Hyundai Motor’s flagship Sonata sedan has recently topped the J.D. Power vehicle quality study in the midsize car segment, the carmaker said Wednesday.

According to study results by the U.S. marketing firm J.D. Power and Associates, the Sonata model received the fewest complaints on reliability, outpacing its Japanese rivals such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.

Hyundai’s Verna compact and the Soul box car of Hyundai’s affiliate Kia Motors came in third within their respective car segments in terms of product dependability.

The 24-year-old study is considered one of the most influential factors on new-vehicle owners to purchase a specific vehicle model. It covers 202 specific problem symptoms.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)