J.D. Power Ranks Nissan Highest in Initial Quality

J.D. Power has just announced that Nissan ranks highest in their 2025 Initial Quality Study, with the Sentra and Altima taking the top honors in their respective classes. It seems like it’s every day that Nissan is ranked high in reliability and safety, so it should come as no surprise that they are succeeding in owners’ happiness with their initial quality.  

Nissan Beats Out Some of The Perceived Best Brands 

In what J.D. Power calls the mass market brands, Nissan beat out Hyundai, Chevrolet, Honda, Dodge, Kia, Buick, Jeep, Subaru, Ford, and Toyota in that order. The brand ranked highest with only 169 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). This marked improvement over 2024, when they ranked sixth among the mass market brands. The average problems per 100 vehicles among all car brands was 192, which makes Nissan look even better, being 23 points below the average automaker.  

What is The Initial Quality Study? 

The Initial Quality Study, or IQS, has been analyzing new-car data for 39 years now. J.D. Power sends out surveys to thousands of customers and uses their responses to gauge vehicle reliability and customer satisfaction. The company analyzes 223 different problems that can occur with a new car, including infotainment, driver safety features, and overall build quality.  

Nissan Vehicle Rankings 

The 2025 Nissan Altima was ranked highest in initial quality in the midsize car category, the Sentra in the compact car segment, and the Rogue, Frontier, and Pathfinder all finished in the top three in their respective classes.  

The Recent Vehicle Dependability Study 

It was also recently announced that J.D. Power awarded the all-new 2025 Kicks and all-new Murano as the most dependable vehicles over the next three years in the company’s 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS).  

IIHS Safety Awards 

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently awarded the all-new 2025 Murano, all-new 2025 Armada, and the ‘25 Pathfinder with their highest Top Safety Pick+ crash test rating.  

Cars.com Also Thinks Nissan Has Some of the Best New Cars 

This comes hot on the heels of Cars.com’s 2025 Best Value New Cars awards, where the Sentra, Frontier, and Versa all took the win in their respective classes. This shows that even cost-conscious buyers can buy a safe, reliable car or truck that won’t break the bank.  

No Company Has a Lineup Like Nissan 

Right now, there is no company quite like Nissan. With some of the best products ever, and an entire lot full of all-new vehicles, including the Kicks, Murano, Armada, and the upcoming 2026 all-electric Leaf, there has never been a better time to get behind the wheel of a new or used Nissan. If you are looking for a used car, there is still no company like Nissan, as the 2023 Ariya EV was ranked as the best used car EV to buy in 2025 by Recurrent, the independent source for electric vehicle ownership.  

There’s No Place Like Dick Smith Nissan of Lexington 

While Nissan is one of the best automakers today, Dick Smith Nissan of Lexington is the best place to find the right prices on a new or used Nissan that will perfectly suit your needs. The expert salespeople will work to help you get the exact car you want and need without making you feel inadequate or ill-informed.  

Why Choose Dick Smith Nissan of Lexington  

At Dick Smith Nissan of Lexington, we believe our customers deserve the best prices and services. With over 100 new and used vehicles to choose from, our outstanding sales team and finance department will work hard to make sure you drive away happy. Our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own.