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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Recent Comments

FreedMike Yeah, this trend needs to die a painful death.
THX1136 This reminds me of a 'fad' back when I was in high school that was equally silly. A few folks would put spacers in the rear springs to lift the back end of the vehicle to ridiculous heights. We would joke that they must think it makes the car go faster since it feels like you're driving downhill all the time. Dangerous for all the reasons Redapple2 mentions.
Arthur Dailey Just a couple of questions. Are you adding a stabilizer to your gas tank as the gas sits so long? Aren't tires usable for up to 10 years after manufacture, rather than 7? And should you wait so long between oil changes? Even with the low mileage can the oil degrade? Eagerly awaiting responses from one and all.
Redapple2 I m afraid I d hate the crazy color 2 yrs down the line of a 6 year ownership. So, after dark blues, and dark reds I m back to a wonderful deep, pearly, lustrous white. Looks good at night. In the day. Clean; and when dirty, hides it.
THX1136 Some folks down the street from me had a beautiful blue/green Jeep. I stay away from grey, brown, silver and black. Ironically I own a white vehicle at the moment due to not being able to afford the blue one I was considering and not wanting the aforementioned colors. A nice emerald green, most shades of blue (Santa Fe Blue is a favorite) and the 'hotter' colors like orange, purple and yellow appeal, but as KOKing mentioned it's got to look 'right' on the car in question.