The Most and Least Reliable Cars by Class
Whether you drive a family hauler, commuter car, or performance sedan, your goal is the same—to avoid the repair shop.
To predict how cars will hold up, Consumer Reports conducts its Annual Auto Reliability Survey—the largest of its kind. This year we gathered detailed data from our digital and print subscribers on more than half a million vehicles.
Our survey takes 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 or trouble with four-wheel-drive systems.
We weight the severity of each type of problem to create a Predicted Reliability Score for each vehicle. That score is then combined with data collected from our track testing, as well as our owner-satisfaction survey results and safety data, to calculate each test vehicle's Overall Score.
This list reveals the most and least reliable cars, SUVs, and trucks in our Annual Auto Survey. Click through the vehicle names to access the model pages with detail reliability insights, along with road tests, owner satisfaction, pricing, and more.
Category | Most Reliable | Least Reliable |
Subcompact Cars | Toyota Prius C | Ford Fiesta |
Compact Cars | Toyota Prius 1 | Ford Focus |
Midsized Cars | Kia Optima 1 | Chrysler 200 1 |
Large Cars | Hyundai Azera 1 | Dodge Charger |
Luxury Compact Cars | Lexus CT 200h 1 | Acura TLX |
Luxury Midsized/Large Cars | Infiniti Q70 1 | Mercedes-Benz S-Class 1 |
Sporty Cars | Lexus RC 1 | Ford Mustang |
Minivans | Toyota Sienna | Dodge Grand Caravan |
Small SUVs | Toyota RAV4 | Jeep Cherokee |
Midsized SUVs | Toyota 4Runner | Jeep Grand Cherokee |
Large SUVs | Ford Expedition 1 | Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL |
Luxury Compact SUVs | Mercedes-Benz GLC 1 | Lincoln MKC |
Luxury Midsized/Large SUVs | Lexus GX | Cadillac Escalade |
Pickup Trucks | Toyota Tundra | Ram 2500 |
More from Consumer Reports:
Top pick tires for 2016
Best used cars for $25,000 and less
7 best mattresses for couples
Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S.