Hyundai Motor's mid-sized Sonata sedan ranked first in its category in a vehicle dependability study released on Wednesday by U.S. market researcher J.D. Power and Associates.

Hyundai said that the Sonata scored 94 points to beat major rivals such as the Toyota Camry (104 points), Honda Accord (107 points) and Nissan Altima (110 points).

The study was based on a survey about 202 vehicle problems with parts such as the engine or transmission given to customers who bought their cars between September 2009 and February 2010.

It determined each car's score based on the number of problems per 100 vehicles reported by owners of 3-year-old cars, meaning a lower score reflects higher quality.

The Hyundai Verna placed third in the compact category, and the Kia Soul came third among compact multi-purpose vehicles.

By brand, Kia ranked 13th and Hyundai 14th. Kia jumped three slots from last year, while Hyundai dropped to 14th from fourth.