While many of us start our new car shopping with a car we happen to think looks good, it is essential to remember that today, the average cost of a new car is over $48,000. For most people, that is a sizeable investment that will be stretched over several years and should not be taken lightly. As with all significant investments, it should be thoroughly researched beyond what our neighbor or coworker says about their car.
Thankfully, Consumer Reports has done the heavy lifting for all of us, reaching out to owners nationwide. They gathered data on 2020 to early 2025 model years, totalling more than 300,000 vehicles. CR took twenty typical problem areas, ranging from cheap interior trim pieces breaking to engine and transmission maladies that can tally up to thousands of dollars to replace or repair. The scores for each area are weighted according to severity and cost, and the total of those areas results in each vehicle’s Predicted Reliability Score.
Regarding the overall Predicted Reliability Score for each brand, Consumer Reports said: “This year we calculated brand-level score by first examining the weighted overall problem rate for all models within a brand for each model year. Then the brand reliability score was calculated by averaging models from 2022 to 2024, and some early 2025 data for each brand, where there was sufficient sample size.”
And the safest new cars are made by … Subaru!
With a reputation and active marketing campaign based around the idea of safety, it seems Subaru not only talks the talk but walks the walk. With a Predicted Reliability score of 68, Consumer Reports specifically pointed out the Forester and Impreza as having the best of the best scores in reliability even compared to its other models that rate above average and average like the Crosstrek, Legacy, Outback, and Ascent. The only model in Subbie’s lineup to score below-average was its new Solterra EV.
“Subaru’s cars share many reliable components,” says Steven Elek, who oversees auto data analytics at Consumer Reports. “This commonality means that when Subaru redesigns a vehicle, it can make fewer incremental changes by carrying over dependable systems. This reduces the risk of new problems.”
Lexus, Toyota, Honda, and Acura round out the reliability top five
Not so coincidentally, the following two sets of brands are related to one another. Lexus comes in at number two with a score of 65, while its mainstream parent company, Toyota, takes third place with a 62. Conversely, Honda comes in at number four with a 59, while its luxury division, Acura, comes in a spot lower at number five with a score of 55.
The least reliable new vehicles come from Rivian
Coming in with an abysmal score of 14 out of 100, Rivian comes in last place of all the compared brands in Consumer Reports’ predicted reliability study. Regarding the poor showing, Steven Elek goes on to say:
“Since EV technology is still relatively new, automakers continue to work the bugs out of their powertrains and platforms, but we also see issues with their non-EV components, such as the latest infotainment and electronic features.”
The complete list from 1 to 22
Rank |
Brand |
Predicted Reliability Score |
| 1 | Subaru | 68 |
| 2 | Lexus | 65 |
| 3 | Toyota | 62 |
| 4 | Honda | 59 |
| 5 | Acura | 55 |
| 6 | Mazda | 55 |
| 7 | Audi | 56 |
| 8 | BMW | 53 |
| 9 | Kia | 51 |
| 10 | Hyundai | 50 |
| 11 | Buick | 48 |
| 12 | Nissan | 48 |
| 13 | Ford | 44 |
| 14 | Genesis | 40 |
| 15 | Volvo | 38 |
| 16 | Chevrolet | 37 |
| 17 | Tesla | 36 |
| 18 | Volkswagen | 34 |
| 19 | Jeep | 33 |
| 20 | GMC | 33 |
| 21 | Cadillac | 27 |
| 22 | Rivian | 14 |
If you are looking for your chosen brand and don’t see it ranked, that is because Consumer Reports did not have sufficient data to rank Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Lucid, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, Polestar, Porsche, or Ram.
Asian-based automakers dominate reliability
While many domestic car company commercials have tried to sway public opinion into believing they are the most reliable, the truth of the matter is that they are not, at least not according to Consumer Reports. Taking 8 out of the top ten reliability rankings, the average score for Asian-based brands was 57.
Although only two brands cracked the top ten with Audi and BMW, European automakers rank second in terms of region with a score of 48.
In last place, domestic brands don’t even make the top ten most reliable automakers. The highest-scoring domestic company is Buick, which comes in 11th place.
In terms of individual domestic cars, Consumer Reports says:
“This year, among U.S. brands, the Ford Mustang scored well above average, while the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Ford Escape scored above average. The Buick Encore GX and Envision; Cadillac XT5; Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 2500, and Trax; Chrysler Pacifica; Ford Bronco, Bronco Sport, Explorer, Maverick, Maverick Hybrid, and Mustang Mach-E; GMC Sierra 2500; Ram 2500; and Tesla Model 3 and Model Y all scored average.”
Cars continue to be more reliable than SUVs
Whether it is sedans, wagons, or hatchbacks, the ‘car’ category checks in with an average score of 60 (out of 100), according to Consumer Reports. The minivan was the next most reliable vehicle type, with an average score of 57. Although our nationwide obsession with SUVs rages on, unfortunately, their reliability score came in third with a score of 49. And rounding out the list in last place was the category of pickup trucks, with a disappointing score of 36.
