Feb 27, 2015 11:10 AM EST
J.D. Power Names Lexus Most Dependable Car Brand

Soon after taking the top spot in the annual Consumer Reports brand survey, Lexus has been named the most dependable car brand for the fourth year in a row in J.D. Power rankings.

Lexus was No. 1 because owners reported the fewest number of problems per 100 vehicles. Owners had 89 issues per 100 vehicles, which compares with the industry average of 147 problems per 100, the Associated Press reported.

The J.D. Power survey comprises responses from more than 34,000 owners of 2012 model-year vehicles. They participated in the study in November and December.

The top two most common reported issues in any vehicle were problems with Bluetooth connectivity and voice recognition systems, both of which are more recent connected car innovations.

While the dependability survey started in 1989, J.D. Power redesigned its study for 2015 to ask more questions about in-vehicle technology. The survey found that 15 percent of those surveyed didn't choose a vehicle model because it lacked tech features, a rise from 4 percent in the previous year's study.  

"Technology issues with vehicles are viewed as significant problems by owners, and they typically don't go away after the honeymoon period of vehicle ownership is over," Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive at J.D. Power, said in a statement.

"Furthermore, indications from our upcoming 2015 Tech Choice Study show that consumer expectations on advanced technology capabilities are growing. Owners clearly want the latest technology in their vehicles, and they are particularly critical when it doesn't work."

Buick; Toyota; Cadillac; and Honda and Porsche made up the rest of the J.D. Power top five, with Honda and Porsche tying for fifth place.

The other most commonly reported issues in the top five were more traditional: wind noise, hesitant transmissions and too much noise on the road. 

Fiat performed the worst among the ranked brands, with owners reporting 273 problems per 100 vehicles; Land Rover, Jeep, Mini and Dodge constituted the rest of the bottom five in the annual survey.

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