Lexus
The sheer number of decisions that lie ahead when car shopping can be overwhelming. Given that fact, potential buyers would be wise to use every available research avenue before making any of those decisions. Consumer reporting agencies like JD Power may be an invaluable source of information, as they regularly publish studies covering key categories for anyone in the market.
Yes, brand dependability is one of those key categories, with JD Power recently publishing the results of its 2026 dependability study. Per its findings, this year's numbers were skewed in only a few specific ways, as issues concerning infotainment systems, over-the-air system upgrades, and in-vehicle tech contributed to the most serious problem counts JD Power has recorded in recent years. While JD Power doesn't explicitly state this, such issues may have helped a surprising luxury brand earn top marks in the '26 Most Dependable study, rather than Subaru, Toyota, and other regular fixtures on such lists.
That brand is Lexus, which actually boasts a few models that might take owners to the 250,000 mile mark or beyond. As for the JD Power rankings, the brand took the top spot by scoring the lowest overall PP100 numbers on the JD Power list. If you're unfamiliar with that term, PP100 measures the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles of the tested brands. Per JD Power, Lexus' 151 PP100 score was the best among both premium brands and the overall market.
How other auto brands stacked up against Lexus in the JD Power study
Lexus
Seems Lexus has been on a dependability roll of late, with JD Power noting the brand has led the premium sector in that category for the past four years. The brand is, of course, also owned by Toyota, which has long held a solid reputation in the market for manufacturing dependable vehicles. As it stands, the JD Power win puts Lexus in impressive territory, as Consumer Reports also just noted the brand boasts some pretty impressive overall maintenance numbers compared to BMW.
For the record, at least in the premium brands sector, Lexus took the top spot by a wide margin, with Cadillac placing second via a score of 175 PP100. Meanwhile, iconic German shingle Porsche took third with a score of 182 PP100. You won't see Subaru or Toyota listed in the Top 3 for the mass-market automobile portion of the JD Power list, either. The mass-market win went to Buick, with a PP100 score of 160. Mini placed second in that category with a 168 PP100, and Chevrolet took third with a 178 PP100 rating.
On top of taking the overall top spot in JD Power's '26 Dependability study, Lexus also boasted the most rewarded vehicle on the list, with the IS earning the top overall model award. Its parent company, Toyota Motor Corporation, more than held its own at the model level, earning 8 total segment wins. Lexus UX and GX also earned some love, as did the Toyota Corolla, Camry, Tacoma, Sienna, and 4Runner. General Motors (GM) took a handful of model-level awards, too, with the Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT6, Chevy Equinox, and Chevy Tahoe earning awards.