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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El scotto No rag-top, no rag-top(s) = not a prestigious car brand. Think it through. All of the high-end Germans and Lexus have rag-tops. Corvette is really its own brand.World-leading engines. AMG, M, S and well Lexus is third-world tough. GM makes one of the best V-8s in the world in Bowling Green. But nooooo, noooo, we're GM only Corvettes get Corvette engines. Balderdash! I say. Put Corvette engines in the top-tier Cadillacs. I know GM could make a world-class 3.5 liter V-6 but they don't or won't. In the interior everything that gets touched, including your butt, has to feel good. No exceptions.Some think that those who pay above MSRP and brag about it are idiots. Go the opposite direction, and offer an extended 10-year 100,000-mile factory warranty. At a reasonable price. That's Acura's current business model.
Carrera 2014 Toyota Corolla with 192,000 miles bought new. Oil changes every 5,000 miles, 1 coolant flush, and a bunch of air filters and in cabin air filters, and wipers. On my 4th set of tires.Original brake pads ( manual transmission), original spark plugs. Nothing else...it's a Toyota. Did most of oil changes either free at Toyota or myself. Also 3 batteries.2022 Acura TLX A-Spec AWD 13,000 miles now but bought new.Two oil changes...2006 Hyundai Elantra gifted from a colleague with 318,000 when I got it, and 335,000 now. It needed some TLC. A set of cheap Chinese tires ($275), AC compressor, evaporator, expansion valve package ( $290) , two TYC headlights $120, one battery ( $95), two oil changes, air filters, Denso alternator ( $185), coolant, and labor for AC job ( $200).
Mike-NB2 This is a mostly uninformed vote, but I'll go with the Mazda 3 too.I haven't driven a new Civic, so I can't say anything about it, but two weeks ago I had a 2023 Corolla as a rental. While I can understand why so many people buy these, I was surprised at how bad the CVT is. Many rentals I've driven have a CVT and while I know it has one and can tell, they aren't usually too bad. I'd never own a car with a CVT, but I can live with one as a rental. But the Corolla's CVT was terrible. It was like it screamed "CVT!" the whole time. On the highway with cruise control on, I could feel it adjusting to track the set speed. Passing on the highway (two-lane) was risky. The engine isn't under-powered, but the CVT makes it seem that way.A minor complaint is about the steering. It's waaaay over-assisted. At low speeds, it's like a 70s LTD with one-finger effort. Maybe that's deliberate though, given the Corolla's demographic.
Mike-NB2 2019 Ranger - 30,000 miles / 50,000 km. Nothing but oil changes. Original tires are being replaced a week from Wednesday. (Not all that mileage is on the original A/S tires. I put dedicated winter rims/tires on it every winter.)2024 - Golf R - 1700 miles / 2800 km. Not really broken in yet. Nothing but gas in the tank.
SaulTigh I've got a 2014 F150 with 87K on the clock and have spent exactly $4,180.77 in maintenance and repairs in that time. That's pretty hard to beat.Hard to say on my 2019 Mercedes, because I prepaid for three years of service (B,A,B) and am getting the last of those at the end of the month. Did just drop $1,700 on new Michelins for it at Tire Rack. Tires for the F150 late last year were under $700, so I'd say the Benz is roughly 2 to 3 times as pricy for anything over the Ford.I have the F150 serviced at a large independent shop, the Benz at the dealership.