Buying a used car might be cheaper than a new one, but it comes with risks. Some cars just aren’t as reliable as others, and once the new-car smell has worn off, there are certain brands you should just avoid entirely if you want the best ownership experience.
At the bottom of the latest Consumer Reports used-car reliability study is Tesla. It ranked 26th on the list with a "Reliability Verdict" of just 31, slotting below Jeep (32), Ram (35), and Chrysler (36). The study examined models from 26 brands that were five to 10 years old.
That timeframe includes the period when Tesla began ramping up Model 3 production, leading the automaker to build vehicles in a large tent in the parking lot of its Fremont, California, factory. That’s not the best environment for building long-lasting vehicles.
CR notes, though, that Tesla has improved, with its latest models demonstrating "better-than-average reliability." It’s now in the top 10 of the publication’s new car predictability rankings—just avoid those older models.
At the opposite end of the reliability spectrum were Lexus and Toyota, with scores of 77 and 73, respectively. Coming in third, far behind, was Mazda, with a verdict of 58. Honda and Acura rounded out the top five at 57 and 53, respectively. The results are below:
Consumer Reports Long-Term Reliability:
- Lexus — 77
- Toyota — 73
- Mazda — 58
- Honda — 57
- Acura — 53
- BMW — 53
- Buick — 51
- Nissan — 51
- Audi — 49
- Volvo — 48
- Mercedes-Benz — 47
- Subaru — 47
- Volkswagen — 46
- Lincoln — 46
- Mini — 46
- Cadillac — 45
- Hyundai — 43
- Chevrolet — 40
- Ford — 39
- Dodge — 39
- Kia — 39
- GMC — 37
- Chrysler — 36
- Ram — 35
- Jeep — 32
- Tesla — 31
Consumer Reports’ Steven Elek, the publication’s program leader of auto data analytics, said brands like Lexus and Toyota top the list because of their "conservative redesigns" while "incrementally improving their entire product line" instead of big updates with cutting-edge technology. According to Elek, the top brands' cars are "reliable when new, and they continue to be reliable as they age."
Which New Cars Are Most Reliable?
That said, it's not all bad news for Tesla on the reliability front. According to Consumer Reports, Tesla ranks ninth in new-car reliability with a predicted reliability of 50. That's just behind Buick (51) and Acura (54), but ahead of Kia (49) and Ford (48), as well as luxury rivals like Audi (44), Volvo (42), and Cadillac (41).
At the bottom of CR's new-car reliability ranking is fellow EV maker Rivian, with a score of just 24. Ram (26), Jeep (28), and GMC (31) are just above it.
Source: Consumer Reports
