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

TTAC Staff
by TTAC Staff
Photo credit: Nestor Rizhniak / 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 and Midsize Cars:

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

More by TTAC Staff

Comments
Join the conversation
  • SCE to AUX Everything in me says 'no', but the price is tempting, and it's only 2 hours from me.I guess 123k miles in 18 years does qualify as 'low miles'.
  • Dwford Will we ever actually have autonomous vehicles? Right now we have limited consumer grade systems that require constant human attention, or we have commercial grade systems that still rely on remote operators and teams of chase vehicles. Aside from Tesla's FSD, all these systems work only in certain cities or highway routes. A common problem still remains: the system's ability to see and react correctly to obstacles. Until that is solved, count me out. Yes, I could also react incorrectly, but at least the is me taking my fate into my own hands, instead of me screaming in terror as the autonomous vehicles rams me into a parked semi
  • Sayahh I do not know how my car will respond to the trolley problem, but I will be held liable whatever it chooses to do or not do. When technology has reached Star Trek's Data's level of intelligence, I will trust it, so long as it has a moral/ethic/empathy chip/subroutine; I would not trust his brother Lore driving/controlling my car. Until then, I will drive it myself until I no longer can, at which time I will call a friend, a cab or a ride-share service.
  • Daniel J Cx-5 lol. It's why we have one. I love hybrids but the engine in the RAV4 is just loud and obnoxious when it fires up.
  • Oberkanone CX-5 diesel.
Next