Home >  Cars  >  Guide to car reliability

Guide to car reliability

Published: February 2013

Reliable vehicles

Consumer Reports’ reliability Ratings show how well vehicles have held up and the odds that an owner could be inconvenienced by problems and repairs. A vehicle's reliability can seriously affect how satisfied you'll be with a car over the years, and it can significantly influence resale value when you're ready to replace the vehicle. Consumer Reports surveys our magazine and website subscribers each year to ask about any serious problems they've had with their vehicles in the preceding 12 months. The large-scale survey collects detailed data on about 1.2 million vehicles, giving us a solid source for chronicling past reliability and predicting future performance.

Featured

cars_reliability_test

New car reliability

Most and least reliable new cars
Reliability ratings
How reliability ratings work
History of reliability
Reliability FAQs
Guide to Consumer Reports' Ratings
Motorcycle reliability & owner satisfaction
used_cars_most_reliable

Used car reliability

Most and least reliable used cars
Reliability histories
Used cars for every budget
main_cars_fun_drive

Owner satisfaction

New car owner satisfaction
Used car owner satisfaction
Most & least satisfying cars
Motorcycle owner satisfaction
   

E-mail Newsletters

FREE e-mail Newsletters!
Choose from safety, health, cars, and more!
Already signed-up?
Manage your newsletters here too.

Cars News

Personal picks: Our choices for fun convertibles

Having just tested and lived with a quartet of German roadsters, our staff has convertibles on the brain. No doubt, you've seen the road tests and know the official scores and rankings. We though...

2014 Subaru Forester is the first small SUV to ace tough new crash test

The redesigned Subaru Forester is the only small SUV out of 13 tested to earn a top score of Good in the new small overlap crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS...

The crash that put the spotlight on drunk driving and school bus safety

Twenty-five years after the worst DUI crash and second deadliest school bus crash in American history occurred, there have been many lessons learned and changes made, but still safety issues rema...

SUVs are safer than cars in front crashes, but there is more to the story

When shopping for a car, you've no doubt compared crash-test ratings. Whether from the government or insurance industry, crash-test scores provide valuable insight into the occupant protection a ...

Testing begins on aftermarket tire sealant kits

In a perfect world, a tire sealant kit may sound like a quick, convenient way to fix a flat tire. No need to remove the tire—just add sealant, inflate, and go. But, it turns out, there is m...
More news

Connect

Discuss products
and safety with
subscribers and fans

Follow us on:

Cars

Cars New Car Price Report
Find out what the dealers don't want you to know! Get a great price on a new car with the Consumer Reports New Car Price Report.

Order Your Report

Mobile

Mobile Get Ratings on the go and compare
while you shop

Learn more