Special Report
America's Most (and Least) Reliable Car Brands
Published:
Last Updated:
Car dependability is one of the leading considerations when buying a car. But what are the most dependable car brands, and which are the least? To help address this question, consumer research companies release their findings each year.
JD Power is the preeminent provider of American auto research. It releases three studies a year, the most recent of which is the 2016 Automobile Dependability Study. This research is based on interviews with 33,560 individuals, covering all 2013 model year vehicles. The rank is based on the number of problems per 100 vehicles and ranges from 95 problems for Lexus vehicles to 208 for Dodge. This year, the study covered 32 brands.
Consumer Reports, part of a non-profit consumer research company, releases another important measure of car quality. The Consumer Reports data cover 30 brands based on performance, reliability, safety performance and active safety aids, and owner satisfaction. While there are exceptions, many of the cars that rate poorly for dependability in the JD Power study also tend to rate poorly in this overall measure.
Click here to see America’s most (and least) reliable car brands.
24/7 Wall St reviewed both sets of data using the JD Power study to create the ranking. Consumer Reports data were added along with 2015 sales by brand and a comparison with 2014 sales.
These are the America’s most (and least) reliable car brands.
Source: http://www.lexus.com/
1. Lexus
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 95
Consumer Reports overall quality: 76
2015 sales: 344,601
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 10.7%
Source: https://newsroom.porsche.com/
2. Porsche
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 97
Consumer Reports overall quality: 76
2015 sales: 51,756
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 10.1%
Source: buick.com
3. Buick
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 106
Consumer Reports overall quality: 74
2015 sales: 228,963
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 11.4%
Source: toyota.com
4. Toyota
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 113
Consumer Reports overall quality: 72
2015 sales: 2,154,712
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 4.5%
24/7 Wall St.
Source: gmc.com
5. GMC
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 120
Consumer Reports overall quality: 60
2015 sales: 501,853
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 11.3%
6. Chevrolet
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 125
Consumer Reports overall quality: 64
2015 sales: 2,033,442
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 4.4%
Source: http://automobiles.honda.com/
7. Honda
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 126
Consumer Reports overall quality: 71
2015 sales: 1,409,386
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 2.6%
8. Ram
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 129
Consumer Reports overall quality: ..
2015 sales: 493,807
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 5.0%
Source: acura.com
9. Acura
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 129
Consumer Reports overall quality: 64
2015 sales: 177,165
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 5.6%
24/7 Wall St.
Source: lincoln.com
10. Lincoln
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 132
Consumer Reports overall quality: 65
2015 sales: 101,227
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 7.1%
Source: audiusa.com
11. Audi
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 134
Consumer Reports overall quality: 80
2015 sales: 202,202
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 11.1%
Source: mbusa.com
12. Mercedes-Benz
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 135
Consumer Reports overall quality: 67
2015 sales: 343,088
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 3.8%
24/7 Wall St.
Source: infinitiusa.com
13. Infiniti
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 136
Consumer Reports overall quality: 63
2015 sales: 133,498
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 13.8%
Source: bmwusa.com
14. BMW
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 142
Consumer Reports overall quality: 76
2015 sales: 346,023
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 1.8%
Source: cadillac.com
15. Cadillac
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 145
Consumer Reports overall quality: 58
2015 sales: 170,750
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : -6.5%
Source: courtesy of Volvo Cars of North America
16. Volvo
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 152
Consumer Reports overall quality: 69
2015 sales: 70,047
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 24.3%
17. Kia
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 153
Consumer Reports overall quality: 72
2015 sales: 625,818
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 7.9%
24/7 Wall St.
Source: miniusa.com
18. MINI
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 155
Consumer Reports overall quality: 68
2015 sales: 58,514
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 4.3%
Source: hyundaiusa.com
19. Hyundai
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 158
Consumer Reports overall quality: 70
2015 sales: 761,710
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 5.0%
Source: mitsubishicars.com
20. Mitsubishi
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 161
Consumer Reports overall quality: 51
2015 sales: 95,342
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 22.8%
Source: mazdausa.com
21. Mazda
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 163
Consumer Reports overall quality: 74
2015 sales: 319,184
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 4.4%
Source: chrysler.com
22. Chrysler
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 165
Consumer Reports overall quality: 58
2015 sales: 324,846
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 5.0%
Source: subaru.com
23. Subaru
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 166
Consumer Reports overall quality: 78
2015 sales: 582,675
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 13.4%
Source: scion.com
24. Scion
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 167
Consumer Reports overall quality: 65
2015 sales: 56,167
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : -3.2%
Source: vw.com
25. Volkswagen
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 169
Consumer Reports overall quality: 67
2015 sales: 366,970
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : -4.8%
Source: fiatusa.com
26. Fiat
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 171
Consumer Reports overall quality: 38
2015 sales: 42,410
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : -8.0%
Source: nissanusa.com
27. Nissan
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 173
Consumer Reports overall quality: 63
2015 sales: 1,351,420
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 6.4%
Source: Chrysler Group LLC
28. Jeep
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 181
Consumer Reports overall quality: 43
2015 sales: 865,028
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 25.0%
Source: landroverusa.com
29. Land Rover
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 198
Consumer Reports overall quality: 55
2015 sales: 70,582
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 37.0%
24/7 Wall St.
Source: smartusa.com
30. smart
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 199
Consumer Reports overall quality: ..
2015 sales: 7,484
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : -28.4%
Source: courtesy of Ford Motor Co.
31. Ford
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 204
Consumer Reports overall quality: 66
2015 sales: 2,511,935
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : 5.3%
Source: dodge.com
32. Dodge
J.D. Power problems per 100 vehicles: 208
Consumer Reports overall quality: 58
2015 sales: 517,153
Sales chg. 2014-2015 : -10.0%
Sponsored: Tips for Investing
A financial advisor can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of investment properties. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
