The most reliable car brands right now
The two big US reliability surveys agree on the top of the list more than they disagree. Consumer Reports’ latest brand ranking, published in December 2025, puts Toyota first with an average predicted reliability score of 66 out of 100, followed by Subaru (63), Lexus (60), Honda (59) and BMW (58) [3]. J.D. Power’s 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study, which counts problems reported by owners of three year old cars, has Lexus as the most dependable premium brand for a fourth year running and Buick as the most dependable mass market brand [4].
The top 10 in Consumer Reports’ December 2025 ranking, with each brand’s place in the November 2023 ranking shown on the infographic on this page [1][3]:
| Rank (Dec 2025) | Brand | Score (Dec 2025) | Rank (Nov 2023) | Score (Nov 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota | 66 | 2 | 76 |
| 2 | Subaru | 63 | 6 | 69 |
| 3 | Lexus | 60 | 1 | 79 |
| 4 | Honda | 59 | 5 | 70 |
| 5 | BMW | 58 | 9 | 64 |
| 6 | Nissan | 57 | 17 | 45 |
| 7 | Acura | 54 | 4 | 70 |
| 8 | Buick | 51 | 12 | 55 |
| 9 | Tesla | 50 | 14 | 48 |
| 10 | Kia | 49 | 10 | 61 |
Scores are not directly comparable from one year to the next, because Consumer Reports changes the model years and brands it counts each time. Positions are a better guide. Mini and Porsche, third and eighth in 2023, were left out of the 2025 ranking because Consumer Reports did not have enough survey data on at least two of their models [3].
The 2023 car reliability ratings
The infographic by Voronoi (Visual Capitalist) uses Consumer Reports’ November 2023 ranking of 30 brands. Lexus was top on 79, ahead of Toyota on 76 and Mini on 71, with Acura and Honda tied on 70. Six of the top seven were Japanese, and the only non-Japanese brand in the top five was Mini, which is owned by BMW [1].
At the other end, the five lowest scores were Chrysler (18), Mercedes-Benz (23), Rivian (24), Jeep (26) and Volkswagen (26). Buick, 12th on 55, was the best placed American brand, and Tesla was 14th on 48. Every figure on the graphic matches Visual Capitalist’s published table [1].
If you are looking at a used car from the 2023 or 2024 model year, this ranking is still useful, because it reflects how those cars were behaving for owners at the time. For a new car, use the latest edition.
Which countries make the most reliable cars
Japanese brands have led Consumer Reports’ rankings for years. In 2023, Asian brands averaged 63 and European brands 46, and seven of the top 10 brands were Asian [1]. By our sums from the 2023 scores, the eight Japanese brands averaged 66.1, the three South Korean brands 53.7, the five German brands 44.4 and the 12 American brands 38.4.
The pattern held in December 2025. Asian brands averaged 56, European brands 50 and American brands 41, and seven of the top 10 were again Asian. BMW was the only European brand in the top 10, and the five lowest scoring brands were all American: Chrysler, GMC, Jeep, Ram and Rivian [3].
Consumer Reports puts the Japanese lead down to habits that keep problems out of new cars: sharing proven parts across the range and making small, careful changes when a model is redesigned [3]. Toyota and Lexus share many platforms and powertrains, as do Honda and Acura, which is why those pairs tend to sit close together.
Brands that have moved up or down
Rankings do change, usually because of one or two new or redesigned models. Comparing the two Consumer Reports editions [1][3]:
- Mazda fell from 7th in 2023 to 14th in 2025. Consumer Reports blames the new CX-70 and CX-90 SUVs, which use a new engine, gearbox and platform and are also sold as plug-in hybrids, and both versions scored below average [3].
- Tesla rose eight places in a year to 9th, the biggest gain in the 2025 ranking. Owners reported far fewer problems with body panels, paint, trim and electrical accessories, and the Model Y was the most reliable electric car in the survey [3].
- Nissan went from 17th to 6th, and Ford from 22nd to 11th.
- Ram dropped from 15th to 25th. Its full size pickup, the Ram 1500, scored 5 out of 100 in 2025 after an update that Consumer Reports says brought teething problems [3].
How car reliability is measured
Consumer Reports asks its members each year about problems they have had with their cars in the previous 12 months. The 2023 edition drew on more than 330,000 vehicles and the 2025 edition on about 380,000 [1][3]. It looks at 20 trouble areas, from loose trim and infotainment glitches to engine, gearbox, EV battery and charging faults, weighs each by how serious and costly it is, and gives each new model a predicted reliability score from 1 to 100. A brand’s score is the average of its models [3].
J.D. Power measures something slightly different. Its Vehicle Dependability Study counts problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) reported by original owners after three years, so a lower score is better. The 2026 study surveyed 33,268 owners of 2023 model year cars and found an industry average of 204 PP100, the highest since the study was redesigned in 2022 [4]. Lexus scored 151, Buick 160, Mini 168 and Cadillac 175 [4].
The two surveys use different methods, so a brand can do well in one and less well in the other. Cadillac, for example, was second among premium brands in J.D. Power’s study but 18th in Consumer Reports’ ranking [3][4]. When both rate a brand highly, as with Lexus and Toyota, you can be fairly confident.
Hybrids, electric cars and new models
Powertrain matters as much as badge. Consumer Reports found that most hybrids have average or better reliability, while fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids are more mixed. Of the 26 brands it ranked in 2025, 13 of the least reliable models were electric or plug-in hybrid, and not one was a regular hybrid [3]. J.D. Power found the same order: petrol cars had the fewest problems at 198 PP100, then hybrids at 213, electric cars at 237 and plug-in hybrids at 281 [4].
The other practical rule is to avoid the first year of a new or redesigned model. Consumer Reports’ 2025 survey found several brand new or redesigned models with below average or well below average reliability, and some were still poor in their second year [3].
Questions about the most reliable car brands
What is the most reliable car brand?
Toyota, in Consumer Reports’ December 2025 ranking, with Subaru and Lexus close behind [3]. Lexus was top in Consumer Reports’ November 2023 ranking and in J.D. Power’s 2026 dependability study among premium brands [1][4].
What is the most reliable car?
In Consumer Reports’ 2025 survey the highest scoring models included the Honda Passport (97), Toyota 4Runner (95) and Lexus IS (84) [3]. J.D. Power named the Lexus IS the top model in its 2026 study [4].
What were the most reliable car brands in 2023?
Lexus (79), Toyota (76), Mini (71), Acura (70) and Honda (70) were the top five in Consumer Reports’ November 2023 ranking [1].
What are the least reliable car brands?
In December 2025 the lowest scores were Rivian (24), Ram (26), Jeep (28), GMC (31) and Chrysler (31) [3]. In 2023 Chrysler was last on 18 [1].
What is the most reliable American car brand?
Buick. It was the top American brand in Consumer Reports’ 2023 and 2025 rankings and ranked highest among mass market brands in J.D. Power’s 2026 study [1][3][4].
Sources
- Visual Capitalist, Ranked: The Most Reliable Car Brands, According to Consumer Reports, by Kayla Zhu, 2024 (data as of November 2023).
- Voronoi, Lexus Is The Most Reliable Car Brand, where the chart was first posted.
- Consumer Reports, Who Makes the Most Reliable New Cars?, updated 4 December 2025.
- J.D. Power, 2026 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, 12 February 2026.
Last reviewed 6 November 2026
