J.D. Power Gives the GMC Sierra 1500 its Top Quality Rating for Light Duty Full-Size Trucks

The pickup trucks carried at Ewing Buick GMC have many capabilities.  They can look sporty and impressive, they are spacious and can be comfortable to the point of luxury.  But at its core, a pickup truck is a tool, and the two most important aspects of a tool are effectiveness and dependability.  Through their large size, robust payload, and towing capacities, the effectiveness of the Sierra 1500 model line is self-evident. However, determining dependability takes time. But now this has been verified as J.D. Power has given the GMC its highest ratings for a pickup truck in its U.S. Vehicle Quality Study and Durability Study.

For its methodology, J.D. Power gives its rating based on feedback from a detailed survey of verified car owners each year.  At first, they evaluate owner experiences over the first three months of ownership for their Initial Quality Study.  They revisit these owners for their experience after three years of ownership, and those results become the data for this U.S. Vehicle Quality Study.  While that actually makes this an evaluation of the 2020 Sierra 1500 over its 2020 rivals, much can carry over to the present models.

Four Weighted Categories

The survey responses are divided into four categories which are then weighted for importance.  This is how J.D. Power describes them:

Quality and Reliability (weight: 40%)
Sierra 1500 Rating: 86 (out of 100)

• Measures the level of defects, malfunctions, and design flaws experienced by vehicle owners
• Covers the entire vehicle from the engine to the infotainment system
• A higher rating means fewer problems

Driving Experience (20%)
Sierra 1500 Rating: 82 

• Owners’ evaluation of the vehicle’s design, performance, comfort, functionality, safety, and technology comprise this rating
• Newer and recently redesigned vehicles tend to score better

Dealership Experience (20%)
Sierra 1500 Rating: 88 

• Owners’ experience with this brand’s dealerships during the purchase and service process makes up this rating
• Key factors include customer service, dealership facilities, and the quality of work

Resale Value (20%)
Sierra 1500 Rating: 90

• J.D. Power’s forecast of depreciation (how much of its current value the vehicle will likely lose) over the next three years
• Lower depreciation equals a higher rating

As you can see, the Sierra 1500 was highly rated in all four categories, with a particularly high rating in resale value.  Quality & Reliability, however, has twice the weighting of any of the other three, and indeed, the Sierra 1500’s Quality & Reliability rating matches its overall rating of 86, which is the highest in the category.

When shopping for a full-size pickup, choose the model with the best rating where it really counts; the one you know will get the job done when you first bring it home and for years after.  That will be the Sierra 1500, and you will find plenty of them at Ewing Buick GMC at 6425 Dallas Parkway in Plano.  Visit our store and see which of our many Sierra 1500s could be the best tool for you.