Sonata tops vehicle dependability in US

Hyundai Motor’s NF Sonata

By Kim Tae-jong

Hyundai Motor’s NF Sonata topped a vehicle dependability survey in the mid-sized sedan sector in the United States, a global marketing information services company said Wednesday.

According to J.D. Power and Associates, the flagship sedan of Korea’s biggest automaker ranked highest in the 2013 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, edging out rivals such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and the Nissan Altima.

The study surveys problems experienced over 12 months by the original owners of three-year-old vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the level of problems experienced per 100 vehicles, with lower scores reflecting higher quality.

The Sonata scored 94, while the Camry, Accord and Altima got 104, 107 and 110, respectively.

Hyundai’s Verna came third in the sub-compact car segment with 139, down from 146 the previous year, and the automaker’s sister firm Kia Motors’ Soul also ranked third in the compact multi-purpose vehicle segment with 150. The Soul topped the study in 2012.

Overall, Kia and Hyundai ranked 13th and 14th, respectively, in terms of dependability among all surveyed brands. Kia showed a great improvement in dependability with its rank jumping to 13 from 16 in the previous study.