Consumer reports: Asian cars dominated the Top 10 most reliable brands.

In last year's annual auto reliability rankings, Lexus, Toyota, and Mini emerged as the top three most reliable brands, with Lexus and Toyota switching places from the previous year. Honda followed closely, with its luxury brand, Acura, ranking fourth, and the mainstream Honda brand rounding out the top five, according to the 2023 Consumer Reports rankings.

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Each year, Consumer Reports (CR) – an independent non-profit organization that gathers intelligence about the car market – surveys its members about the issues they’ve encountered with their vehicles over the past 12 months. Last year’s data covers over 330,000 vehicles from model years 2000 to 2023, along with a few early 2024 models, assessing 20 different problem areas, ranging from minor annoyances like squeaky brakes to major, costly repairs like engine or EV battery issues.

In 2023, Asian automakers dominated reliability, with an average score of 63 out of 100. Seven of the top 10 most reliable brands come from Asian manufacturers, with Japanese companies holding six of the top 10 spots and four of the top five. South Korean brands Kia and Hyundai secured 10th and 11th places, respectively, while Genesis ranked 18th.

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The Lexus range covered the models ES, ES Hybrid, NX, NX Hybrid, RX, RX Hybrid, UX.

The Toyota range included the models 4Runner, bZ4X, Camry, Corolla, Crown, GR86, Highlander, Prius, RAV4, Sienna, Tundra, Venza among others.

European automakers follow with an average score of 46, filling the remaining three spots in the top 10. Mini, a British brand, placed third overall with its Cooper and Cooper Countryman, while German brands Porsche (Cayenne, Macan) and BMW (2, 3, 4 series, iX, i4, X1, X3, X5, X7) ranked eighth and ninth, respectively.

U.S. brands lag behind, with an average score of 39, though Buick, Ford, and Tesla had individual models that performed well. Among American brands, Buick was the highest-ranked, securing 12th place, followed by Tesla and Ram at 14th and 15th.

Sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons are the most reliable vehicle types, with an average score of 57. SUVs follow with an average score of 50, and minivans trail at 45. Pickup trucks remain the least reliable, with an average score of 41.

Hybrid vehicles continue to shine, with 26% fewer problems than their ICE counterparts. Notable performers include the Lexus UX and NX hybrids and Toyota’s Camry, Highlander, and RAV4 hybrids. PHEVs, on the other hand, are more mixed, with 146% more problems than traditional ICE vehicles. Despite this, models like the Toyota RAV4 Prime and Kia Sportage PHEV outperformed the category.

Fully electric vehicles, particularly electric SUVs, continue to face reliability issues, with average scores of 44 and 43, respectively. Electric pickup trucks perform the worst, with an average score of 30. Issues with EV motors, charging systems, and batteries were common in models like the Ford F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E, and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

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Lexus maintained high reliability scores, with only the NX scoring average. Toyota also performed well, led by the 4Runner SUV, although the Tundra pickup remains less reliable. Acura's RDX and TLX achieved above-average reliability, while the MDX and Integra models ranked average.

CR’s rankings are based on the average predicted reliability score for each brand’s lineup. These rankings consider brands with sufficient data for at least two models, and we highlight any shifts in position from the previous year’s survey.

The report did not include Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lucid, Maserati, Mitsubishi, and Polestar due to insufficient data.

The 2024 Consumer Reports rankings are available too, here, and is protected by a paywall. You can donate to enable us gain premium access.

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