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

TTAC Staff
by TTAC Staff
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
TTAC Staff

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  • 2ACL Getting nice car vibes, nonetheless, $29k feels ambitious. It's a decade old and a relatively common spec of a model that's gaining notoriety as repo fodder.
  • ToolGuy A lot of days I skip lunch if I am working.
  • 3-On-The-Tree I like my 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 better. Plus it gets 30 mpg on the highway.
  • El scotto Inside EVs? Like that's not biased not a bit. /s The US government just put a 100% tariff on Chines EV's. Do BYD's or other Chinese EVs even come close to meeting US crash regulations? My money would on an empty Amazon box instead. The car market has imploded. The big three were too greedy and thought everyone wanted top-spec trucks and suvs. Too bad not everyone could afford them. The EV market has imploded in magnitudes greater than the ice market. This is exactly the wrong time to enter the US EV market.In the end, the Chinese will help a lot of lawyers buy boats. The Chinese have no respect and do not recognize intellectual property. The Chinese copy of the Land Rover that was reported that manufacturers should be very afraid of? Naw, if the Chinese try to import that lawyers will be pushing wheelbarrows full of money.Then again, any country that is great at making athletic shoes in not, repeat not known for the quality of their vehicles.Or in five years we could all be ordering our new rides off Temu.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Oem’s should fire whoever made the decision to drop V8’s in favor of Turbo V4 and V6’s. Got it was for emissions but I’m sure they could make V8’s more emission compliant. My F150 Ecoboost gets the same mileage as my 2021 Tundra 5.7. In addition to renewing my faith in extended warranty’s as it was a maintenance nightmare.
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