Let’s face it: folks aren’t shopping for BMWs as a result of they’re dependable. In reality, reliability has by no means been the robust level of luxurious vehicles. Positive, the consensus is that Lexus is normally higher than the remainder, and the 2025 U.S. Preliminary High quality Examine confirms Toyota’s premium model leads the pack with fewer issues reported by house owners.
Lexus topped the checklist within the thirty ninth version of the research, which was based mostly on responses from 92,694 automotive patrons or lessees of 2025 mannequin 12 months autos. For each 100 vehicles from the Japanese luxurious marque, drivers reported 166 issues. BMW didn’t fare as effectively, with 196 points, barely worse than the trade common of 192.
Seeing the glass half full, BMWs are literally extra dependable than they have been within the 2024 U.S. Preliminary High quality Examine, when house owners reported 206 points. On one other optimistic word, the Munich-based automaker is effectively forward of its home opponents. J.D. Energy crunched the numbers and located that Mercedes had 210 issues per 100 vehicles. Audi positioned lifeless final with a whopping 269 points. Infiniti and Volvo additionally ranked close to the underside, with 242 and 258 issues, respectively.
If you happen to personal a current-generation Z4, you’ll be glad to listen to the Graz plant in Austria, the place Magna Steyr assembles the roadster, earned the Platinum Plant High quality Award. Nevertheless, the G29 isn’t lengthy for this world, as a number of reviews counsel manufacturing will finish in Might 2026.
Concerning the information assortment course of, house owners have been requested to answer 227 questions throughout a research performed between June 2024 and Might 2025. J.D. Energy additionally factored in restore knowledge and arranged the findings into 10 distinct classes: infotainment, options, controls, and shows; exterior; driving help; inside; powertrain; seats; driving expertise; local weather; and a class for uncommon repairs.
The research additionally included awards by automobile section. The BMW X7 triumphed within the Giant Premium SUV class, whereas the X6 got here first amongst Higher Midsize Premium SUVs. The smaller X4, nonetheless, misplaced to the Acura RDX and Lexus NX within the Compact Premium SUV section. In the meantime, the two Sequence was crushed by the Acura Integra within the Small Premium class. Total, the Porsche 911 emerged as the large winner.
You can argue that with the proliferation of the Neue Klasse, BMWs could turn out to be extra dependable, on condition that EVs have far fewer mechanical elements than combustion-engine autos. Then once more, with a lot new tech on the horizon, it’s clever to stay cautious. Even when BMW isn’t successful reliability awards, it nonetheless reigns supreme within the luxurious section in relation to gross sales.
J.D. Energy additionally discovered that luxurious vehicles expertise 4.2 instances extra points than mainstream autos. One other attention-grabbing discovering is that plug-in hybrids are probably the most susceptible to issues. For each 100 PHEVs, there are 237 points, barely greater than the 212 issues reported by EV house owners.
Supply: J.D. Energy
