Sure, we all wanna know how long our new car’ll last before breaking, but reliability counts on the second-hand market, too
The years following the pandemic were tough on car buyers thanks to a relative shortage of new vehicles being cranked out by the world’s factories. A dearth of fresh metal on dealer lots sent a lot of people scurrying to the used-car market, increasing prices on that end of the equation. This means, more than ever, one should make certain the second-hand vehicle being considered has a reputation for durability.
Every year, Consumer Reports asks its members about problems they have experienced with their vehicles in the last 12 months. For this year’s analysis, they focused on problems reported on cars from the 2015 to 2020 model years. The survey sample was robust, counting more than 150,000 machines.
Twenty potential trouble areas are examined. Simple nuisances such as squeaky brakes and broken interior trim are counted, as are major issues like out-of-warranty engines troubles, transmission failures, and – these days – faulty batteries in EVs. Problems are given different weights according to severity.
This allows the calculation of an overall reliability score for each model year, averaged across the span noted above, and thus creating the overall brand reliability scores listed below. To be counted, CR set a rule that they had to have at least five years of data for each brand. These ratings are based on owner-reported problems.
Most Reliable Brands Overall
- Lexus: 81
- Toyota: 74
- Mazda: 63
Least Reliable Brands Overall
- Chrysler: 29
- Jeep: 31
- Dodge: 32
The average score, if you’re wondering, was 45.5 across 26 distinct automobile brands. This means the brands at the bottom of the list were not as far from the mean as the ones at the top.
Most Reliable Used Cars
- Hyundai Elantra 2017 – 2020
- Toyota Corolla Hybrid 2020 – 2024
Remember, just because a particular brand didn’t make the top three listed above for overall performance doesn’t mean a model or two from that house can’t shine brightly.
The popular Hyundai Elantra was redesigned for the 2017 model year after the previous-gen car broke internal sales records, and was arguably the iteration which thrust Hyundai’s compact sedan onto shopping lists. Building on that image, this generation car also got a lot right in terms of reliability. The appearance of a Toyota Corolla on this list shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention.
Most Reliable SUVs
- Honda HR-V 2016 – 2022
- Kia Sportage 2017 – 2022
- Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2016 – 2018
As the beyond-dominant body style preferred by Canadians, these pert compact and midsize crossover vehicles are the bread and butter of most automotive brands choosing to sell cars across this country. In other words, there’s no shortage of data with which Consumer Reports can draw its conclusions.
Most Reliable Three-Row SUVs
- Mazda CX-9 2016 – 2023
- Toyota 4Runner 2014 – 2024
Pedants will squawk that the truck-like 4Runner is not generally fitted with three rows of seats in most applications, but trims were available during the ’14 to ’24 generation (and, yes, 2014 was technically just a facelift year) in which a trio of perches could be ordered. This is why we’re counting it in this category, though it can be noted that any two-row 4Runners are covered under this assessment as well.
As for the Mazda, a rising tide lifts all boats, and the standout ranking of this model surely helped the brand itself break into the top three for used vehicle reliability.
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