5- to 10-Year-Old Vehicles Ranked by Reliability According to Consumer Reports

Published on August 28, 2024 in Pre-owned vehicles by Guillaume Rivard

Reliability is at the top of many used-car shoppers’ list, and that’s pretty easy to understand. Who wants to make regular visits at the repair shop and pay huge maintenance bills, right?

U.S. magazine Consumer Reports, which knows a thing or two about reliability, has just released its first-ever brand ranking for 5- to 10-year-old used vehicles. The brands are ranked based on the problems reported by its members.

Unsurprisingly, Lexus and Toyota lead the way. Three other Japanese brands round out the top 5 including Mazda, Acura and Honda, as the following table shows:

“Brands like Lexus and Toyota have a history of conservative redesigns, incrementally improving their entire product line, rather than introducing many all-new systems,” Consumer Reports’ senior automotive data analyst Steven Elek says. “Our data consistently shows over time that cars from those brands are reliable when new and they continue to be reliable as they age.”

Tesla, Dodge and Chrysler can be found at the very bottom of the ranking. In fact, eight of the last nine spots are held by American brands:

A few car brands are missing, as you may have noticed, including Porsche, Mitsubishi and Fiat. Consumer Reports says data is insufficient to rank them.

Steven Elek advises against focusing solely on brands and not looking at particular vehicles. For example, the 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox boasts above-average reliability, while the entire 2014-2019 Chevrolet Silverado generation ranks below average.

“This is why it’s best to check the reliability ratings for each model year when buying a used car,” he says. “Making assumptions can prove both costly and inconvenient.” Of course, shoppers are also wise to check out the history and actual condition of the vehicle they’re considering before making a purchase.

Now, if you prefer newer vehicles, don’t miss the top 10 most reliable and least reliable 2024 models according to Consumer Reports.