Consumer Reports: Most Reliable Car Brands of the Year - Find Out Who Ranks Highest

by TTAC Staff

Published: February 23rd, 2024

Photo credit: PaulLP / Shutterstock.com

The automotive industry offers a range of options for consumers seeking reliable vehicles. A recent study by Consumer Reports provides a detailed look into the reliability of various car brands, helping buyers make informed decisions.

Leading Brands in Reliability

Lexus (Score: 79)
Toyota (Score: 76)
Mini (Score: 71)
Acura (Score: 70)
Honda (Score: 70)

Rounding out the top 10 are Subaru, Mazda, Porsche, BMW, and Kia. These scores reflect a trend towards higher reliability across these manufacturers.

How Reliability is Scored

The methodology behind these scores involves comprehensive surveys of Consumer Reports members, covering over 330,000 vehicles from the years 2000 to 2023, including some early 2024 models. The survey assesses 20 different trouble areas, varying from minor issues to major system faults. The final score, out of 100, is a combination of problem severity, track testing, owner satisfaction, and safety data.

Focus on Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

The study pays special attention to electric and hybrid vehicles, including new criteria specific to these types of vehicles. These criteria assess electric motors, hybrid batteries, and charging systems. Hybrids show 26% fewer problems than traditional vehicles, but plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles often score lower in reliability.

Reliability by Region

Asian car manufacturers lead in reliability with an average score of 63, followed by European brands at 46 and domestic brands at 39. Cars, including sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons, are noted as the most reliable vehicle type.

Highlights of Specific Models

In model-specific observations, Lexus's NX model scores average in predicted reliability, with the rest of its lineup above average. Toyota's 4Runner SUV is noted for its high reliability, while the Tundra is marked for lower reliability. Acura's RDX and TLX models receive praise for their above-average reliability.

This article was co-written using AI and was then heavily edited and optimized by our editorial team.

TTAC Staff

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VoGhost ICE is dead. Even Nissan gets it. When will TTAC?
VoGhost Do all of you work for the buggy whip lobby, or is the obviousness of the near future not obvious to you?
Jkross22 Hybrid V8 with a proven ZF 8 speed tuned correctly or with a Getrag 6 speed manual.Sorry, what was the question?
SCE to AUX Hydrogen will remain a dud with many strikes against it.As for product portfolio, I'd offer:[list][*]Trucks - gas with hybrid option, with legal diesels for a premium.[/*][*]SUVs - gas with hybrid option, using the low-end truck engines.[/*][*]CUVs/Sedans - a) gas with hybrid option, b) BEV on a dedicated platform.[/*][*]No PHEVs - They are low volume, high cost, high complexity, and people rarely use them properly anyway. Because of this, their 'green-ness' will probably be investigated someday.[/*][/list]Few companies can be all things for all people, so the market shouldn't be regulated as such. It should be OK for niche players to avoid electric, and not everyone can offer a large pickup or sedan.The real challenge is that every company has limited resources (even Toyota), so committing to a risky development and sourcing program takes courage they often don't have. Both BEV and ICE are risky if the politics change against you.
28-Cars-Later "The automaker is aware of around 300 deliveries that might have come as a part of the dealer’s efforts, and audits revealed that there were more than 20 vehicles still on its lot that were reported sold."Not sure but it sounds as if they were selling the cars to themselves to collect either individual or the monthly shop incentive. Dealer do sell cars to themselves to make the monthly nut sometimes but I'm sure there is a limit in the fine print of the franchise agreement which 300 would exceed. The "wholesale" end of it is how I would get rid of them because there are only so many high dollar sales the UCM can make in a month (call them "demos", there are buyers who eat those up). The problem sounds like the morons seemed to keep all the "sales" on the lot and then sold at least 100 all at once in one deal which looks suspicious. Should have been unloading the "sold" inventory weekly in small chunks on the block (at nearly any price). Idiots. Probably could have stayed under the radar if done on a much smaller scale. Greed kills.