Battery failure in vehicles top concern for U.S. owners: study

(Reuters) - Battery failure in vehicles dogged U.S. drivers in the first three years of ownership, according to J.D. Power's 2017 dependability survey released on Wednesday.

The survey of 2014 models found that batteries were the most commonly replaced component in vehicles, with 44 percent more owners reporting a battery failure in this survey compared with the previous one.

Audio, communication, entertainment, navigation (ACEN) was the most problematic category, accounting for 22 percent of all reported problems, according to the survey.

The annual study, now in its 28th year, complements one that addresses initial quality that J.D. Power issues, surveying owners after 90 days of ownership.

Last year's survey of 2013 models had found that pairing a smartphone with a vehicle's communications system was the main issue faced by owners.

(Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi in Bengaluru; Edited by Martina D'Couto)