Buyers shopping for a large SUV they plan to keep for a decade or longer now have sharper data to work with. J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, built on original owners of 2022 model-year vehicles surveyed after three years of ownership, scores each model on problems per 100 vehicles, or PP100. A separate longevity study by iSeeCars, drawing on nearly 400 million cars, ranks models by their predicted probability of reaching 250,000 miles. Together, these datasets give a clearer picture of which large SUVs earn their keep well past the warranty period and which ones carry hidden risk.
Why long-haul SUV dependability data matters right now
New-vehicle transaction prices have stayed elevated through early 2025, pushing more owners to hold onto their trucks and SUVs longer than they once planned. That shift turns dependability from a nice-to-have into a financial question: how many repair visits and safety-related recalls will a given model rack up between year three and the odometer’s six-figure mark? J.D. Power answers the first part of that question. Its core dependability ratings measure owner-reported problems in the preceding 12 months with three-year-old vehicles, expressed as PP100. A lower PP100 means fewer problems. The study population for the 2025 edition consists of original owners of 2022 model-year vehicles, which means the results reflect real-world wear after warranty-period driving rather than showroom impressions.
A strong PP100 score at three years, though, does not guarantee a vehicle will survive to high mileage. That is where the iSeeCars longevity study fills the gap. The research team analyzed almost 400 million cars to identify which models are statistically most likely to reach 250,000 miles or more. In the large-SUV segment, the Toyota Sequoia appears in the longest-lasting vehicles list for predicted 250,000-mile survival. The Chevrolet Suburban and Lexus GX also land on that list, suggesting that body-on-frame construction and proven powertrain lineage still correlate with extreme durability.
The hypothesis that models excelling in both PP100 and longevity will also show lower federal recall activity is logical but not yet fully testable with public data. NHTSA maintains complaint and recall databases that track every manufacturer-initiated safety campaign and every owner-filed concern. The agency states that it reviews every complaint to determine whether a potential safety defect trend exists, according to its investigations and recalls guidance. Buyers can query those records by year, make, and model before signing. Still, no single public cross-reference links PP100 scores, longevity odds, and recall counts into one ranking, which means shoppers must triangulate across sources.
PP100 scores, longevity odds, and federal recall signals
J.D. Power’s dependability ratings assign segment awards based on which large SUV posts the lowest PP100 among its peers. The interactive awards hub lists winners and runners-up by category, giving buyers a quick shortlist. Because the PP100 metric captures everything from minor infotainment glitches to drivetrain failures, a low score signals that owners experienced fewer total issues across all vehicle systems during their third year of ownership.
The iSeeCars dataset adds a different dimension. Rather than measuring problems at a single point in time, it projects how likely a vehicle is to still be on the road at a quarter-million miles. The Toyota Sequoia’s presence in the top tier is notable because it competes against smaller, lighter vehicles that typically face less mechanical stress. The Chevrolet Suburban and Lexus GX round out the large-SUV entries on that list, reinforcing a pattern: large, truck-based platforms with naturally aspirated or well-established forced-induction engines tend to outlast car-based crossovers over extreme distances.
Federal safety data offers a third lens. NHTSA’s datasets and APIs allow anyone to pull defect and noncompliance reports, quarterly manufacturer status updates, and raw complaint volumes for any vehicle. A model with strong PP100 results and high longevity odds but a rising complaint trend at NHTSA could still present risk, particularly if open investigations signal a pattern the manufacturer has not yet addressed through a recall. Conversely, a high recall count is not always a negative sign. Proactive manufacturers sometimes issue recalls for minor software updates that prevent larger failures down the road.
The gap in the current evidence is straightforward: no published study has merged all three data streams into a single composite score for large SUVs. J.D. Power’s model-level PP100 figures for the large-SUV segment are available through its awards hub but are not broken out in the public press release. The iSeeCars study supplies longevity probabilities but does not cross-reference them against the federal vehicle data maintained by NHTSA. And NHTSA’s own tools, while open to the public, are not optimized for consumers who want a quick, side-by-side comparison of long-term safety and reliability outcomes across competing models.
How shoppers can triangulate the three datasets
Until researchers or regulators publish an integrated index, large-SUV shoppers who care about decade-long ownership can still build a practical shortlist by layering the three sources. The first step is to identify which models sit at the top of their segment in J.D. Power’s PP100 rankings. That narrows the field to vehicles whose owners report relatively few problems in the crucial third year, when factory warranties are expiring and real-world usage has exposed early design weaknesses.
Next, buyers can cross-check that shortlist against the iSeeCars longevity rankings. The presence of the Toyota Sequoia, Chevrolet Suburban, and Lexus GX among the longest-lasting vehicles suggests that some large SUVs are engineered with extended service lives in mind. Models that appear both near the top of their segment for PP100 and in the upper tier of predicted 250,000-mile survival deserve closer attention, especially for families that routinely tow, haul, or road-trip long distances.
The final layer involves federal safety records. By searching NHTSA’s databases for each candidate model and model year, shoppers can see whether a seemingly reliable SUV is accumulating complaints about critical systems such as steering, brakes, or fuel delivery. Patterns matter more than raw counts: a small number of serious complaints can be more concerning than a larger number of minor infotainment or trim issues. Open investigations, if present, may signal unresolved risks that could translate into future recalls or repair costs.
What this means for large-SUV buyers
For buyers who plan to finance a large SUV over six or seven years and then keep it well beyond the last payment, these data-driven insights have practical consequences. A model that looks attractive on price or incentives but sits near the bottom of its segment in PP100, lacks a strong showing in longevity rankings, and carries a complex recall history may cost more in the long run than a higher-priced rival with better fundamentals. Depreciation, downtime, and out-of-warranty repair bills can quickly erode any savings from a lower sticker.
Conversely, large SUVs that combine low PP100 scores, strong odds of reaching 250,000 miles, and a transparent, well-managed recall record offer a more predictable ownership experience. They are more likely to deliver consistent performance, maintain higher resale value, and avoid the safety concerns that can accompany repeated defect investigations. For households that rely on a single vehicle for commuting, family transport, and towing, that stability can be as important as any feature or styling choice.
The current research landscape is still evolving, and there is room for more sophisticated analysis that blends reliability, longevity, and safety into a single, consumer-friendly benchmark. Until then, buyers willing to spend a little time with J.D. Power’s ratings, the iSeeCars longevity study, and NHTSA’s public data can significantly reduce the guesswork involved in choosing a large SUV for the long haul. By treating dependability and durability as quantifiable attributes rather than marketing claims, shoppers can tilt the odds in favor of a vehicle that will feel as solid at 150,000 miles as it did on the test drive.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
