Consumer Reports has just released this year’s ratings of the most and least reliable new cars and carmakers. There are some big changes this year, with Infiniti dropping most dramatically in the ranks.
The most reliable new car you can buy is the Scion xB. That’s according to Consumer Reports’ reliability survey, which shows data on over a million vehicles. And there’s data on 28 brands as well.
Once again the most reliable brands are dominated by the Japanese, with Lexus, Toyota, and Mazda taking the top three spots. Honda came in at number four.
The four least reliable brands are Dodge, Ram, Jeep, and Fiat, all owned by Chrysler.
Consumer Reports says Chrysler has traditionally had more than its fair share of trouble, and with the addition of Fiat in the mix, it really has not helped. In fact the new Fiat 500L is ranked the least reliable car out of the 248 that Consumer Reports rated.
Chrysler responded to the Consumer Reports annual survey:
“We value customer feedback and use it to continuously improve our vehicles. Many of the issues identified in the survey coincided with new product and technology introductions and have already been addressed with vehicles currently in production.”
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Some American brands did well. Lincoln shot up 12 spots this year, and Buick made it into the Top 10 list of reliable brands. It is the only American car to do so. GM has been one of the better domestic brands in terms of reliability. And Buick has often been its top brand.
The most reliable SUVs are the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, the Subaru Forester, the Toyota Highlander, and the Lexus RX.
A few first-year cars, such as the Mazda6 and Kia Cadenza, got high marks for reliability. But most didn’t. So if you’re looking for a reliable car, Consumer Reports says that it’s really not best to buy a car that’s in its first year of the redesign. Wait a year or two until they work out some of those bugs.
Case in point, the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado, which Consumer Reports’ research shows had lots of problems in its first year.
"We respect Consumer Reports’ assessments, and we consider them as valuable input in our efforts to provide customers with segment-leading vehicles that are safe, fuel efficient, fun-to-drive and reliable," said Tom Wilkinson, Chevrolet Communications. "We regret any inconveniences that customers might have experienced during the launch of the new Silverado last year. Our engineers and dealer partners have been working to quickly resolve any issues."
Complete Ratings and recommendations on all kinds of products, including appliances, cars & trucks, and electronic gear, are available on Consumer Reports’ website.
