Are Genesis Vehicles Reliable? Here's What Consumer Reports Has To Say

It's a given that one of the top things people look for when purchasing a new vehicle is reliability. Whether it's a car, SUV, or truck, you are investing thousands of dollars into a piece of machinery that you hope is going to last you for many years, and will ultimately not cost you very much money down the line in dealing with repairs. Brands like Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru are so consistently ranked among the most reliable car brands in the world, that thinking of them as reliable has become second nature. Some brands, like Genesis, do not fare as well.

The luxury arm of South Korean automaker Hyundai debuted its first vehicle (as a separate brand) in the 2017 model year, and while the Hyundai itself earns decent reliability scores, Genesis does not, particularly from owners surveyed by Consumer Reports. Among the 26 car brands that the publication inquired about, Genesis' average reliability score only ranked higher than five companies, with GMC and Jeep being among those.

Consumer Reports has rated seven of the eight Genesis models currently available, and every single one of them has a below average score from owners. The biggest trouble spot that owners have found is in-car electronics, which includes things like the infotainment system and backup camera display. This is unsurprising, considering that six of these models are currently dealing with a recall for electrical system failures, primarily related to the instrument panel failing to show critical safety information. The 2026 GV70 also has an additional recall for malfunctioning side curtain airbags. All of this sounds bad, but there is reason to be optimistic about Genesis.

While the reliability scores for Genesis from Consumer Reports are quite poor, that does not mean it is all bad news for the automaker. With one exception, every single model that was surveyed saw its reliability score either improve from the 2025 model year to 2026 or stay the same. Some of these improvements are minimal, but as long as that line is going up and not down, that is a good thing.

Going into the particulars of reliability, you see consistent improvements in the powertrains, suspensions, and climate systems of these vehicles, but these are not universal. For instance, the 2026 GV70 and G70 models both saw an uptick in their expected powertrain reliability, but the GV80 essentially remained neutral when compared to the 2025 model.

As mentioned, there was one exception when it came to the 2026 model year being more reliable than 2025, and that would be with the 2026 Genesis G80. Going back to the 2025 model, the G80 was the rare Genesis model that Consumer Reports determined as average. In fact, among cars of a similar stripe, like the 2025 BMW 5 Series, it blew away the competition for reliability. SlashGear's Travis Langness also praised the 2025 G80. 

When compared to the similar vehicles for the current model year, the G80 plummets to being one of the least reliable models on the market, falling behind the aforementioned BMW 5 Series and being destroyed by the likes of the Lexus ES. Hopefully, the 2027 Genesis model lineup can continue the general upward reliability trend and bring the G80 along with it.