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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V8fairy I am starting to see some red emerging on the roads lately. We also have a lot of used import Toyota Aquas and some of them are in really cool colours, like orange, electric blue and bright yellow. What I really miss is colourful interiors, I'd love a bordello red crushed velvet interior, that'd sell me on an EV
Ted Bryant Agree with Mikey.Manual. Any manual transmission car. 1) can't text-and-drive, 2) forces driver to pay attention, 3) perfect security because most thieves can't drive stick, 4) fun to drive, 5) friends won't drive the car (they can't drive stick), 6) compression start -- never get stuck, and 7) will always be able to drive any vehicle anywhere. Did this for both kids -- after a couple weeks of complaining, they finally got to it, and now only drive manual. And they are both great drivers. But their friends do poke them for driving stick -- "oh neat - a manual. do you bake your own bread and sew your own clothes too..."
Mikey My youngest girl ( now 48 ) dated a guy that had a Beretta with a stick shift. The Dude liked Beer and weed. too much for my liking..I borrowed my buddy's stick shift Chevette and give her short course on driving a manual .. I told her if the new BF has more than 2 beer or any weed ..You drive ...I don't care how many times you stall it, or or of you smoke the clutch . She caught on quite well ,and owned a succession of stick shift vehicles...An as an added bonus she dumped the guy.
Blueice "Due to regulation/govt backing, China is poised to dominate BEV/battery production, just as they do solar panel production, drone production, etc.Taiwan dominates production of certain types of chips due to regulation/govt backing and we saw how precarious such a situation is (especially with the PRC increasingly becoming aggressive towards Taiwan).That's why regulation/govt backing is aiming to build up local chip manufacturing."BD2, these businesses and or industries are not free market enterprises, buttcorporatist, bent on destroying their competitors with the use of governmentalunits to create monopolies. How safe are world consumers when the preponderance of computer chipsare made in one jurisdiction. Do you what Red China controlling any industry ??And it is well known, concentrated markets control leads to higher prices to end users.
Master Baiter I told my wife that rather than buying my 13YO son a car when he turns 16, we'd be better off just having him take Lyft everywhere he needs to go. She laughed off the idea, but between the cost of insurance and an extra vehicle, I'd wager that Lyft would be a cheaper option, and safer for the kid as well.