The word of the day is "hassle". Nobody likes hassles – much less headaches, nightmares, or disasters. That’s especially true when you’ve just spent a solid five or six digits on a new Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis G70, or Ram 1500. Turns out it might be time to update your expectations about which brands deliver the most headache-free ownership experiences in the industry. In fact, it might also be time to rethink the extra spend on a luxury model altogether, with Exhibit A coming straight from the latest issue of the JD Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS).Cadillac The study’s 2026 iteration is hot off the press and gushing with delicious data that proves mainstream models are the most hassle-free buy in 2026, with a dependability gap over premium models that’s as wide as it’s ever been, and growing. Look a little further, and you’ll notice that brands your grandparents once loved are now blowing their European competition out of the water when it comes to dependability.From the luxurious road sofas of years gone by, today's Cadillac lineup includes no shortage of agility and performance, including both gas and electric options that intend to tickle the soul of driving enthusiasts. Buick's historical range of squishy front-drive sedans has evolved into a range of award-winning SUVs commonly noted for striking a value and luxury sweet-spot in their segments. Buick may be next in line at GM for a new sports sedan model, too. The Data Proves Buick And Cadillac Are On A Streak BuickThis year's performance isn't just a temporary blip in the data, either. In the past five years, Buick has earned a #1 most dependable position among mainstream brands twice, and never dropped out of top-three territory. During that same period, Volkswagen was the lowest-rated mainstream brand two years in a row. For a closer look at the most reliable car brands of the last decade, give this a read.On the premium side, Cadillac has hovered between second and fourth place for dependability over the past five years, battling Genesis and Lexus at the top of the charts. For four of those five years, the lowest-ranked premium brand was Land Rover.If we compare the best and worst PP100 scores of all brands over the past five years of JD Power VDS data, it's possible to see which brands are delivering the most consistent dependability performance. For instance, BMW is the least volatile brand when it comes to VDS scoring data from the past five years, with a total variance of just 14 points separating its five-year best score (184 PP100 in 2023) from its five-year worst score (198 PP100 in 2026).Buick Among all brands, Buick sits in third place when it comes to five-year consistency, with just 17 PP100 separating its five-year best score (143 PP100 in 2025) from its five-year worst score (160 PP100 in 2026). Cadillac is in the sixth-place position by the same metric, with a five-year best score of 168 PP100 in 2022 and a five-year worst score of 196 PP100 in 2024, showing just a 28-point gap.Based on the same data, the brands with the most inconsistent dependability performance should come as no surprise: Volvo takes up 17th place with an 81-point spread between its five-year best (215 PP100 in 2023) and five-year worst (296 PP100 in 2026). Volkswagen comes in last (18th) with a variance of 85 points over the same period, fluctuating from a low of 216 PP100 in 2023 to a high of 301 PP100 in 2026.Buick Lexus shows steady performance when it comes to consistent dependability, ranking fifth overall for consistency with a 26-point variance between its best year (133 PP100 in 2023) and its worst (159 PP100 in 2022). Genesis has been more volatile, occupying the 16th spot for consistency. Lincoln and Audi find themselves at the more inconsistent end of the premium spectrum. These fluctuations highlight the challenge brands face in maintaining year-over-year dependability compared to the benchmark set by Lexus.Cadillac More Premium, More Problems VolvoThe JD Power VDS ranks dependability with a factor called Problems Per 100 Vehicles, or PP100 for short. The lower the number, the lower the frequency of problems reported by surveyed owners 90 days into their ownership experience. A higher PP100 score means more headaches. A lower PP100 score means fewer headaches.According to the latest VDS, headaches in the premium segment are growing. As a population, premium vehicles are up by eight PP100 this year, to an average of 217 PP200, or 217 problems on average reported for every 100 owners of a premium vehicle surveyed after three months.Among mainstream vehicles, the PP100 score is 17 fewer, at 200 PP100. In short, premium owners are reporting, on average, 17 more problems per 100 vehicles than mainstream owners after 90 days of ownership. JD Power notes that the gap is as wide as it’s ever been since their VDS was redesigned in 2022.Cadillac Brands that once ruled retirement community parking lots are now delivering dominating dependability. The 2026 VDS calls Buick the most dependable mainstream brand, with a score of 160 PP100. A factor worth noting here: Buick doesn't currently sell any PHEV or EV models, which tend to be more problematic than conventional ICE and can push headache frequency higher, and resale values down fast.Among premium brands, Cadillac takes a second-place (175 PP100) position just behind Lexus (151), the top brand in the entire study, while European brands struggle significantly. Volvo (296 PP100) and Volkswagen (301 PP100), respectively, round out the very bottom of this year's VDS rankings with the highest PP100 scores.Cadillac In fact, premium vehicles underperform mass market models in seven of nine 2026 VDS categories. According to JD Power, this is most apparent in the areas of "features, controls and displays", where mainstream models tend to be 5.8 PP100 more dependable, as well as "driving experience", where mainstream brands beat premium brands by 3.4 PP100 on average. Only the "powertrain" and "seats" categories show better performance among premium makes. Infotainment Is Helping Tank Dependability Scores BuickIf your brand-new car is going to give you a headache, it's fairly likely to come from the infotainment system or associated software updates. This year's VDS reveals that of nine problem categories, infotainment remains the most problematic (56.7 PP100).“As owners hold onto their vehicles longer, the long-term ownership experience matters more than ever," said Jason Norton, director of auto benchmarking at JD Power. "Software updates and new technologies should enhance the ownership experience over time, yet many vehicle owners cite ongoing mobile phone integration problems and little to no benefit after an update is performed."Much of this comes down to owner education and ongoing communication. Automakers should focus on delivering meaningful improvements and clearly communicating the intended benefits of software updates so owners understand how they are designed to enhance their vehicle and ownership experience."Cadillac Buick and Cadillac are bucking the trend, thriving on the dependability rankings in spite of an industry-wide drag-down of infotainment scoring. GMAuthority recently surmised that “Buick’s success in this year's VDS suggests a straightforward approach resonates with buyers tired of chasing software glitches. The brand delivered dependability without the headaches, and in today’s market, that counts as a genuine victory.”According to study data, less than a third of owners say they noticed any improvement after an over-the-air software update, while 58 percent say they saw zero difference. Driven in part by increasingly common issues like this, the industry average score in the 2026 JD Power VDS has been dragged down to 204 PP100, representing the biggest problem frequency since its 2022 redesign.Sources: JD Power and Associates, Buick, Cadillac, Lexus