crossover/SUV | 1 | Toyota RAV4 | 84 |
| 3 | Toyota FJ Cruiser | 98 | |
| Midsize Premium Crossover/SUV | 1 | Lexus RX | 57 |
| Minivan | 1 | Toyota Sienna | 146 |
| Lexus | 1 | 71 | |
| Toyota | 3 (tie) | 112 | |
| Industry Average | 126 |
Additional examples of Toyota’s commitment to the highest standards for quality, safety, reliability and retained value include:
- A leading consumer publication awards Toyota, Scion and Lexus the top three brands for reliability and six of the top ten “Best Values” for 2012;
- Lexus completes a Grand Slam as the highest ranking nameplate in the 2012 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study, Vehicle Dependability Study, Customer Satisfaction Index, and Sales Satisfaction Index;
- Kelley Blue Book recognizes 18 Toyota Motor Corporation vehicles with “Best Resale Awards, more than any other automaker in 2012; and
- 19 Toyota Motor Corporation vehicles were named 2012 “Top Safety Picks” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than any other automaker, and four 2012 models earned 5 Stars in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Programme.
It’s worth noting that from a local perspective, Toyota South Africa dominated the recent Ipsos (formerly Synovate) Automotive Quality Awards, garnering seven gold segment awards and three gold brand awards. Toyota also had the honour of producing the best model scores across the segments. (Ipsos interviewed 22 000 new vehicle owners three months after ownership. A globally recognised approach of calculating the score as Problems per 100 vehicles or PP100 was used – the vehicles with the lowest number of perceived faults rank the highest.) The standout model ranges were the Yaris, Auris, Corolla and Hilux, all of which clinched top spots in a number of segments.
