Critical Shifts:
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Infotainment is the leading driver of vehicle quality issues: Despite overall vehicle quality improvements, multimedia is the only category deteriorating—accounting for 25% of all vehicle problems and representing the top five most frequently reported issues (at 42.4 problems per 100 vehicles).
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Quality friction has shifted from hardware to software: As modern vehicles become software-defined, consumer complaints stem less from physical hardware failures and more from system complexity, software performance, and connectivity glitches.
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Navigation and audio systems are showing progress: Even with broader infotainment challenges, automakers are succeeding in specific areas—navigation satisfaction increased by 17 points to 933 out of 1,000 due to fewer complaints about accuracy and usability, alongside improvements in speaker performance.
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While overall vehicle quality improves in 2026, infotainment remains the most problematic major vehicle category and is the only category to deteriorate, according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study. Multimedia-related problems are essentially unchanged year over year at 42.4 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), causing multimedia’s share of total vehicle problems to rise to 25%, accounting for the five most frequently reported vehicle problems. The findings highlight the growing challenge automakers face as vehicles become increasingly dependent on software, touchscreens and connected technologies.
“The industry continues to make progress improving overall vehicle quality, but multimedia remains a persistent challenge,” said Lisa Boor, director of customer success, OEM solutions at JD Power. “As vehicles become increasingly software-defined, quality issues are leaning less toward hardware failures and more toward system complexity, software performance and connectivity. Customers expect these technologies to work seamlessly every day. Brands simplifying the experience while delivering reliable execution are best positioned to improve quality and satisfaction.”
Despite ongoing quality challenges, several multimedia areas show meaningful improvement in 2026. Navigation problems decline, driven by reductions in usability and accuracy complaints, helping lift navigation satisfaction 17 points (on a 1,000-point scale) year over year to 933. Customer satisfaction also improves across multimedia and speaker problems demonstrating manufacturers are making progress.
To view the study rankings, visit The JD Power Component Quality Reports.
The 2026 U.S. Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 78,514 purchasers and lessees of new 2026 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was fielded from June 2025 through May 2026. This data is part of the JD Power Component Quality Reports (CQRs) dataset portfolio, which is derived from JD Power’s flagship U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS) and U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study and helps suppliers and OEMs design and build higher-quality products based on an in-depth understanding of customer-reported problems and satisfaction levels with components on the latest model-year vehicles.
