Subaru Registers Low Scores Again in Recent J.D. Power Quality Survey

Despite being one of the fastest-growing automotive brands in the United States and recording an increase in sales for 11 consecutive years, Subaru is hounded by a streak of recalls and low grades in the American automotive industry.

The brand once again ranked in the bottom tier of the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, tallying 113 problems per 100 vehicles.

Thus, the Japanese automaker is bent on improving the public’s perception of the quality of its vehicles, particularly in its home country, as well as its largest market–the United States.

“We’re not used to the level of recalls that we’ve had,” Subaru of America CEO Tom Doll said in an interview. “We’re working with Subaru Corp. and they’re working with everybody – their suppliers, the engineering staff, and so forth,” he added.

While Doll acknowledged that the brand has constantly had problems launching new models, he said that the company is working hard to make sure that upcoming model releases for 2020 will yield “top notch” results.

Since 2008, Subaru has scored at or below the industry average in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study. While the brand’s 2019 score saw a slight improvement over the previous year’s, it still fell below the industry average.

Regardless of the low ratings, however, Subaru has managed to maintain strong enthusiasm from consumers. This is evident in the brand’s climb from being a No. 20 brand in 2008 to a strong competitor at No. 7 only ten years later.

Subaru’s U.S. sales have also more than tripled from 216,652 in 2009 to 680,135 in 2018, while its market share has moved up from 2.1 percent to 3.9 percent in the same period.

To somehow address the company’s low grades, experts say it is crucial for upcoming launches to deliver excellent customer satisfaction, which will be tested with the arrival of the Legacy and Outback.