Consumer Reports: Most Reliable Car Brands of the Year - Find Out Who Ranks Highest

by TTAC Staff

Published: February 23rd, 2024

Photo credit: PaulLP / Shutterstock.com

The automotive industry offers a range of options for consumers seeking reliable vehicles. A recent study by Consumer Reports provides a detailed look into the reliability of various car brands, helping buyers make informed decisions.

Leading Brands in Reliability

Lexus (Score: 79)
Toyota (Score: 76)
Mini (Score: 71)
Acura (Score: 70)
Honda (Score: 70)

Rounding out the top 10 are Subaru, Mazda, Porsche, BMW, and Kia. These scores reflect a trend towards higher reliability across these manufacturers.

How Reliability is Scored

The methodology behind these scores involves comprehensive surveys of Consumer Reports members, covering over 330,000 vehicles from the years 2000 to 2023, including some early 2024 models. The survey assesses 20 different trouble areas, varying from minor issues to major system faults. The final score, out of 100, is a combination of problem severity, track testing, owner satisfaction, and safety data.

Focus on Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

The study pays special attention to electric and hybrid vehicles, including new criteria specific to these types of vehicles. These criteria assess electric motors, hybrid batteries, and charging systems. Hybrids show 26% fewer problems than traditional vehicles, but plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles often score lower in reliability.

Reliability by Region

Asian car manufacturers lead in reliability with an average score of 63, followed by European brands at 46 and domestic brands at 39. Cars, including sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons, are noted as the most reliable vehicle type.

Highlights of Specific Models

In model-specific observations, Lexus's NX model scores average in predicted reliability, with the rest of its lineup above average. Toyota's 4Runner SUV is noted for its high reliability, while the Tundra is marked for lower reliability. Acura's RDX and TLX models receive praise for their above-average 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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Lorenzo I'd actually buy another Ford, if they'd bring back the butternut-squash color. Well, they actually called it sea foam green, but some cars had more green than others, and my 1968 Mercury Montego MX was one of the more-yellow, less-green models. The police always wrote 'yellow' on the ticket.
ToolGuy Some of my first cars were die-cast from pot-metal in 2 pieces: body-in-white plus chassis. I spray-painted some of them, the masking was a pain. The tires did burn realistically.
Vulpine Tesla has NOT said they're scrapping the Gigacasting process, but they have also said they wouldn't cast a one-piece body. The concept is to have a total of 5 main pieces: Nose clip, tail clip, 2 sides and belly. They're already using the first two and the sides are not necessarily going to be castings. The belly casting, however, is being delayed as the battery technologies are changing far too quickly to lock into any one fixed design as the battery packs themselves are currently consisting of at least three different types based on the cells being used within them. It's a matter of convenience for the company to let the technologies stabilize somewhat before locking in on a specific design.
MaintenanceCosts I've never prioritized color when looking for a car, but there are usually some colors (particularly bright reds and refrigerator whites) that I just won't accept.That said, one of my cars gets parked outside in a city environment, and it's silver, and that's good because silver does not complain too much when oxidized to he!l. The brown BMW is neat because there aren't many brown BMWs, and the green Legend is historically correct because the mid-'90s meant green.
ToolGuy • Black vehicles and dark interiors burn more petrol and are bad for the planet (look it up, I'm not gonna hold your hand on this one lol).• If your current vehicle was new when you took delivery, and you didn't get EXACTLY the color you wanted (blithely accepted what was foisted on you by the dealer), shame on you. You are the problem with today's franchise system. In future, please notify the dealer that your policy is to collect a Non-First-Choice Paint Upcharge in such a circumstance. I recommend $1200.• Also, fine-thread drywall screws (in wood) waste electricity (and time). When I am President of the Universe, fine-thread drywall screws will be banned in favor of the more environmentally- and wallet-friendly coarse-thread variety. (Again, you can work out the reasons but I am absolutely correct.)