J.D. Power China Vehicle Dependability Study 2026: Most Reliable Cars and Brands

© A. Krivonosov

Vehicle dependability for internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in China has improved slightly for the first time in years. In the new J.D. Power study reviewed by SPEEDME.RU journalists, the average number of problems fell by 5.3 points to 192 per 100 vehicles (PP100). The lower the PP100 score, the better the result. This is the first improvement since 2022.

At the same time, the nature of complaints is shifting. The share of powertrain-related problems has dropped from 9.5% to 6% over five years. Infotainment systems, meanwhile, now account for 15.9% of all reported problems, and driver-assistance systems add another 8.6%. In other words, the engine and transmission are gradually losing their status as the sole measure of reliability. Screens, software, cameras and electronic assistants now play an ever-larger role.

The age of the vehicles is particularly telling. PP100 changes relatively gradually during the first three years, but between the second-to-third and third-to-fourth years of ownership it jumps by 47 points. Noise, vibration, rattles, body-panel issues, infotainment and powertrain problems all become more frequent.

Which brands proved most reliable

Among premium brands, Land Rover took first place with 167 PP100. Porsche scored 179, and BMW 181. In the mass-market segment, FAW Toyota won with the same 167 PP100, followed by GAC Toyota at 173 and Changan Ford at 178.

Among Chinese domestic brands, Chery posted the best result with 181 PP100. FAW Hongqi and GAC Trumpchi both scored 186. The average for Chinese brands was 201 PP100, meaning Chery beat it by a full 20 points.

It's worth noting this is specifically a China-based study. FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota are local joint ventures, and the Land Rover results reflect vehicles owned by Chinese study participants. This is not a global brand-reliability ranking.

At the individual-segment level, J.D. Power named 14 winners: the Chery Tiggo 7/7 Plus and Tiggo 8 Pro, the Toyota Camry, Corolla and Wildlander, the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover, the Changan Eado Plus, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the Nissan Sylphy Classic, the Volvo S90, the Lexus RX, the Ford Edge/Edge L and the Buick All New GL8.

Which of the winners are sold elsewhere

Several of the China VDS winners are also available in other markets outside China — some through official importers, some through grey-market channels, depending on the region and brand.

The Changan Eado Plus and the Nissan Sylphy Classic sit at the affordable end of the lineup in markets where they're sold. The Chery Tiggo 7/7 Plus and Tiggo 8 Pro from the study aren't fully identical to the current export lineups, but closely related versions — the Tiggo 7L and the Tiggo 8 Pro Max — are sold through official Chery dealer networks in a number of countries.

Toyota's award winners — the Camry, Corolla and the China-market Wildlander — along with the Ford Edge L, which is built specifically for China, and even the rare Buick GL8, all circulate in various markets through both official and parallel-import channels, depending on where a given brand still has an official presence.

Premium models sit at the top of the price range: the Land Rover Discovery Sport, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volvo S90 all command significantly higher prices than the mass-market winners. The Lexus RX and the Range Rover remain the most expensive winners on the list overall.

But none of this should be read as proof that reliability transfers automatically to cars sold in other markets. The study is based on responses from 11,119 vehicle owners who purchased their cars between January 2022 and March 2025. It covers 109 models from 34 brands across 81 Chinese cities, with the vehicles surveyed ranging from 13 to 48 months old. That's why another J.D. Power finding stands out: modern cars are increasingly let down by things other than the “hardware.” After several years of ownership, infotainment and electronic assistants account for a growing share of complaints, with problems rising sharply as cars approach their fourth year of ownership.

For buyers, this means a category win by itself guarantees nothing. But the China VDS offers a useful reference point: several Camrys, Corollas, Wildlanders, Lexus RXs, Edge Ls, Cherys and even Range Rovers now sold outside China already carry several years of real-world ownership data from the world's largest car market.