Daihatsu leads the 2025 Japan Initial Quality Study after having the lowest number of problems among new vehicles. They recorded 114 PP100 (problems per 100 vehicles), earning them the top spot. This was followed by Suzuki with 120 PP100 and Honda with 134 PP100.
This year, vehicle quality has improved after four consecutive years of increasing problems. From an average of 152 PP100 in 2024, it has dropped to 140 PP100 in 2025. This means that new vehicle owners have fewer complaints in the first few months of use.
The most frequently complained about design-related problems such as features that are difficult to understand or use, which reached 108.5 PP100. Although this has improved compared to 2024, it still remains a major issue. One of the simple problems that is often complained about is the cupholders, due to being poorly placed or difficult to use on a daily basis.
Of the nine categories studied, infotainment systems still ranked the most problematic with a 28.7 PP100, although this is down from last year. Safety features such as lane departure warning also showed slight improvements, now at 3.6 PP100.
Summary of 2025 Initial Quality Ranking (lower, better):
Daihatsu – 114 PP100
Suzuki – 120 PP100
Honda – 134 PP100
Subaru – 134 PP100
Mitsubishi – 136 PP100
Nissan – 144 PP100
Mazda – 147 PP100
Lexus – 151 PP100
Toyota – 151 PP100
Mercedes-Benz – 164 PP100
BMW – 185 PP100
Volkswagen – 210 PP100
In other words, Japanese car brands have fewer problems compared to others, and this is proof that they continue to improve the quality of new vehicles on the market.
