The Most Dependable Cars In The U.S. Right Now - And The Worst Ones You Should Avoid
If you're a serious gearhead, an unreliable car can be somewhat endearing if it's a sentimental classic or you just want more time in the garage. But for most people, reliability is a huge concern — after all, a commuter that breaks down regularly will just end up being a money pit and a waste of time. And a family hauler that calls it quits in the middle of the highway on the way to vacation can put a huge damper on the mood and can take a chunk out of your wallet.
Needless to say, dependability is an important factor when buying a car and considering all the brand choices. Reliability and dependability can be difficult metrics to quantify, however. Fortunately, through rigorous testing and reporting, J.D. Power has released its 2023 list for the most (and least) dependable vehicles on the market you can go out and buy today.
Toyota wins out overall in dependability
To measure a metric as potentially nebulous as dependability, J.D. Power studied vehicles from numerous brands based on reports of problems and gave them each a score. For example, the industry average was 186 problems per 100 vehicles studied, giving it a score of 186.
Lexus, Genesis, and Kia topped the survey as the most dependable brands you can buy. Lexus, the winner, is not a shocker as it's essentially the luxury-focused division of Toyota, a brand heralded for its legendary reliability. Toyota itself achieved a respectable seventh place in the lineup. Every brand from General Motors (Chevy, Cadillac, GMC, and Buick) was rated higher than average.
For specific models, J.D. Power cites the soon-to-be discontinued Toyota C-HR and Lexus RX (both Toyotas) as the most dependable models you can buy today. The survey also notes that this is the first year Tesla was allowed in on the fun; it scores toward the bottom of the list and was ineligible for awards, though, as Tesla does not release user data. Land Rover, Lincoln, and Audi unfortunately scored the worst and were ranked as the least-dependable brands.