Top 10 Most Reliable 2026 Models According to Consumer Reports

Published on December 5, 2025 in Top 10 by The Car Guide

Trusted U.S. magazine Consumer Reports has just published its latest annual auto reliability rankings. These rankings are based on data collected on more than 380,000 vehicles as reported by their owners, covering the 2000-2025 model years as well as some early 2026 models.

Twenty potential trouble areas are considered (engine, transmission, EV battery, charging, body hardware, paint and trim, etc.), and then a predicted reliability score is awarded on a 100-point scale.

In the latest report, fully electric vehicles continue to prove a bit more reliable than plug-in hybrids, but less reliable than conventional hybrids and ICE-powered vehicles. Cars—a category that includes sedans, hatchbacks and wagons—remain the most reliable vehicle type, followed by minivans and SUVs. Pickups rank last.

Brands With the Highest Predicted Reliability for 2026

Consumer Reports notes that Asia-based companies keep leading the industry in reliability. In fact, seven of the 10 most reliable brands are either Japanese or Korean. Toyota, Subaru and Lexus land on the podium. European brands come next, with BMW at the forefront. Their American rivals don’t fare so well, but eighth-place Buick manages to crack the top 10. Tesla is the most improved brand, rising from 17th to 9th place:

On the other hand, the lower part of the brand rankings looks like this, with Mazda having dropped from 6th to 14th place:

But hold on, there’s a big asterisk that must be added here, as Consumer Reports either has insufficient data or the manufacturer has too few models for them to rank Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Fiat, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lucid, Maserati, MINI, Mitsubishi, Polestar and Porsche. Historically, most of these brands have ranked below average or near the bottom, with Porsche being one of the exceptions.

Models With the Highest Predicted Reliability for 2026

As usual, you can take the rankings with a grain of salt if you want. Now, check out the top 10 most reliable 2026 models according to Consumer Reports. Unsurprisingly, several Toyotas make the list.

10. Lexus NX

Consumer Reports’ reliability score: 71

9. Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Consumer Reports’ reliability score: 81

8. Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid

Consumer Reports’ reliability score: 73

7. Honda Accord

Consumer Reports’ reliability score: 74

6. Toyota Tacoma

Consumer Reports’ reliability score: 74

5. Toyota Corolla

Consumer Reports’ reliability score: 76

4. Toyota Crown

Consumer Reports’ reliability score: 78

3. Subaru Crosstrek

Consumer Reports’ reliability score: 78

2. Toyota Corolla Cross

Consumer Reports’ reliability score: 79

1. Subaru Impreza

Consumer Reports’ reliability score: 80

Consumer Reports reminds shoppers that it's always wiser to avoid brand-new models, which often experience problems in their first year. Incidentally, the Toyota RAV4, which ranked No. 1 overall for 2025, is absent from the 2026 rankings due to the upcoming launch of the new generation.