The study, overseen by Jeff S. Bartlett, Consumer Reports’ managing editor for autos, draws on data analysis by Steven Elek and Anita Lam, with visualizations by Evan O’Neil. Updated December 4, 2025, it reflects one of the most comprehensive assessments available of real-world longevity and mechanical durability in older vehicles.
The ranking places Lexus and Toyota firmly at the top, widening their already strong reputations for long-term reliability. Mazda, another brand known for conservative engineering choices, comes in third. Rounding out the top five are Honda and Acura, both of which have a long history of designing vehicles that age well.
At the bottom of the list are Ram, Jeep, and Tesla—ranked 24th, 25th, and 26th—reflecting persistent issues reported by owners of older models from these manufacturers.
According to Elek, whose role includes evaluating long-term performance trends, brands such as Toyota and Lexus distinguish themselves by advancing their vehicles methodically rather than introducing sweeping redesigns. This gradual approach, he said, allows automakers to refine proven components and avoid the pitfalls that often accompany ambitious, untested engineering changes.
The rankings are based on owner-reported problems from Consumer Reports members with vehicles between five and ten years old. Only models with sufficient survey data were included, and the reliability verdicts represent weighted scores based on the severity and frequency of issues.
In the detailed rankings, Lexus led with a reliability score of 77, followed closely by Toyota at 73. At the opposite end, Tesla scored 31, reflecting the challenges the company faced during earlier years as it scaled production.
Elek noted that reliability can vary widely not just between brands, but also between models and even across different model years within the same vehicle line. For instance, Chevrolet’s Equinox achieved above-average reliability only in select years during its most recent generation, whereas the 2014–2018 Chevrolet Silverado fell below average across its entire run. Such discrepancies, he said, underscore the importance of reviewing reliability ratings year by year rather than assuming uniform performance across a brand or model line.
The report also explains why long-term reliability of used vehicles does not always match the predicted reliability of new models. For new cars, Consumer Reports evaluates recent reliability trends, brand history, and whether multiple models rely on the same mechanical components. Older used vehicles, by contrast, often come from prior generations of a model line, sometimes bearing little resemblance to their current counterparts.
Tesla illustrates this gap clearly: while the company’s models from five to ten years ago rank low due to earlier manufacturing and quality-control struggles, its newer vehicles now show better-than-average predicted reliability, placing the brand in the top 10 of Consumer Reports’ most recent new-car predictions.
Other brands show the opposite trend. Although Mazda ranks third in the used-car reliability study, its position drops to 14th in the new-car reliability predictions—a shift attributed to Mazda’s recent transition to several ground-up redesigns, including the CX-70 and CX-90 model families.
By contrast, Toyota and Lexus remain consistent across both new and used categories, continuing to set the bar for reliability. Ram and Jeep, however, demonstrate the same consistency in the opposite direction, appearing near the bottom of both lists.
The report stresses that reliability spreads widen dramatically as vehicles age. While most newer models cluster closely together—with only minor differences in problem rates—older vehicles reflect a much broader range of outcomes. Some models remain sound well past their warranty periods, while others begin to develop more serious mechanical issues.
Elek said that taking a “longer view” offers shoppers a clearer sense of what they may face when purchasing a used vehicle, including the likelihood of repairs related to major components such as engines, transmissions, or electric-vehicle batteries.
To calculate the scores, Consumer Reports examined survey responses from more than 140,000 vehicles from the 2016 to 2021 model years. The analysis incorporated reports of problems across 20 trouble areas, including routine annoyances such as squeaky brakes as well as significant mechanical failures. Problems were weighted by severity before contributing to each model’s overall reliability verdict. These model-level ratings were then averaged to produce each brand’s overall score.
The report concludes that while long-term reliability varies widely, buyers can make more informed decisions—and potentially save thousands of dollars—by examining detailed model-year history rather than relying solely on brand reputation.
If you’d like, I can shorten this, format it as a news brief, or rewrite it in AP style.