Shopping for a new car can be tricky and nerve-wracking in the best of times. No one wants to waste money or time on an unreliable model. Now with supply chain issues and inflation, it's even more important to make a good choice.
Here's the good news: Consumer Reports is here to help with its just-released exclusive car reliability report - a list of brands and models owners consider the most reliable, and the ones that are regulars at the repair shop!
Every year Consumer Reports surveys hundreds of thousands of its members asking them simple but important questions: What problems have they had with their vehicles in the past year? And it wanted to know about everything from the engine, transmission, and brakes to electrical systems, noises, leaks, paint, and trim.
With reports on more than 300,000 vehicles, Consumer Reports calculated predicted reliability ratings.
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This year, Toyota, Lexus and BMW were the top brands with BMW moving up ten spots from last year.
And while pickup trucks account for one of every five new vehicles sold, they fall behind in reliability.
Pickup trucks have been at the lower end of Consumer Reports' ratings for six of the last seven years. In this year’s survey, there were only seven trucks of more than a dozen that had reliability scores that were better than average or average
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If you're looking for a tried-and-true reliable vehicle, Consumer Reports says, a car, as in the traditional sedan might be the way to go.
Sedan body styles have been on the road for a long time, which has given manufacturers a chance to work on some of those problem areas and bugs. Trucks, minivans, and SUVs have complicated systems and can be more problematic.
You might also be surprised to learn, Consumer Reports found the majority of hybrid vehicles were as reliable as, or better than their nonhybrid counterparts. The most reliable car in the Consumer Reports survey was the Toyota Corolla Hybrid!
Auto brands at the bottom of the reliability report were Mercedes-Benz, Jeep and Volkswagen.
