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Our Company History

How JD Power Became a Global Leader in Insights, Data & Analytics

A smiling man with white hair and glasses, wearing a dark suit and red tie, stands with crossed arms in an office with framed pictures and a window.

In 1968, JD “Dave” Power III founded J.D. Power & Associates (the company known today as JD Power) from his kitchen table, with a primary focus in the automotive industry.

Since then, we have successfully influenced the everyday lives of consumers and industries worldwide by delivering insights to drive improvement in our clients’ products and services.

Our Company Timeline

1970s
  • The Wall Street Journal reports Mazda’s Wankel engine problems, based on data from one of the first JD Power independently funded surveys and JD Power gains national prominence for its voice of the customer data
  • The Dealer Attitude Study (DAS) launches, giving the firm credibility on retail and distributor issues and established a strong rapport with auto dealers

 

1980s
  • U.S. Automotive Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Study, U.S. Automotive Initial Quality Study (IQS) and U.S. Automotive Media Study launch, serving as the cornerstone of the firm’s plan to expand to include independently funded syndicated studies
  • Subaru became the first automaker to advertise its JD Power rankings by running a commercial during Super Bowl XVIII. Since then, more than 200,000 television commercials and more than 2 billion print ad impressions refer to JD Power awards annually.
  • The first automotive syndicated study trophy award is issued by JD Power. Acura ranked highest in the 1989 U.S. Automotive Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Studypa

 

1990s
  • Power Information Network (PIN) launches bringing to market a unique, nationwide data collection system based on the gathering and analysis of daily new-vehicle retail transaction data from automotive dealerships across the United States
  • Expansion into automotive-adjacent industries, including Financial Services, Insurance and Utilities begins

 

2000s
  • JD Power continues to expand globally, adding offices in China, Europe and Mexico
  • Acquisition by Thoma Bravo combines JD Power and Autodata Solutions, two innovative and complementary automotive data companies with a shared vision of strengthening their value to clients and consumers
  • Over the years, JD Power has acquired several companies to expand its capabilities in data and analytics:
    • 2006: JD Power acquires Automotive Resources Asia
    • 2015: JD Power acquires NADA Used Car Guide
    • 2018: JD Power acquires National Appraisal Guides and NADAGuides.com
    • 2020: JD Power acquires Trilogy Automotive, Inventory Command Center, and ALG
    • 2021: JD Power acquires EpiAnalytics and Superior Integrated Systems (Darwin Automotive)
    • 2022: JD Power acquires WePredict and Tail Light
    • 2023: JD Power acquires ZappyRide
    • 2024: JD Power acquires Autovista Group
    • 2025: JD Power acquires Superior Integrated Auctions (SIA)