J.D. Power and Associates to Release 2013 Vehicle Dependability Study Results on February 13

J.D. Power and Associates will announce the results of the 2013 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) at 10 a.m. EST on Wednesday, February 13.

Among new-vehicle owners, reliability/dependability is the most influential factor in their decision to purchase a specific vehicle model, according to J.D. Power and Associates.  (Source: 2012 Initial Quality Study)

The study, now in its 24th year, measures problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old (2010 model-year) vehicles. The study covers 202 specific problem symptoms grouped into eight major vehicle systems.  The study results include industry insights, model rankings in each of the car and light-truck segments, and full nameplate rankings.

J.D. Power and Associates measures vehicle quality across the entire spectrum of the ownership experience.  Quality includes two dimensions: things gone wrong and things gone right.  The Initial Quality Study (IQS) measures new-vehicle quality after 90 days of ownership, while VDS measures problems after three years of ownership. The Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study (APEAL) examines things gone right after 90 days of ownership.