Consumer Reports Declares Toyota and Lexus No Longer the Most Reliable Car Brands

Consumer Reports has released its 2024 brand reliability report, revealing that while the top five brands remain unchanged from last year, Subaru has claimed the top position, now recognized as the most reliable car brand.

That’s correct—Toyota and its sub-brand Lexus are no longer the leaders in reliability. The results are based on data from over 300,000 cars, trucks, and SUVs sold between 2000 and 2025, collected by the nonprofit research, testing, and advocacy organization.

Notably, the list excludes models from brands such as Lincoln, Alfa Romeo, Dodge, and Land Rover. This is because only companies with “sufficient data” for at least two current models were considered. As a result, brands like Fiat, Jaguar, Lucid, Maserati, Polestar, and Ram are also absent from the report.

Subaru’s Reliability Secret

What made Subaru so reliable? Surprisingly, it wasn’t due to cutting-edge technology or innovative design advancements. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Steven Elek, head of Consumer Reports’ car data analytics program, explained that Subaru’s reliability stems from using many of the same parts across multiple model years, reducing the likelihood of new issues.

The reliability assessment was based on survey responses from members detailing personal car problems experienced in the past 12 months. The study covered 20 potential “trouble areas,” ranging from minor issues like paint and trim flaws to major concerns such as engine or transmission problems.

How Reliability Scores Are Calculated

To determine reliability scores out of 100, analysts combined results from various trouble areas and weighted each area according to the severity of the issue.

These scores, along with findings from Consumer Reports’ owner satisfaction surveys and internal testing, contribute to the overall model ratings.

Notably, this year’s results include more electric vehicles (EVs) than ever before. Does this mean it’s finally reasonable to expect a long-term, reliable EV? Perhaps—but reliability still varies by brand.

In the survey, six out of seven Subaru vehicles earned average, above-average, or well-above-average ratings—all of which have internal combustion engines. The only poorly rated Subaru was the Solterra EV, developed in collaboration with Toyota.

Subaru Tops Reliability Rankings with a Score of 68

Subaru achieved an average reliability score of 68 out of 100, surpassing Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus, which scored 65, and Toyota itself, which received a score of 62. The overall reliability of Toyota was impacted by below-average performance from models like the Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra, and the all-electric Toyota bZ4X SUV.

Among the least reliable automakers in the study were U.S.-based brands Jeep (average reliability score: 33), GMC (33), Cadillac (27), and Rivian (14), which had the lowest ratings.

Consumer Reports highlighted, “This year, some U.S. models performed well. The Ford Mustang scored well above average, while the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Ford Escape scored above average. Several models, including 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 earned average reliability scores.”

In an industry often focused on innovation and the next big breakthrough, the real winners can sometimes be those who stick to proven methods. Subaru not only claimed the top spot in the reliability report but also ranked first in the annual overall brand rankings, knocking BMW off its throne. Subaru outperformed brands like BMW, Porsche, and Honda, which rounded out the rest of the top five.

Meanwhile, brands like Audi made significant progress, climbing from 12th to 6th place, while Infiniti also saw a notable improvement, rising six spots to secure 10th on the list.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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