10 Most Reliable Car Brands

When you’re talking about vehicle reliability, there’s no better source than J.D. Power. This research firm is the go-to expert in dependability, and our list of the 10 most reliable car brands is based on the organization’s 2017 Vehicle Dependability Study. 

The study examines problems experienced by original owners of recent vehicles; the fewer problems per vehicle model, the higher its rank. The brands’ scores are compiled using the same data across each brand’s entire lineup and averaged out, in a sense, by calculating how many problems were experienced by each brand’s customers per 100 vehicles sold. We’ll start at 10 and work our way to the most reliable brand according to J.D. Power.

The storied British sports car brand really doesn’t have the best reputation for reliability — at least anecdotally — but the company nevertheless managed to score the 10th spot on our list of the 10 most reliable car brands. Again, that’s based on the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, which found that owners of 2014 model year Jaguar vehicles experienced 144 problems for every 100 vehicles Jaguar sold that year. It’s a bit of a surprise to all of us, but there you have it. That said, no Jaguar vehicles were found to rank amongst the most reliable in their class, in part because because J.D. Power did not have enough data to rank many of those categories.

This thoroughly practical Japanese brand is another surprise entry to our list of the 10 most reliable car brands — we’re not surprised that it’s on the list, but surprised that it’s at a much lower position than we’d have expected. But, the numbers don’t lie, and during the time period examined in the J.D. Power study, Honda owners experienced 143 problems per 100 vehicles sold. If you’re in the market and still considering a Honda vehicle, we do have some good news. The study revealed that the Honda Civic is one of the most dependable small cars, the Honda Pilot is one of the most dependable midsize suvs, and the Honda Ridgeline is the most dependable midsize pickup.

With 142 problems experienced per 100 vehicles sold, Chevy takes the eighth spot in our list of the 10 most reliable car brands. That means Chevy’s the brand you should shop for if you want an affordable American vehicle. Chevrolet deserves some accolades for individual vehicle results, as well. The Chevy Sonic was ranked as the most dependable small car, the Camaro was the most dependable midsize sporty car, the Chevrolet Tahoe earned the top spot for large SUVs, and the Silverado HD was deemed the most dependable large heavy duty pickup. A number of other Chevy vehicles ranked in the second or third spots in their class: The Malibu midsize, Equinox compact SUV, and Silverado large light-duty pickup.

As you’ll see as we progress through our overview of the most reliable car brands, luxury and dependability often, but not always, go hand in hand. That seems to be the case with BMW. The German brand’s vehicles seem to be generally perceived as pretty reliable, but anecdotally, car buyers who like BMWs are better off keeping it simple and sticking with popular, higher-volume models. Don’t take our word for it, though; take J.D. Power’s. BMW takes the number 7 spot on our list of reliable brands, with 139 problems reported per 100 vehicles sold, but no BMW models from the study’s timeframe are singled out as being among the most reliable in their segment.

Hyundai’s come a long way, particularly in the last few years. It wasn’t that long ago that the company was mostly selling awkward-looking cars to people who couldn’t afford anything else, but the times have certainly changed. The Korean brand now boasts innovative fuel cell, hybrid, and electric technology, sharp styling, and one of the industry’s best warranties. New, seriously upscale models also bolster the brand’s reputation. Hyundai also takes the sixth spot on our list of reliable brands, based on J.D. Power’s finding of 133 problems per 100 vehicles. In the market for a Hyundai? Consider the Sonata, one of the most dependable midsize cars, or the Tucson, one of the most dependable small SUVs.

With 131 reported problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes-Benz breaks into the top half of our list of the most reliable car brands. If you’re in the market for a luxury car or SUV, and reliability is an important factor in the vehicle you choose, this upscale, performance-oriented brand should be on your list. Mercedes’ opulent sports cars might get most of the attention on the street, but the brand has more practical options, too. The Mercedes GLK-Class was rated as the most dependable midsize SUV, and if you’re considering a compact or a midsize luxury car, take a look at the C-Class and the E-Class, both of which did well in their categories.

As it turns out, if you want to buy an American brand’s vehicle from one of the 10 most reliable car brands, Buick is your only choice besides Chevy. We’ll set aside the discussion of the notably absent American nameplates for another day. The good news is that Buick’s really stepped up the game in terms of style and features, and most of the brand’s models offer a lot of  comfort and features for pretty reasonable prices. As the third most dependable brand, with 126 problems per 100 vehicles, you’ll probably be happy with a new Buick. According to the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, the Verano compact and the LaCrosse large sedan are both solid choices, as well as the Encore small SUV.

Toyota has an excellent reputation for reliability overall, as well as a generous handful of standout vehicles. We were a little surprised that Toyota took the bronze medal rather than silver or gold, but J.D. Power’s study confirms that you can’t really go wrong with a Toyota vehicle. For example, the Prius is the most dependable small car, the Camry is the most dependable midsize car, the Avalon is the most dependable large car, the Prius v is the most dependable compact MPV, the FJ Cruiser the most dependable compact SUV (remember, we’re talking 2014 model year), the Venza for midsize SUV, the Sienna for most dependable minivan, and Tundra for second-best large light-duty pickup.

Sportscars are generally perceived as sort of volatile and flighty; there’s a reason that a lot of people who have a sportscar don’t drive it every day. But if you are ready to drop the cash on a high-end performance car that can handle commuting duty, go with a Porsche. The German luxury sports car brand ties for the top spot on our list of the 10 most reliable car brands, as ranked by J.D. Power. You’re not resigned to a tiny, impractical coupe, either. The Porsche Cayenne midsize SUV was the only of the brand’s vehicles to be called out in the study’s class rankings, but that’s because many of the “premium” categories didn’t actually have enough models to score and rank.

Just a couple pages ago, we expressed surprise that Toyota was in the third spot on this list. This helps explain it — the company’s premium nameplate, Lexus, ties with Porsche for the honor of the most dependable brand. Though you can’t really go wrong by adding a Lexus to your garage, we’ll call out some particularly good choices: the Lexus ES compact car, the GS midsize car, and the RX midsize SUV, all of which were named in the J.D. Power study for being the most, or among the most, dependable vehicles in their classes. Today’s Lexus lineup looks quite a bit different than it did for the time period covered by this study, but quality is still high.