Who Makes the Most Reliable New Cars?
Subaru, Lexus, and Toyota lead our reliability ratings, with GMC, Cadillac, and Rivian ranking last. Plus, an analysis of new hybrids, EVs, and PHEVs.
An unreliable vehicle can become a long-term financial headache, especially with new-car prices averaging more than $48,000. To avoid spending time and money at a repair shop, start your car-buying journey by choosing a dependable brand. Then look for a reliable model that fits your needs.
“While brand rankings can guide you to the showroom, it is critical to also look at reliability for specific models before making a purchase decision,” says Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. “Even within high-ranking companies, there can be significant variation in reliability.”
We calculate predicted reliability ratings for almost every new car, truck, and SUV on the market using data from Consumer Reports’ annual reliability surveys, which ask members about problems they’ve had with their vehicles.
This year’s survey results have more data on hybrids and electric vehicles than ever before, revealing how newer technology’s teething pains start to dissipate after two or three years. These findings reinforce why it’s best to wait a couple of years before buying an all-new model.
Keep reading for more of this year’s key findings, including the new top-scoring brand.
Subaru Tops Reliability
Subaru has ascended to the top of our brand rankings, supplanting Lexus and Toyota, which have traded the two top spots for many years.
Of Subaru’s seven models in our survey, two—the Forester and Impreza—have well-above-average reliability scores, while the Crosstrek, Legacy, Outback, and Ascent rate above average and average.
“Subaru’s cars share many reliable components,” says Steven Elek, who oversees auto data analytics at Consumer Reports. “This commonality means that when Subaru redesigns a vehicle, it can make fewer incremental changes by carrying over dependable systems. This reduces the risk of new problems.”
This year, below-average reliability ratings for the redesigned Tacoma pickup truck, the full-sized Tundra pickup, and the bZ4X electric vehicle hurt Toyota’s score. Coincidentally, Subaru’s only model with below-average reliability is the Solterra EV, which is a version of the Toyota bZ4X with Subaru badging.
Lexus and Toyota have the second- and third-highest brand reliability scores in this year’s ratings. Four Lexus models scored above average, while three came in at average. Toyota has four models that scored well above average, seven that scored above average, and five that scored average.
After Subaru, Lexus, and Toyota, Honda comes in fourth place. Three of its models scored above average this year, while seven scored average. Acura, Honda’s luxury sub-brand, comes in fifth place, with one above-average model and one average model.
Consumer Reports’ brand-level rankings are based on the average predicted reliability score of the models in each brand’s lineup. We must have sufficient data for at least two models to rank each brand. The data allows us to determine whether a brand’s rank went up or down from its position in our last survey. For each brand, we list every model for which we have data.
Keep reading to see a full comparison of how brands compare using our interactive tool.
We had insufficient data to create brand rankings for Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Lucid, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, Polestar, Porsche, and Ram.
How We Score Reliability
Every year, Consumer Reports asks its members about problems they’ve had with their vehicles in the previous 12 months. This year we gathered data on more than 300,000 vehicles from the 2000 to 2024 model years, with a few 2025 models that were introduced early enough to be included.
We study 20 trouble areas. This ranges from nuisances—squeaky brakes and broken interior trim—to major bummers, such as potentially expensive problems involving out-of-warranty engines, transmissions, EV batteries, and EV charging.
We weigh the severity of each type of problem to create a predicted reliability score for each vehicle from 1 to 100. Those scores inform the final reliability ratings we assign to every mainstream vehicle. (To calculate a vehicle’s Overall Score, we combine the reliability rating with data collected from our track testing, as well as our owner satisfaction survey results and safety data.)
We continue to gather more data on the growing number of electrified offerings being produced: hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEV), and electric vehicles (EV). Here are the latest results:
• Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles have 17 potential trouble areas.
• EVs can have up to 12 trouble areas. In place of traditional ICE problems, such as those with the engine and transmission, with EVs, trouble areas include the electric motor, EV/hybrid battery, and EV charging systems.
• Hybrids have 19 potential trouble areas: 17 from ICE vehicles, as well as problems with electric motors and EV batteries.
• Plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) can experience all 20 trouble areas: 17 from ICE vehicles, as well as those related to electric motors, EV batteries, and EV charging.
How the Regions and Car Types Compare
Asia-based automakers continue to lead the industry in reliability, with an overall average score of 57 for the region on a scale of 1 to 100. This year, 8 of the 10 most reliable brands are from Asian brands.
European automakers are in second place at 48, with Audi and BMW making our list of the top 10 most reliable brands.
Domestic (U.S.) brands trail both with an average score of 38. The highest-scoring domestic brand is Buick in 11th place, with all models having average reliability. But others like Rivian have well-below-average reliability for all models in their lineup.
This year, among U.S. brands, the Ford Mustang scored well above average, while the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Ford Escape scored above average. The Buick Encore GX and Envision; Cadillac XT5; Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 2500, and Trax; Chrysler Pacifica; Ford Bronco, Bronco Sport, Explorer, Maverick, Maverick Hybrid, and Mustang Mach-E; GMC Sierra 2500; Ram 2500; and Tesla Model 3 and Model Y all scored average.
Cars—a category that includes sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons—remain the most reliable vehicle type, with an average reliability rating of 60 (on a scale of 0 to 100), followed by minivans (57).
“As a class, sedans remain very reliable,” says Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. “Even as they get redesigned, they often have few of the latest features, which can cause problems when they are launched. These sedans remain a practical choice.”
SUVs came in with a reliability rating of 49, while pickup trucks came in last with 36.
Hybrids Are the Best of the Electrified
On average, hybrid powertrains remain reliable, while pure electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) are improving despite continuing reliability problems.
Hybrid technology has evolved and improved over the years. “While they remain extremely fuel-efficient, today’s hybrids also deliver reliability that is similar to conventional gas cars, despite their added complexity,“ Fisher says. On average, hybrids have a similar number of problems as cars powered by internal combustion engines (ICE).
But not all hybrids are the same. The most reliable models—from Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, and Toyota—have earned top reliability scores across a number of categories. For example, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, and Lexus NX Hybrid are among the most reliable models in this year’s survey. Kia’s Sorento Hybrid is the most reliable three-row SUV, with the Toyota Highlander Hybrid close behind.
But Ford’s problematic F-150 Hybrid is the least reliable model in our survey. Like last year, it scores worse than the also unreliable conventional F-150, continuing to exhibit problems with its transmission and hybrid battery.
The Ford Escape Hybrid is also among the least-reliable models, scoring well below the conventional Escape, which has above-average predicted reliability this year and is recommended.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are more of a mixed bag. As a category, they have 70 percent more problems than ICE vehicles. The ability to drive locally solely on electricity but still take long trips without range worries makes PHEVs attractive. But having two distinct powertrains—electric and an internal combustion engine—increases the chance for problems.
Several PHEVs are even less reliable than their conventional counterparts, such as the Mazda CX-90 PHEV, which scored well below average, while the regular CX-90 is below average. The BMW X5 PHEV, Lexus NX PHEV, and Toyota Prius PHEV each score just average, while the regular X5, NX, NX hybrid, and Prius all score above average.
Electric cars, SUVs, and pickups are more reliable than PHEVs, but not by much. EVs, on average, have 42 percent more problems than vehicles with an internal combustion engine.
Among EVs, the reliability of the Rivian R1S and R1T, along with the Ford F-150 Lightning, is below- or well-below average. Both the R1T and Lightning are entering their fourth year of production yet have had poor reliability since they first went on sale.
“Since EV technology is still relatively new, automakers continue to work the bugs out of their powertrains and platforms,” Elek says. “But we also see issues with their non-EV components, such as the latest infotainment and electronic features.”
It Still Pays to Wait
No matter what type of vehicle you’re interested in, hold off on being the first on the block with that all-new model. Both the gasoline version of the all-new Mazda CX-90 and the PHEV have transmission, steering and suspension, and in-car electronics problems. And the PHEV also has EV battery and electrical accessories issues.
GM’s brand-new, all-electric Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV are among the lowest-scoring models in our survey. They suffer from problems with the EV battery, electrical accessories, the climate system, in-car electronics, and other components.
The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks are well-below average with engine, transmission, in-car electronics, and other problems.
A few models have improved their lot. The Ford Bronco Sport and Genesis GV80, both of which first arrived for the 2021 model year, now have average reliability and are recommended. And the much-maligned Ford Explorer, which was among the least-reliable models in multiple past surveys, is recommended for the first time since its 2020 debut.
For more details, go to CR’s Guide to Car Reliability.
