With today’s stubbornly high auto prices and interest rates, buying a car, new or used, is a high-stakes financial decision!
Consumer Reports has rolled out its exclusive car reliability report of cars that owners consider the most reliable and the ones that are regulars at the repair shop.
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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?
“Everything from the engine to transmission issues, leaks, paint and trim problems. And with EVs growing in popularity, we ask electric car owners about battery and charging issues. And then we can crunch those numbers to calculate the predicted reliability of new and used cars, almost every car on the market,” Keith Barry with Consumer Reports said.
Lexus and Toyota took the top spots for brand reliability, followed by Mini, Acura, Honda, and Subaru.
And while EVs are growing in popularity, CR’s members experience 79 percent more problems with their EVs compared to gas-powered cars. EV trouble spots include issues with charging, electric motors, and battery problems.
“Our members are reporting the same issues with most EVs as they are with vehicles that have been designed brand new from the ground up, whether they’re gas or electric. And EVs are about the newest technology out there. And it’s taking a while, even for established carmakers to work through those growing pains,” Barry said.
But automakers seem to have worked out the growing pains for hybrid vehicles.
CR’s members reported their hybrids have 26 percent fewer problems on average than a gas-only car!
And CR found the type of vehicle you drive also matters. Sedans, along with hatchbacks and wagons, remain the most reliable vehicle types.
Pickup trucks have been at the bottom CR’s of the reliability rankings for 7 of the past 8 years, with EV trucks coming in last year.
Auto brands at the bottom of the reliability report were Rivian, Mercedes-Benz, and Chrysler.