Report: The Most Reliable Car Brands

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Of all the features and qualities a car can have, reliability is perhaps the most important. If you have a vehicle that lasts, you can save money for the long haul.

Consumer Reports’ auto reliability data show which brands consumers can count on.

Which Car Brands Are the Most Reliable?

The report, published in November 2022, is comprised of data collected from surveys of Consumer Reports members’ experiences with more than 300,000 vehicles.

The publication notes that owners reported on 17 problem areas, including issues with in-car electronics, engine, and transmission issues.

Here are some key findings from the report:

  • Seven of the top 10 most reliable brands are from Asian automakers, with Toyota and Lexus in the top two spots.
  • The highest-ranking U.S. car brand, Lincoln, comes in at #10, which is 14 spots higher than it was in the previous survey.

Consumer Reports says that, due to insufficient data, the rankings do not include the following brands: Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Fiat, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, Mini, Mitsubishi, Polestar, Porsche and Rivian.

Let’s take a look at Consumer Reports’ most reliable car brands. The ratings are scored on a 100-point scale with the average scores falling between 41 and 60 points.

Here Are the Top 10 Most Reliable Car Brands

BrandAverage Score
Toyota72
Lexus72
BMW65
Mazda65
Honda62
Audi60
Subaru59
Acura57
Kia54
Lincoln54

Read Consumer Reports’ full car reliability rankings (subscription required).

No matter what brand you prefer, money expert Clark Howard wants you to save as much money as you can on your next vehicle purchase.

Clark noted in a recent podcast that the current car market is starting to improve.

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“As I promised back in my beginning-of-the-year predictions, I said in the back half of 2023 we are going to see significantly better prices on vehicles and that is absolutely going to play out,” Clark says. “You’re going to lose some of that benefit though because interest rates on vehicle loans are so much higher now, but the trend is your friend.”

Although the price drops are great news, it still doesn’t mean that the vehicle market has stabilized. Until that happens, Clark wants you to do one of two things:

Read our in-depth guide on what to do if you need a car right now.

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