Using data from its annual auto surveys, Consumer Reports put out its first-ever ranking of the most reliable used cars, and the result is exactly what you’d expect: Toyota at the top, American brands at the bottom. Sometimes, science simply tells us what we already know.
CR focused on a sample of about 150,000 cars from the 2014-19 model years, ranking them based on the number of problems reported by its subscribers. Lexus and Toyota were comfortably in the lead as the most reliable car brands, followed by Mazda, Acura, and Honda. The bottom seven brands were all American: Ford, GMC, Ram, Jeep, Tesla, Dodge, and Chrysler. Chevrolet didn’t fare much better.
Some of the rankings mirror CR’s new car reliability surveys, which also feature Toyota at the top and Chrysler at the bottom. Other brands have moved around, like Tesla, which is in the middle of the pack among new cars instead of at the bottom among used ones. This may be due to engineering improvements in Tesla’s more recent models, which are less experimental than the Model S used to be in the surveyed period.
Still, the common trends hold. Japanese manufacturers put out higher-quality new products, and this translates to higher-quality used ones. “Our data consistently shows over time that cars from those brands are reliable when new and they continue to be reliable as they age,” says Steven Elek, senior automotive data analyst for CR, about Toyota and its luxury division, Lexus. Along these two brands, Mazda was also noted as having “consistent average or better reliability ratings over the years.”
However, it’s also important to look at ratings for individual models rather than overall brands, as reliability fluctuates across nameplates and years. In addition to the brand rankings, CR released reliability ratings for a wide range of models, as well as a list of its top choices across 10 categories, all priced under $20,000 — like the top hybrid small sedan (a 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid) or the top three-row SUV (a 2020 Mazda CX-9). Unsurprisingly, Toyota and Mazda accounted for more than half of all the individual top picks.
As much as many American shoppers insist on buying their cars from domestic brands, their loyalty isn’t being rewarded with quality. Even when buying a truck, CR says the most reliable used pickup under $20,000 is a 2015 Toyota Tacoma. If you want a ride that will last without costing you an arm and a leg in maintenance and repair costs, buy Japanese.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.