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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Nrd515 When my '18 Torred Challenger was stolen back in Feb, I never expected to get it back in any kind of decent shape and had negotiated a deal to buy a '23 Scat Pack in Plum Crazy Purple. I almost bought my '18 in that color, but I worried I would get tired of it. I see a PCP Challenger all the time and like it, and the PCP car was equipped exactly as my present car is, so it was an easy choice. My car was found minutes after I had finished the negotiation, and 2 months later, about $2000 out of pocket, and the insurance paying about $12K in repairs, the car is back and is now a huge hassle to steal with a wheel lock, neutral release blocking plate, Carlock, and a Fast 5.0 throttle lock out. No cell phone with the correct code, all it does is idle.
Nrd515 I have an '18 Challenger too, use my trunk daily, and just like my '10 Challenger, and my '08 Charger, the factory struts soon weakened to the point I got conked on the head when it was under 50 degrees outside. You can't hold the trunk open and pick up a heavy or awkwardly shaped object, so getting nailed was a constant threat. I bought new factory struts for the two older cars, and within a year was getting conked or coming close to getting conked. I finally bought a set of enhanced power struts and I wish I had done it back about 2010 when my Charger "got me" the first time. I've had them for over 19 months and they still are stronger then the factory ones. Once the lid is up, it stays up, even at about 0 degrees F.
BobinPgh Bozi I have seen pit stops and it seems you have to be more of an athlete than a mechanic. So I am surprised that you got into from writing. Did you play a sport in school? Do you work out at the gym? Are you starting to get "too old" for this? Just going over the wall you have to be a young man. Do you have to stay away from the sweets and the fat?
Tassos View it another way, if the car buying pubic had an average age of 6 or 8 years old (in HUMAN years!), these finned creatures would be a smash hit. Even I liked the horizontal fins (that looked more like narrow squinted eyes than fins) on some 60s Impalas. When I was SIX, not now!
Tassos "Oh, the Humanity!", screamed the despondent Fake Tassos- Analoggrotto