CAMDEN, NJ – Subaru has taken the crown as the most reliable car band according to Consumer Reports’ 2024 brand reliability report, dethroning mainstays Toyota and its sub-brand Lexus, who nonetheless remain among the list’s top five carmakers when it comes to vehicles you can count on.
Consumer Reports based their findings on extensive examination of more than 300,000 cars, trucks, and SUVs that were sold between 2000 and 2025, averaging owner satisfaction, safety rating, expected reliability, and road test results.
In addition, the nonprofit consumer-oriented research, public education, and consumer advocacy group also assessed other issues that consumers may have encountered – ranging from paint defects to serious concerns such as engine problems – both right after driving their new vehicles off the dealer’s lot and years down the road.
Subaru being catapulted into first place, according to Consumer Reports, is not based on the company advancing their designs and technology, but instead of sticking with what works and fine-tuning the process of building their cars. For example, many Subaru vehicles retain the same parts throughout multiple model years, which prevents new and unexpected issues from arising.
Seven Subaru models in total were ranked by Consumer Reports, with six – all gas-powered vehicles – receiving ratings ranging from average, above average, or well above average; the one electric vehicle from the company on the list, the Solterra EV, received a subpar rating.
Consumer Reports generates a reliability ranking on a scale of 100, with points deducted from the total for issues in several identified “trouble areas,” in addition to owner satisfaction surveys and internal testing; Subaru received an average reliability rating of 68 out of 100.
In contrast, Lexus fell to second place on the list with an average reliability score of 65, and Toyota slipped to third with an average reliability score of 62.
Among the least reliable carmakers ranked in the report were Jeep and GMC, who tied with average reliability ratings of 33, followed by Cadillac with 27 and Rivian with 14.
Christopher Boyle is an investigative journalist, videographer, reporter and writer for SEARCHEN NETWORKS® as well as other independent news and media organizations in the United States. Christopher works on a wide variety of topics and fields, has been featured in print and online in a variety of publications, from local to national, and helps keep a keen-eye on what’s happening in the automotive world for Auto Buyers Market.