Levante

Make
Maserati
Segment
SUV

Technology in cars is becoming more and more prominent. We would hope that as cars continue to add technology, the car's software will continue to improve. However, as it turns out, there have already been 202 formal complaints about finicky software to the NHTSA, just two off from the total at this point last year. The trend suggests that this year, we might exceed the 615 complaints that were logged last year. The number of complaints has been on the rise since 2013 and the number of recalls has risen as well.

The complaints are compiled by J.D. Power's SafetyIQ program, and the data is extremely important. "Consumer complaints are the canaries in the coal mine for automobile manufacturers when it comes to anticipating future recalls and longer-term customer satisfaction," said Renee Stephens, a J.D. Power vice president. Stephens says that automakers can "quickly identify whether the problem crosses model lines, components or even other companies with similar components/suppliers" and can begin to address the problem. These complaints cover everything from bluetooth to electrical systems and engine cooling. So, which brands have received the least complaints?

According to J.D. power, Chevrolet, Ram, Mazda, Toyota, GMC and Subaru have received the least complaints. The companies with the most complaints are Smart, Tesla, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover. After hearing about issues like screen freezes, and even door opening issues, we aren't shocked to see Tesla on this list. Jaguar and Land Rover have just started to replace a very old infotainment system, so perhaps these brands will start to creep off this list. As for Volvo, a massive refresh of it lineup was bound to be accompanied by some growing pains, so we expect the company to work out some of its kinks. Is anyone even surprised that people complain about Smart?