These Are the Most Reliable Cars in Each Category, Says J.D. Power

by TTAC Staff

Published: February 12th, 2024

Photo credit: Honcharuk Andrii / Shutterstock.com

Recent findings from J.D. Power show that after three years of ownership, vehicle dependability has diminished. Owners are reporting more problems compared to the previous year, with the industry average escalating to 190 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). The disparity in problem rates between the initial 90 days and three years of ownership has surged, indicating a notable decrease in vehicle dependability over time.

Electrified Vehicles: A Mixed Bag

Owners of BEVs and PHEVs report more problems than those with gasoline and hybrid vehicles, with tire replacement being a notable issue for BEV owners.

Segment-by-Segment Breakdown

The study lists the most reliable vehicles across different categories, with Toyota Motor Corporation achieving the most segment awards. Here is an organized summary of the top-ranking models:

Compact Cars:

Toyota Corolla
Honda Civic
Toyota Prius

Compact Premium Cars:

Lexus IS
BMW 4 Series
BMW 3 Series

Midsize Cars:

Toyota Camry
Chevrolet Malibu
Hyundai Sonata

Midsize Premium Cars:

Lexus ES

Premium Sporty Cars:

Porsche 718
Chevrolet Corvette

Pickup and Van Segments:

Large Heavy Duty Pickups:

Ford Super Duty
GMC Sierra HD
Chevrolet Silverado HD

Large Light Duty Pickups:

Toyota Tundra
GMC Sierra
Chevrolet Silverado

Midsize Pickups:

Toyota Tacoma
Chevrolet Colorado
Ford Ranger

Minivans:

Kia Sedona
Toyota Sienna
Honda Odyssey

Standout Brands

Lexus is recognized as the most reliable brand overall, followed by Porsche and BMW for premium brands. In the mass market, Toyota ranks highest with Buick and Chevrolet in a close contest for reliability.

Methodology of the Study

The study reflects the experiences of over 30,000 owners of 2021 model-year vehicles after three years. It encompasses 184 problem areas across nine vehicle categories to provide a detailed analysis of long-term vehicle 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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GS340Pete All new cars, repairs only, in chronological order:1996 Eagle Vision Tsi: $400 in repairs in 90k miles, and an under warranty fuel rail replacement. Did I get lucky? 2001.5 VW 'New Jetta' 1.8T auto. Transmission self-destructed within six months. "You're lucky this was under warranty, this would have been like 11 grand." Traded it immediately. Electrical gremlins started showing up too. 2002 Nissan Pathfinder. One $400 repair out of warranty, 02 sensor, in 100k miles.2012 Nissan Maxima, $0 in 24k.2013 Nissan Altima, $0 in 50k.2014 Dodge Charger AWD. $400 sensor out of warranty in 130k. Again, did I get lucky?
1995 SC The Ridgeline is too new so nothing yet.The FIAT needed a tire (nail in the sidewall) and a lower steering column cover and a set of wipers. Around 200 bucksThe 30 year old Thunderbird has been needy this year. Just did fuel injectors to add to belts, hoses, motor mounts, exhaust manifold gasket, shocks and a bunch of caps replaced on various modules.Rear main has developed a small leak so I will probably have the transmission gone through when I drop it. I want to do a few things to it. I have some upgraded front calipers too but they are junk yard parts I rebuilt. Like I said, it has been needy this year but old cars do that sometimes
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