There’s no consumer regret like the feeling experienced when automotive repair bills are stacking up and your new ride, the one you spent tens of thousands of dollars on, is spending more time in an automotive repair shop versus the garage of your home. We may put a priority on the MSRP, features, comfort, practicality, performance, and looks when deciding what to put on our driveway, but as anyone who’s bought something unreliable can tell you, the importance of reliability cannot be overstated.
As such, each year Consumer Reports ranks automakers based on their reliability based on the real-world data from actual buyers. For its latest list, the consumer information outlet gathered data on over 300,000 vehicles from model years 2000-2023 and has ranked each automaker based on reliability, including everything from the engine to electronics.
And among the worst brands are everything from luxury automakers to mainstream, makers of EVs and hugely inefficient models, and seemingly everything else in between. It should be noted Consumer Reports did not include several popular car brands because they do not have enough models to be ranked. Those manufacturers include Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, Mini, Mitsubishi, Polestar, Porsche, and Rivian.
10 Nissan
Nissan’s reliability rating has taken a nosedive this year with the Japanese automaker falling seven spots to No.15 on Consumer Reports’ list of the most reliable automakers. Therefore, Nissan may be a bargain option in many of the segments in which it competes, but buyers could be dishing out more dough for fixes.
The worst offender of Nissan’s current lineup is the subcompact Sentra sedan, which has predicted reliability of just 1/5 stars from Consumer Reports. The Sentra earns a score of just nine out of 100 possible points for overall reliability over the last three years. For reference, the top-scoring model in the Sentra’s class, the Mini Cooper, scored 89/100 points.
9 Ram
Ram trucks have taken significant leaps forward in quality, ride comfort, features, capabilities, and overall performance over the last decade, but according to CR, buyers are likely to face some reliability problems in their pickups. With the rankings based on model years stretching back to 2000, the 2013 Ram 1500 is a particularly rough spot for the brand. CR gave the model a reliability verdict of just one 1/5.
Most recent models scored 3/5 with the 2022 Ram 1500 earning just 2/5. For 2023, the Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 are all given a predicted reliability rating of 3/5. While nothing to write home about, Ram actually scores better than the reliability of some other pickups.
8 Cadillac
The obvious choice for those seeking a GM-made luxury car is Cadillac, but according to CR’s survey, those prospective buyers are better off, at least where reliability is concerned in a Buick. That said, both GM luxury brands fell in the rankings for 2023 with Cadillac dropping to No. 17 among the automakers included in the survey.
With low ratings for reliability in CR’s study, the 2023 Cadillac lineup is, unsurprisingly, not expected to deliver stellar dependability. The CT4, CT5, Escalade, XT4, and XT6 have a predicted reliability score of just 2/5. The only exception in Cadillac’s lineup is the XT5, which receives a 3/5 for expected dependability.
7 Ford
The Blue Oval is forging ahead down a few different paths. Its electrification push is strong with notable sales for the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. Meanwhile, the brand has announced it will keep internal combustion in the Mustang as it remains the only car in the automaker’s otherwise SUV and truck lineup. But in terms of reliability, things aren’t shaping up well.
Ford dropped four points to the No.18 spot, and as such, the expected reliability for some of its current models is in the basement. The Ford F-150 Hybrid is the lowest-ranked model of them all for 2023 in predicted reliability with a score of just 4/100. Another Ford, the 2023 Explorer, had the fifth-lowest predicted reliability ranking for 2023 models with a score of 16/100.
6 Tesla
Tesla’s models have remained the en-vogue choice for those looking to go all-electric despite the brand also being synonymous with some build quality issues. Those have translated to less-than-ideal dependability as Tesla is the sixth-lowest-ranking automaker in CR’s reliability study for 2023.
As such, the 2023 Model 3, Model Y, and Model X have middling predicted reliability scores with the flagship Model S earning a score of 2/5. According to CR’s scores for each model year of the Model S, 2020 was a particularly unreliable year for the luxury EV sedan, but it hasn’t scored well in any year in it’s been in production.
5 Chevrolet
Chevrolet earned a respectable ranking of No.10 among automakers in the 2022 Consumer Reports reliability study, but the latest report shows a freefall for its rating. Chevrolet dropped 10 spots to No. 20, making the automaker fall the most spots from 2022 to 2023.
The Silverado and Bolt have each dragged down Chevy’s overall score with subpar reliability ratings for past models, and as such, both the Silverado and Bolt land on CR’s list of 10 least reliable models. Of course, the Bolt’s dependability has been scorched by recalls for the prior year model’s potential fire risk.
4 GMC
The list gets worse for General Motors as another one of its brands nears the bottom of the rankings for dependability. GMC has an average reliability ranking across its lineup — which includes popular models like the Acadia, Sierra 1500, Canyon pickup, Terrain, and Yukon SUVs — of just 36 out of 100 points.
The Sierra 1500 has the worst overall predicted reliability rating for GMC’s 2023 lineup, scoring just 19 out of 100 points. The pickup segment is among the least reliable of all segments, but the Sierra 1500 only beats the F-150 Hybrid for predicted reliability. Despite Ram’s inclusion as one of 2023’s least reliable automakers, the Ram 1500 and 2500 rank higher than all other trucks for expected dependability.
3 Volkswagen
Volkswagen doesn’t have any models on CR’s list of least reliable models, but that could be viewed as even worse considering it means the entire lineup isn’t expected to be very reliable. VW’s overall predicted reliability for all models was 31/100. According to CR, VW’s reliability “continues to be mostly below par.”
No current VW model scores higher than 3/5 for predicted reliability, and the worst offender of the bunch is the Taos compact SUV. It earns a predicted reliability rating of just 1/5. That contributes to the Taos being ranked No. 12 out of 12 models in CR’s overall scores (which go beyond reliability) for subcompact SUVs.
2 Jeep
“It’s a Jeep thing” could potentially be a response to having to spend more time in the dealership’s repair shop. Jeep is ranked No. 23 out of 24 automakers for reliability for 2023, and unlike some manufacturers on this list, it’s not because of a significant drop. Jeep was ranked No. 22 in CR’s 2022 list. CR puts it simply: “Most Jeep models do not have strong reliability.”
As such, only one 2023 Jeep, the Cherokee, scores better than a 2/5 rating for predicted reliability. The Compass, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer, and Renegade were rated at 2/5. Both the Wrangler and Gladiator were some of the lowest-scoring models of 2023.
1 Mercedes-Benz
“Dependability” and “German” often go hand-in-hand, but CR’s reliability survey of 2023 shows that’s not always the case. The lowest-ranked automaker of all included in the survey is Mercedes-Benz. Despite offering luxurious interiors, engaging driving dynamics blended with comfort, and the prestige of the Tri-Star badge, all of Mercedes’ 2023 sedans and SUVs have subpar expected dependability.
The GLE, one of the brand’s most popular offerings, scored lowest of all Mercedes models and is the No. 9 lowest-rated model across all segments and automakers for 2023. In its segment, only the Lincoln Aviator scored lower than the GLE’s rating of 23/100.
Mercedes dropped five spots from its ranking in 2022, and its No. 24 ranking is particularly troublesome for the brand as some of its closest rivals scored well. Lexus has ranked No. 2 for reliability ahead of BMW in third, Audi in sixth, and Genesis in 12th.