Dodge Breaks Into the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study Top 10
Congratulations are in order for Dodge as the brand no longer finished behind the pack in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study. 2019 marks the first time the Dodge brand jumped into the top 10, thanks to the segment-leading Challenger and the improved Durango. The brand officially finished in eighth place – tied with Lexus and Toyota – and head of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) siblings Jeep, Ram, Chrysler and Alfa Romeo.
“The trend line is really encouraging year over year. We’re able to introduce new technologies within those vehicles yet still see year-over-year improvement as a brand,” said Mark Champine, head of quality for FCA North America.
Dodge was notorious for missing the mark in terms of quality year after year, like many other brands. Experts have always wanted to blame that on the fact that the brand’s portfolio of products has been on the road for a while. Yes, it’s true, the Charger and Challenger haven’t received substantial upgrades since 2011, but it certainly hasn’t slowed down sales. In fact, with sales on the uptick, it appears that Dodge is dead set on proving critics wrong. There’s a plus to having a portfolio that features vehicles that have been on the road for a while as there are no consistently new models with kinks that need to be ironed out.
The past is the past and Dodge scores have been on the rise for quite some time — enough time to finally crack J.D. Power’s top 10 annual quality surveys. The Challenger has quite a few wins under its belt in the midsize sports car segment, while the Grand Caravan took top honors among minivans back in 2018. The lineup has been reduced with the discontinuation of the Avenger and Dart models, which means that the brand has more time and money to devote to its existing models. Dodge has learned quite a few tricks over the years, including the addition of powerful engines that are track-ready, such as the Hellcat and Demon engines, as well as well-received interior quality and Uconnect infotainment systems.
The Initial Quality Study by J.D. Power is intended to examine an automaker’s dependability. The annual study surveys customers and their experience during the first 90 days of ownership of a new vehicle. Initial quality results are measured by the number of problems per 100 vehicles. All types of issues are taken into account, including those related to the infotainment system and in-car electronics. Such electronic issues make up a great deal of car-related problems today. Dodge currently ranks three times better than the average, with an improvement of problems per 100 vehicles – within the first 90 days of ownership – dropping from 130 in 2013 to 90 in 2019. The Dodge Journey model was excluded from the study because it was unavailable at the time J.D. Power conducted the study.
Come by University Dodge and experience the J.D. Power-awarded Dodge lineup for yourself. From family haulers like the 2019 Grand Caravan, to boisterous full-size SUVs like the 2019 Durango, or even the impressive Dodge Performance-oriented lineup like the 2019 Charger and Challenger models. Follow University Dodge on social media to stay up to date on the latest Dodge news.