There is no greater consumer regret than the sensation of having tens of thousands of dollars in automotive repair bills piling up and your new ride, which you spent tens of thousands of dollars on, spending more time in an automotive repair shop than in your own garage.
When picking what to place on our driveway, we may prioritize the MSRP, features, comfort, practicality, performance, and beauty, but as anyone who has purchased something unreliable can tell you, the importance of reliability cannot be stressed.
As a result, Consumer Reports evaluates automakers based on their dependability based on real-world data from actual buyers each year.
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Among the worst brands are luxury automakers, mainstream automakers, manufacturers of EVs and massively inefficient cars, and seemingly everything in between.
It should be noted that Consumer Reports did not include numerous prominent car brands since there were insufficient models to rank. Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, Mini, Mitsubishi, Polestar, Porsche, and Rivian are among those manufacturers.
10. Nissan
Nissan’s reliability rating has plummeted seven positions to No. 15 on Consumer Reports’ list of the most reliable manufacturers this year. Consumer Reports predicts the subcompact Sentra sedan’s reliability to be only 1 out of 5 ratings, making it the most unreliable vehicle in the current Nissan lineup.
Over the past three years, the Sentra has earned just nine out of a possible 100 points for overall dependability. The top-scoring model in the Sentra’s class, the Mini Cooper, scored 89 out of a possible 100 points.
9. Ram
In the past decade, Ram trucks have made significant improvements in quality, ride comfort, features, capabilities, and overall performance, but according to Consumer Reports, purchasers will likely encounter some reliability issues with their pickups.
Using evaluations based on model years dating back to 2000, the 2013 Ram 1500 is the worst-performing vehicle for the brand. CR rated the model’s dependability as only one-fifth satisfactory.
8. Cadillac
Cadillac is the apparent choice for those seeking a GM-made luxury vehicle, but according to CR’s survey, those buyers would be better off, at least in terms of dependability, with a Buick. However, both GM luxury brands declined in the rankings for 2023, with Cadillac falling to number 17 among the automakers surveyed.
Given the low ratings for dependability in CR’s study, the 2023 Cadillac lineup is not expected to offer exceptional dependability. The CT4, CT5, Escalade, XT4, and XT6 are predicted to have a 2/5 reliability rating. The only exception in Cadillac’s inventory is the XT5, which receives a rating of 3/5 for predicted dependability.
7. Ford
The Blue Oval is advancing in multiple directions. Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning sales demonstrate the effectiveness of its electrification drive. As a result of a four-point decline to No.18, the expected reliability of some of Ford’s current models is in the basement.
The Ford F-150 Hybrid is the model with the lowest predicted reliability rating for 2023, with a score of 4/100. With a score of 16/100, the 2023 Ford Explorer ranked fifth-worst in predicted reliability among 2023 models.
6. Tesla
Tesla models have remained the preferred option for those seeking an all-electric vehicle, despite the brand’s association with poor build quality. As a result, the 2023 Model 3, Model Y, and Model X are predicted to have average reliability scores, with the Model S receiving a score of 2/5.
According to CR’s scores for each model year of the Model S, 2020 was a notably unreliable year for the luxury EV sedan, but it has never scored well during its production run.
5. Chevrolet
In the 2022 Consumer Reports dependability study, Chevrolet received a decent score of No.10 among automakers, but the latest report indicates a freefall in its rating. Chevrolet fell ten ranks to No. 20, marking the automaker’s largest decline from 2022 to 2023.
Both the Silverado and the Bolt have driven down Chevy’s total score with poor reliability ratings for previous models, and as a result, both the Silverado and the Bolt are on CR’s list of the ten least trustworthy cars.
4. GMC
GMC has an average reliability rating of 36 out of 100 points across its lineup, which includes popular models such as the Acadia, Sierra 1500, Canyon pickup, Terrain, and Yukon SUVs.
The Sierra 1500 gets the lowest overall expected reliability rating for GMC’s 2023 lineup, receiving only 19 points out of a possible 100. The pickup market is one of the least trustworthy of all, but the Sierra 1500 only outperforms the F-150 Hybrid in terms of expected reliability.
Despite Ram being named one of the least trustworthy automakers in 2023, the Ram 1500 and 2500 rank higher than any other trucks in terms of predicted reliability.
3. Volkswagen
Volkswagen doesn’t have any models on CR’s list of the least reliable cars, which may be seen as even worse given that the entire portfolio isn’t expected to be very reliable. VW estimated overall reliability for all vehicles to be 31/100. VW’s reliability, according to CR, “continues to be mostly below par.”
No contemporary VW model scored more than 3/5 for expected reliability, with the Taos small SUV being the worst offender. It receives a projected dependability rating of 1/5. This helps to explain why the Taos is placed 12th out of 12 models in CR’s overall scores (which go beyond reliability) for subcompact SUVs.
2. Jeep
“It’s a Jeep thing” could be a reaction to having to spend more time at the dealership’s repair shop. Jeep is ranked No. 23 out of 24 automakers in terms of reliability for 2023, and unlike some of the other brands on this list, this is not due to a big reduction. Jeep was ranked 22nd in CR’s list for 2022. According to CR, “most Jeep models do not have strong reliability.”
As a result, just one 2023 Jeep, the Cherokee, receives a predicted dependability rating higher than a 2/5. The Compass, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer, and Renegade received two out of five stars. The Wrangler and Gladiator were two of 2023’s lowest-scoring cars.
1. Mercedes-Benz
“Dependability” and “German” frequently go hand in hand, but according to CR’s 2023 reliability study, this isn’t always the case. Mercedes-Benz is the lowest-ranked automaker among those featured in the poll.
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The GLE, one of the brand’s most popular vehicles, had the lowest rating of any Mercedes model and ranks ninth across all sectors and automakers for 2023. Only the Lincoln Aviator received a lower rating in its segment than the GLE’s 23/100.
Mercedes slipped five spots from its ranking in 2022, and its No. 24 placement is especially troubling for the company given that some of its nearest competitors performed well. Lexus scored second in reliability, followed by BMW in third, Audi in sixth, and Genesis in twelfth.
