May 19, 2021—A new study ranked auto quality based on service costs, not customer service responses, to find which vehicles have the highest quality and the lowest repair costs.
A Forbes report detailed the study, which was conducted by We Predict, a data company based in Michigan. The report looked at more than 801,000 vehicles across 306 models, with results based on 1.6 million service or repair orders that totaled more than $128 million in parts and $254 million in labor costs.
The study found Honda topped the list of non-premium brands with an average of $21 for service and warranty costs over the three month period for owners and automakers. The average for non-premium brands was $42. At the bottom was General Motors’ GMC brand at an average three-month service cost of $132.
“We've managed to put together a database of billions of service messages across tens of millions of vehicles and it enables us to have a real bias free facts on who's making the best vehicles,” said We Predict founder and CEO James Davies in an interview ahead of a formal presentation Tuesday during an Automotive Press Association webcast.
Honda luxury brand Acura tied with Toyota's Lexus as the leading premium marques at an average of $30 in service and warranty costs—less than half the $84 average for all premium brands. Highest among premium brands was Porsche with an average of $167.
The service costs for electric vehicles are the highest, averaging $123 over three months—more than double the $53 average for all gasoline-powered vehicles and not quite triple the $46 for hybrid vehicles.
