Related: J.D. Power Ranks Vehicle Dependability for 31 Nameplates
Kia Tops J.D. Power's 2017 Vehicle Quality Rankings
Five segment-winning Kia vehicles include the Soul (Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle), Forte (Compact Car), Cadenza (Large Car), Niro (Small SUV), and Sorento (Midsize SUV).
by Staff
June 21, 2017
The Cadenza found the lowest average number of problems of any vehicle in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study. Photo courtesy of Kia Motors.
1 min to read
The Cadenza found the lowest average number of problems of any vehicle in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study. Photo courtesy of Kia Motors.
Five Kia Motors vehicles have won segment awards from J.D. Power's 2017 Initial Quality Study (IQS). This marks the second year in a row that Kia has topped the study's rankings with fewer issues within the first 90 days of car or truck ownership than any other brand in the U.S.
Compared to last year's performance, Kia improved 11 points, with a total of 72 problems per 100 vehicles.
Five segment-winning Kia vehicles include the Soul (Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle), Forte (Compact Car), Cadenza (Large Car), Niro (Small SUV), and Sorento (Midsize SUV).
This is the third consecutive year that the Kia Soul has ranked first in its respective segment, while the Cadenza and Niro hybrid are first-year contenders.
The Cadenza found the lowest average number of problems out of any vehicle in the J.D. Power study.
In the study, 77,415 respondents participated and analyzed 243 vehicle models across 26 vehicle segments.
More Operations
Fleet Meets: Eric Kilgore
This edition of the Fleet Meets series features one of the industry's best leaders driving multi-market and national operations.
Read More →
Sponsored•August 13, 2026
Why Reactive Fleet Management Is Becoming Too Expensive to Sustain
Research highlights a growing need for proactive management strategies to address rising costs in fleet operations effectively.
Read More →
Sponsored•August 12, 2026
What Your Fleet KPIs Aren’t Telling You
Tracking fleet metrics is only useful when the data leads to better decisions. This guide helps fleet leaders assess cost, utilization, and downtime more accurately, identify performance gaps, and prioritize the actions that can improve operational results.
Read More →
Sponsored•August 7, 2026
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →
Turning Fleet Payment Data into Executive Insights
Does data alone drive results in operations?
Read More →
Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers
Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.
Read More →
Gary Van Orden Retires After Nearly Four Decades in Commercial Fleet
From answering customer calls at Ford Motor Company to leading fleet sales across multiple OEMs and a fleet management company, Gary Van Orden's career reflects nearly four decades of leadership in commercial fleet.
Read More →
How Stellantis Plans to Get Ahead of Fleet Downtime
Vehicle acquisition may grab the headlines, but fleet uptime increasingly determines operating success. Darren Bradshaw of Mopar North America gives the details.
Read More →
Hyundai Releases 2027 Commercial Program Incentives
The 2027 Model Year "Fleet Street Incentives" are available to commercial and government fleets.
Read More →
It's All Downhill from Here! Fleet Industry Raises $22,000 for Skilled Trades Scholarships
Work Truck’s Lauren Fletcher and Automotive Fleet’s Chris Brown turned a friendly racing rivalry into $22,000 for automotive technology and skilled trades scholarships.
Read More →