• Lexus remains the most reliable brand according to Consumer Reports' latest survey. Read on.
Every year, Consumer Reports publishes its rankings of the automotive industry's most and least reliable brands. The independent organization comes up with the ranking via data gathered from owners, as well as from tests it conducts itself.
Consumer Reports asks its members to report on problems they’ve encountered with their vehicles over the past 12 months. For this year’s study, information was received on 330,000 vehicles from the 2000-to-2023 model-years, as well as on certain 2024 models launched early in 2023.
The study looks at 20 different categories, ranging from major problems such as engine or transmission problems, to those related to batteries, including recharging in the case of electric vehicles, and to finishing problems, technological glitches, brake system noises, etc.
Each category of problem is assigned a different level of severity. A reliability grid is then created, taking into account the 20 categories. This is combined with the scores obtained from the tests carried out by the group, as well as the results of owner satisfaction surveys.
The study is exhaustive, and the results are always interesting.
This year, we looked at the rankings for both the most and least reliable brands, as well as the best and worst models for each brand. Because even the best-regarded automaker can produce a defect-prone model.
Here then is CR’s ranking of the most reliable brands, with the score collected out of a possible 100 points.
See also: Here Are the 10 Least Reliable Brands This Year, According to Consumer Reports
1 - Lexus 79 points
Not surprisingly, Lexus tops the list once again; the brand is sitting at the top of these kinds of surveys.
The firm's most reliable model is the UX SUV with 83 points, while the least recommended is the NX with just 49 points. The compact SUV's score is admittedly disappointing.
2 - Toyota 76 points
The vast majority of models carrying the Toyota badge do very well, but a few bring down the average.
The most recommendable is the 4Runner, which scored 87 points. That model has been produced in the same form for over 10 years, which helps explain its excellent score. Conversely, the relatively new Tundra failed to impress with an unhealthy score of 30 points.
3 - Mini 71 points
We’re not necessarily used to hearing Mini be praised for the reliability of its products, but it's making progress, as this year's result proves. The brand offers few models, which is a double-edged sword. When they do well, it's possible to quickly climb the rankings. The reverse is also true.
Best and worst? The Cooper scores 80 points, the Countryman 63.
4 - Acura 70 points
Next up is Honda's luxury brand. Acura’s best-performing model is the RDX with 80 points, while the one looking up at everybody else is the Integra with a score of 47. It’s another example of the predictable phenomenon that sees brand-new models vulnerable to more glitches than more mature ones that have had their kinks ironed out of them.
5 - Honda 70 points
Not surprisingly, we find Honda with the same score as Acura. The HR-V leads the way with 85 points. This may come as a surprise, given that the current generation model is still new, but then you remember that it uses proven Civic components. At the bottom of the scale is the Passport with 48 points. Honda has work to do with some of its models.
6 - Subaru 69 points
For several years now, Subaru has been consolidating its position, with all its products proving more reliable than average. However, dig into the numbers and you see there are extremes.
The most pleasant surprise is the Crosstrek, which scores 99 points, bordering on perfection. Ont so pleasant for the Japanese automaker is the Legacy, now in its fourth year on the market in the same form, mustering a lowly score of 47 points. The Solterra electric SUV has the same score, but we'll be more indulgent in its case since it’s brand new.
7 - Mazda 67 points
Mazda has already occupied the top spot in this ranking, but this year it settles for seventh spot. Of all the automakers, it shows the least fluctuation in reliability scores across its range. Its best-performing model is its oldest, the MX-5 roadster, with 73 points. On the other hand, the worst performer is the CX-5, with a respectable score of 65 points. No unpleasant messes to clean up at Mazda, then.
8 - Porsche 66 points
With its lower overall sales volume, Porsche doesn’t actually earn a score for each of its models – which in itself can distort the average obtained by the brand. In any event, know that the Cayenne scored 67 points, the Macan 63.
9 - BMW 64 points
BMW is like a few other brands in that its overall score is pulled up by the strong scores of a few specific models. In the German automaker’s case, those would be the X5 and X3, which score 82 and 73 points respectively. Several other models in the lineup fared less well, including the X7 with a meagre 47 points. If you're interested in a BMW model, we highly recommend consulting the Consumer Reports rankings.
10 - Kia 61 points
Kia sneaks into the last spot in CR’s 2024 ranking of the 10 most reliable brands. Let’s just say its celebration should be a muted one, however. The lineup does contain one stalwart model, the Sportage PHEV with 83 points. It’s a strong score and also a surprising one. Why surprising? Because Consumer Reports’ survey also found that the plug-in hybrid segment scores the worst of any in the industry.
Meanwhile, Kia might be less proud of its Sorento, which scores only 47 points - just behind the EV6 with 48.
Tomorrow, we bring you Consumer Reports' list of the 10 worst brands in terms of reliability.