This Brand Makes The Worst Cars, According To Consumer Reports

To say that one particular brand or company makes the worst cars is a bold statement. After all, labeling a vehicle the best or worst can be very subjective. Some buyers, for example, might be willing to deal with less-than-stellar long-term reliability in exchange for the performance or image you get with a European luxury brand. Others might happily trade performance and excitement for the peace of mind that comes with great reliability. 

However, when it comes to objectively ranking current car brands from best to worst by using the same standards, Consumer Reports is hard to beat. CR uses a variety of its test metrics and survey results to compile a regularly updated list of the industry's best and worst brands. The latest version, which includes 31 different brands, has ranked Jeep as the worst of the bunch. 

This is a bit disconcerting, given that Jeep is one of America's most storied vehicle brands, with lots of loyal fans and owners. But it's also not a surprising result, given that Jeep has had a lot of well-publicized recall and safety issues recently. The result also shows quite starkly that just because a vehicle is capable or exciting off the showroom floor, it doesn't mean it's necessarily going to be a smart purchase when it comes to long-term ownership satisfaction.

Consumer Reports comes up with its best and worst brand rankings by looking at several different factors, including reliability and owner satisfaction surveys, initial road test reviews, and safety ratings. And in Jeep's defense, some of the negatives that CR considers (poor fuel economy for example) are likely already known and considered by buyers going in, and are probably accepted as a trade-off for Jeep's famous off-road capability.  However, what's harder to defend is Jeep's position at the very bottom of CR's owner satisfaction rankings, with only about half of current Jeep owners saying they would buy one again.

Beyond Consumer Reports rankings, the relatively poor quality and questionable reliability of Jeep products are not a big secret. The brand has been plagued with high-profile recalls lately, especially on its 4xe hybrid models. In the last year alone, Jeep 4xes have been hit with some huge recalls, including one with a risk of complete engine failures and even worse, a fire risk from faulty 4xe battery cells. And that's a big deal because it's not just a mechanical failure, but a safety risk to both the vehicle and the house or garage where it's parked. Additionally, casual surveys of mechanics, for example, have shown Jeep to be one of the more trouble-prone brands, with other Stellantis-owned names (like Dodge and Chrysler) also joining their list of brands that 'pay the rent'. 

Even from a high-level view, the reliability and quality issues around Jeep are sad to see. Because Jeep isn't just another car brand trying to get its piece of the pie. Jeep is one of the American auto industry's most storied names, and one that's heavily tied into America's adventurous spirit. Increasingly, though, that adventurous spirit has as much to do with recalls and repairs as it does tackling remote trails and exploring far-off wilderness. 

This is not all to say that you should completely avoid buying or leasing a new Jeep, but the sketchy track record of reliability, and the possibility of your vehicle spending a lot of time at the dealership is absolutely something to consider. Where Consumer Reports' ratings become more of a red flag warning is when it comes to buying a used Jeep. Because it's one thing to have a trouble-prone vehicle that's under factory warranty, and another thing to have an out-of-warranty vehicle where you take on significant financial risk if repairs are needed.

It should be said, though, that Jeep's less-than-great reputation for reliability is not a new thing, and that hasn't stopped many hardcore Jeep fans and otherwise happy owners from enjoying their vehicles.   On the other hand, if you are not in the mood for risk-taking and are wondering about Consumer Reports' picks for best reliability, you'll not surprisingly find a couple of long-time favorite Japanese brands topping the most recent rankings.