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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MKizzy Gently used EV6's under $30K aren't hard to find and have the range and style to almost intrigue me into taking the EV plunge. However, I'll wait for a mid-sized non-luxury EV sedan or wagon which is not a tablet housing a car (Model 3) or sacrifices too much usable space for the sake of style (Ioniq 6) before I go electric. I'm not holding my breath.
Arthur Dailey Am currently comparing both vehicles. Some issues not addressed in the article 1) the wait times for most RAV4's are currently considerably longer, 2) RAV4's are among the most stolen vehicles in my area (the GTA), 3) Mazda has a superior warranty. Manufacturing locations are perhaps a toss up. For the majority of these vehicles sold in the Canadian market from what I can ascertain, CX-5's are manufactured in Japan, and RAV4's in Alliston Ontario. One area where I will disagree with Matt is in the upholstery. I far prefer cloth to leather. With grandchildren and a dog, there is far more chance that the leather will be cut or scratched. And leather, particularly in black is too hot in the summer and very cold when you first sit on it during a Canadian winter. Cloth is the winner in that competition, but still an inferior choice to rich 1970's style velour upholstery.
Eliyahu I've had my 2018 CX-5 FWD top trim for about 18 months. It is fun to drive and a nice design. Mazda really did a great job of making the most out of the platform when they did the design refresh. The driver's seat, however, is overly firm and perhaps a tad too small. I have also come to appreciate the open feeling of the Forester compared to the well-organized but more closed in cockpit of the CX-5. A minor quibble would be the smallish gas tank. Overall, a very nice design.
Redapple2 CX5. Rented one 2 yr ago. ~2000miles. Issues. 1 Thumbwheel controller not good. 2. Sweeping curve on the interstate passing a car, the automatic braking picked up a car in the lane over. Beeps and slight braking. Not drop anchor mode, but still head scratching. But it looks so dam good. Wonderful still after many years. CX5 all the way!!!
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