10 Least Reliable Cars

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One of the main reasons people buy a brand-new car is the promise of a no-hassle ownership experience, free from the drip, drip, drip of service problems that set in as cars age. Nonetheless, CR’s exclusive Auto Surveys tell us that some buyers will be taking their brand-new car back to the dealer’s service department sooner and more often than other car buyers will.

The models featured here are the 10 least reliable vehicles. (For more details, check our Guide to Car Reliability.)

Our surveys take a deep dive into the numerous things that can go wrong with a vehicle. We study 17 trouble areas, from nuisances—such as squeaky brakes and broken interior trim—to major bummers, such as out-of-warranty transmission repairs and trouble with four-wheel-drive systems.

We weight the severity of each type of problem to create a predicted reliability score for each vehicle.

Based on that analysis, these models are the least reliable. They're presented in rank order, counting down to the least reliable model. Each is shown with its reliability score on a scale of 1 to 100.

For more details on each model's reliability history, click through to their respective model pages.

See our complete guide to car reliability and our reliability FAQ for more information on how we survey and analyze reliability data.

Chevrolet Silverado
Reliability: 13

Subaru Ascent
Reliability: 18

Volkswagen Atlas
Reliability: 19

Jeep Compass
Reliability: 21

Volvo XC90
Reliability: 26

Chevrolet Colorado
Reliability: 26

Tesla Model S
Reliability: 26

Jeep Wrangler
Reliability: 27

Ford EcoSport
Reliability: 28

Volvo XC60
Reliability: 28