If you are looking for the most dependable SUVs on the market, here is the J.D. Power Dependability survey with the last 5 years of survey data.
Most dependable SUVs
Each year, according to its website, J.D. Power surveys owners with 184 specific problem areas across nine major categories, including: climate, driving assistance, driving experience, exterior, features/controls/displays, infotainment, interior, powertrain and seats. It reflects more than 30,000 owner responses, on average each year, for three years of ownership.
The survey company then tallies this information and lists winners by segment. This list below represents those results looking at the past 5 years. It is broken down by survey year, model year, type of SUV and winner.
| JD Power Dependability Survey Last 5 Years | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey Year | Model Year | Category | Model |
| 2019 | 2016 | Compact SUV | Chevy Equinox |
| Small SUV | Volkswagen Tiguan | ||
| Mid-size SUV | Hyundai Santa Fe | ||
| Large SUV | Ford Expedition | ||
| 2020 | 2017 | Compact SUV | Chevy Equinox |
| Small SUV | Buick Encore | ||
| Mid-size SUV | Toyota 4Runner | ||
| Large SUV | Chevy Tahoe | ||
| 2021 | 2018 | Compact SUV | Buick Envision |
| Small SUV | Kia Sportage | ||
| Mid-size SUV | Kia Sorento | ||
| Large SUV | Chevy Tahoe | ||
| 2022 | 2019 | Compact SUV | Buick Envision |
| Small SUV | Buick Encore | ||
| Mid-size SUV | Hyundai Santa Fe | ||
| Large SUV | Chevy Suburban | ||
| 2023 | 2020 | Compact SUV | Kia Sportage |
| Small SUV | Toyota C-HR | ||
| Mid-size SUV | Chevy Blazer | ||
| Large SUV | Chevy Tahoe | ||
| 2024 | 2021 | Compact SUV | Chevy Equinox |
| Small SUV | Buick Encore | ||
| Mid-size SUV | Toyota 4Runner | ||
| Upper Mid-size SUV | Chevy Traverse | ||
| Large SUV | Chevy Tahoe | ||
Luxury SUVs |
|||
| Survey Year | Model Year | Category | Model |
| 2019 | 2016 | Compact SUV | BMW X3 |
| Small SUV | Audi Q3 | ||
| Mid-size SUV | Lexus GX | ||
| 2020 | 2017 | Compact SUV | Porsche Macan |
| Small SUV | Mercedes-Benz GLA | ||
| Mid-size SUV | Lexus GX | ||
| 2021 | 2018 | Compact SUV | Porsche Macan |
| Small SUV | Mercedes-Benz GLA | ||
| Mid-size SUV | Lexus GX | ||
| 2022 | 2019 | Compact SUV | Lexus NX |
| Small SUV | Lexus UX | ||
| Midsize SUV | Porsche Cayenne | ||
| 2023 | 2020 | Compact SUV | Lexus NX |
| Small SUV | BMW X2 | ||
| Midsize SUV | BMW X5 | ||
| 2024 | 2021 | Compact SUV | Lexus NX |
| Small SUV | BMX X1 | ||
| Midsize SUV | Lexus RX | ||
| Upper Midsize SUV | BMW X6 |
Where’s the detailed information?
One of the common questions we get after we post stories from these surveys is: What exactly are owners seeing and on which trims?
Unfortunately, none of the surveys, including Consumer Reports, drill down into the data that specifically. However, we do follow-up stories whenever possible on issues affecting SUVs like the Nissan CVT transmission, best SUVs for resale value as well as several posts on truck reliability.
Most times these stories highlight infotainment issues and build quality — not major powertrain issues.
The bottom line
The annual J.D. Power Dependability Award is a big deal for the automotive industry, and it is often used in advertising campaigns touting the reliability of their vehicles. Yes, J.D. Power is a survey company, and it does sell the data to automakers which has been criticized over the years with suggestions awards go to the highest bidder. I’ve never seen that as the case.
This information is just one tool, among many others, consumers can use when deciding what vehicle to purchase.
