Nissan Ranks Highest Among Mass-Market Brands in J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study

In the 1960s and 1970s, Nissan (then called Datsun) and Toyota were the two well-known Japanese automotive brands in the U.S. The general public largely viewed them as equals, almost like two peas in a pod. You may not often see Toyota get complimented in this blog very often, but one has to give credit to Toyota’s marketing. Over the following decades, while Nissan discussed various aspects of its vehicles, Toyota focused on quality, ad after ad, year after year. As a result, Toyota became synonymous with high quality. However, this year, as Dick Smith Nissan of Columbia is quite pleased to announce, Nissan ranked the highest among mass-market brands in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS). 

Now in its 39th year, the IQS measures problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), based on responses from 92,694 purchasers and lessees of new 2025 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study also includes repair visit data from hundreds of thousands of real-world events reported to franchised new-vehicle dealers, combining advanced vehicle repair data with traditional J.D. Power Voice of the Customer (VOC) data. This enhanced IQS data allows automakers to identify potential issues before they turn into bigger problems quickly. 

The study showed that Nissan had the lowest number of problems (169 per 100 vehicles) among all mass-market competitors, ranking second overall among all manufacturers. Hyundai followed (179 PP100), then Chevrolet (178 PP100). The overall average was 192 PP100. 

Key Nissan models that stood out in their respective segments include: 

• Altima – Ranked highest in the Midsize Car segment 

• Sentra – Ranked highest in the Compact Car segment 

• Rogue, Frontier, and Pathfinder – Each placed among the top three in their respective segments 

Nissan’s recognition by J.D. Power as the top-performing mass-market brand in initial quality reflects the company’s customer-focused commitment to building vehicles that deliver quality and satisfaction. 

Another finding included the fact that premium brands overall had more defects than their mass-market counterparts. As a drivetrain category, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) experienced the most problems, with more defects overall than battery electric vehicles (BEVs). As has been the case for years, infotainment systems continued to top the list as items of customer dissatisfaction, although improvement was seen this year. Another finding was consumer dissatisfaction with cup holders. It appears that it was not the cupholders themselves, but consumers’ increasing use of reusable beverage containers and manufacturers’ struggles to accommodate the ever-growing size and shapes of these containers. 

Dick Smith Nissan of Columbia has been impressed with the quality of vehicles in their inventory, but it is always satisfying to see it confirmed by an authoritative source. Toyota may keep emphasizing quality in its marketing, but now you know which brand ranks highest in the matter.