Lexus has again been named America’s most dependable vehicle brand, extending its lead in the J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study to four consecutive years.
The luxury division of Toyota recorded 151 problems per 100 vehicles, or PP100, in the 2026 study. That placed Lexus ahead of every premium and mass-market brand included in the rankings. Cadillac finished second among premium manufacturers with 175 PP100, followed by Porsche with 182. Buick led the mass-market category at 160 PP100. A lower PP100 score represents fewer owner-reported problems and therefore stronger dependability.
The achievement reinforces Lexus’s reputation for durable vehicles, but the broader results are less reassuring. The industry average increased to 204 problems per 100 vehicles, the worst recorded since J.D. Power redesigned the study in 2022. Infotainment failures, smartphone connectivity and disappointing software updates are adding new forms of frustration even when engines and transmissions remain mechanically sound.
What the Vehicle Dependability Study Measures
The J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study is not a survey of brand-new cars. It examines vehicles after three years of ownership, when early defects, software problems and component failures have had time to emerge.
The 2026 study gathered responses from 33,268 original owners of 2023-model-year vehicles. Data were collected from December 2024 through November 2025. Owners reported problems across 184 areas covering climate systems, driving assistance, exterior components, infotainment, interiors, powertrains, seats and the broader driving experience.
This makes the study different from J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study, which focuses on problems experienced during the first months of ownership. A vehicle can perform strongly when new but develop reliability or usability issues as it ages.
The dependability study also counts more than major mechanical breakdowns. A repeatedly disconnecting phone, difficult touchscreen, abnormal exterior noise or unreliable driver-assistance feature can contribute to the total. J.D. Power describes the study as a measure of both component failures and problem frequency during the warranty years.
Lexus Has Now Won Every Year Since 2023
Lexus began its current winning streak in the 2023 study, when it scored 133 PP100. It remained first in 2024 with 135 PP100, led again in 2025 with 140 and retained the top position in 2026 despite rising to 151 problems per 100 vehicles.
The rising number is an important qualification. Lexus owners reported more problems in the latest study than owners surveyed during the first year of the streak. The brand did not remain number one because its measured problem count continually improved. It stayed first because it performed better than an industry experiencing an even broader increase in complaints.
The wider market moved from an average of 186 PP100 in 2023 to 204 in 2026. The comparison covers different groups of three-year-old vehicles each year, so it should not be interpreted as a direct test of one identical fleet. Nevertheless, it demonstrates the growing difficulty manufacturers face as vehicles become more dependent on software, touchscreens and connected services.
The Lexus IS Was the Most Dependable Model
Lexus did not win only at the brand level. The Lexus IS was the highest-ranked individual model in the entire 2026 study.
The IS also won the compact premium car category, while the Lexus UX led its segment and the Lexus GX earned another model-level award. Toyota Motor Corporation collected eight awards overall, more than any other automaker. The remaining winners from the company were the Toyota Corolla, Camry, Tacoma, Sienna and 4Runner.
This result suggests that Toyota’s dependability performance was distributed across several vehicle types rather than resting on one unusually strong model. The winning group included sedans, SUVs, a pickup and a minivan.
It does not mean every Lexus or Toyota model ranked first. Individual vehicles can differ in powertrain, manufacturing location, technology and redesign timing. A brand-level result is useful for identifying broad patterns, but a buyer should still investigate the particular model year and configuration under consideration.
Premium Vehicles Were Less Dependable Overall
Lexus’s result is especially notable because premium vehicles collectively performed worse than mass-market models.
Luxury brands averaged 217 PP100, eight more than in the previous year and 17 more than the mass-market average. Premium models underperformed mainstream vehicles in seven of the nine categories measured. Their only collective advantages appeared in powertrains and seats.
The likely explanation is complexity. Luxury vehicles are often among the first to receive advanced screens, electronic controls, connected services and driver-assistance features. Every additional system creates another opportunity for an owner to experience a fault or usability problem.
Lexus’s 151 PP100 was therefore 66 points better than the premium-brand average. Its lead suggests that the manufacturer managed the complexity of luxury equipment more effectively than most rivals, at least among the 2023 vehicles covered by the survey.
Infotainment Remains the Industry’s Weakest Area
The largest source of complaints was infotainment, which contributed 56.7 problems per 100 vehicles. Exterior issues followed at 27.5 PP100.
Four of the five most frequently reported problems involved connecting phones to vehicles. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity remained the industry’s leading complaint for a third consecutive year, reaching 8.9 PP100. Owners also reported problems with Bluetooth, wireless charging pads and manufacturer mobile apps. Together, phone-integration issues accounted for 24.2 PP100—almost half of the infotainment category’s total.
These complaints illustrate how the meaning of dependability has changed. A vehicle may start every morning and travel reliably while still frustrating its owner through unstable software.
Manufacturers can potentially correct some digital problems without replacing physical parts. However, the latest study suggests that over-the-air updates are not yet delivering the improvements owners expect.
Software Updates Often Failed to Produce Noticeable Benefits
Forty percent of surveyed owners said their vehicles received a software update during the previous 12 months. Nearly two-thirds of those updates were delivered remotely rather than through a dealership.
Only 27 percent of recipients believed the update improved their vehicle. Fifty-eight percent noticed no meaningful difference. J.D. Power also recorded an increase in problems associated with over-the-air updates during the latest study.
An update that quietly fixes security or background performance may still be useful even when the driver notices nothing. The results nevertheless show a communication problem. Owners may be asked to wait while a vehicle installs software without understanding what has changed or why the process was necessary.
J.D. Power plans to expand its methodology for the 2027 study by adding continuous data collection and verified repair information. The change is intended to help manufacturers identify emerging problems earlier rather than waiting for one annual snapshot.
Gasoline Vehicles Reported Fewer Problems Than Electrified Alternatives
The study also revealed substantial differences among powertrain types.
Gasoline-powered vehicles averaged 198 PP100, making them the least problematic category. Conventional hybrids recorded 213, battery-electric vehicles 237 and plug-in hybrids 281. All three electrified categories experienced higher problem counts than in the previous study.
These figures do not show that electric motors are inherently less durable than gasoline engines. The study includes charging systems, software, controls and other parts of the ownership experience, not only mechanical powertrain failures.
Plug-in hybrids also combine a combustion engine, electric propulsion hardware, a larger battery and charging capability. That complexity can create more opportunities for reported problems than a vehicle relying on one propulsion system.
What Lexus’s Result Means for Buyers
Four consecutive victories provide meaningful evidence that Lexus performs consistently well during the first three years of ownership. The result may be particularly relevant to buyers planning to keep a vehicle beyond its lease or purchase a three-year-old model entering the used-car market.
It should not be treated as a guarantee of low repair costs over 10 or 15 years. The study examines original owners of three-year-old vehicles. It does not directly measure survival at 200,000 miles, the price of replacement parts or maintenance after the factory warranty expires.
A used Lexus should still be checked for service history, accident damage, recalls, tire condition and signs of neglected maintenance. Complex suspension systems, hybrid components and luxury electronics can be expensive even when failures occur less frequently.
The strongest conclusion is narrower but still significant. Among owners of 2023-model-year vehicles, Lexus generated fewer reported problems than any competing brand. It achieved that result while premium vehicles overall became less dependable and technology-related complaints pushed the industry to a new high.
Lexus has earned another dependability title, but the study’s larger message is that modern vehicles are becoming more difficult to perfect. Mechanical durability still matters; increasingly, the winning brands will also be those that make software, screens and connected features work without disrupting the ownership experience.
