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

TTAC Staff
by TTAC Staff
Photo credit: Nestor Rizhniak / 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 and Midsize Cars:

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
TTAC Staff

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  • Varezhka The biggest underlying issue of Mitsubishi Motors was that for most of its history the commercial vehicles division was where all the profit was being made, subsidizing the passenger vehicle division losses. Just like Isuzu.And because it was a runt of a giant conglomerate who mainly operated B2G and B2B, it never got the attention it needed to really succeed. So when Daimler came in early 2000s and took away the money making Mitsubishi-Fuso commercial division, it was screwed.Right now it's living off of its legacy user base in SE Asia, while its new parent Nissan is sucking away at its remaining engineering expertise in EV and kei cars. I'd love to see the upcoming US market Delica, so crossing fingers they will last that long.
  • ToolGuy A deep-dive of the TTAC Podcast Archives gleans some valuable insight here.
  • Tassos I heard the same clueless, bigoted BULLSHEET about the Chinese brands, 40 years ago about the Japanese Brands, and more recently about the Koreans.If the Japanese and the Koreans have succeeded in the US market, at the expense of losers such as Fiat, Alfa, Peugeot, and the Domestics,there is ZERO DOUBT in my mind, that if the Chinese want to succeed here, THEY WILL. No matter what one or two bigots do about it.PS try to distinguish between the hard working CHINESE PEOPLE and their GOVERNMENT once in your miserable lives.
  • 28-Cars-Later I guess Santa showed up with bales of cash for Mitsu this past Christmas.
  • Lou_BC I was looking at an extended warranty for my truck. The F&I guy was trying to sell me on the idea by telling me how his wife's Cadillac had 2 infotainment failures costing $4,600 dollars each and how it was very common in all of their products. These idiots can't build a reliable vehicle and they want me to trust them with the vehicle "taking over" for me.
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