Special Report
This Is The Most Dependable Car In America: Every Major Brand Ranked
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Beyond a house or a college education, a new car is one of the most expensive purchases many Americans will ever make. According to the research and consulting firm Cox Automotive, the average new-vehicle sale price hit $48,759 in December 2023, nearly 82% of what the typical full-time worker earns annually in the United States. But as car prices have surged in the U.S. in the last few years, a new study from J.D. Power shows that overall vehicle reliability appears to have declined.
J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study calculated the average number of problems reported for every 100 vehicles after the first three years of ownership. According to the report, there were an average of 190 problems per 100 vehicles in 2024, up 2.2% from 2023. The most commonly reported problems were tech related, particularly with vehicle infotainment systems. These include connectivity issues with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as failures with voice recognition software. Other more serious problems were related to vehicle controls, driving assistance features, and the powertrain.
For those in the market for a new car, and who want to get the most out of their investment, without frequent or costly repairs, some brands are demonstrably more reliable than others. (Here is a look at the cars that hold their value the longest.)
Using data from J.D. Power, 24/7 Wall St. identified the most dependable cars in America in 2024. We ranked all major auto brands in the U.S. on the average number of problems reported in the first three years of ownership for every 100 vehicles.
The 30 brands on this list are owned by 16 different companies. Among the brands on this list, the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles ranges from 135 to over 300. Overall vehicle dependability, meanwhile, declined for 21 of the 30 makes on this list between 2023 and 2024.
Toyota and Lexus, the two highest ranking brands on this list, are both owned by the Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. Along with Buick, a division of Detroit automaker General Motors Company, they are among the only three brands with fewer than 150 problems for every 100 vehicles after the first three years of ownership. According to data compiled by GoodCarBadCar, Toyota also ranked as the second best selling vehicle brand in the U.S. in 2023.
The least reliable make, include an iconic, formerly-British that is now owned by a Mumbai-based conglomerate, as well a make that once ranked among the largest American brands, but was recently bought by an automaker headquartered in the Netherlands. (Here is a look at the most dangerous cars on the road today.)
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