The 7 Most Reliable Cars Ever Made And The 7 Most Problematic

RepairPal awarded Toyota an impressive 4.0 out of 5.0 reliability rating, with the 2001 Camry becoming legendary among owners who routinely surpass 200,000 miles. Toyota’s meticulous engineering uses copper connectors instead of cheaper plastic alternatives. It even earned its « cockroach » nickname for being nearly indestructible.

Countless models continue to run strong after two decades, proving this compact car’s legendary status. The 2025 Civic scored 82 out of 100 for Quality and Reliability. Honda’s famous VTEC engines demonstrate remarkable longevity, alongside the Type R variant, which seamlessly handles daily commuting and track duty.  

Data tells the story perfectly. The Fifth Generation Toyota 4Runner has yearly sales figures that started in the 40,000s and reached around 90,000 4Runners a year in the United States. Its layout has remained virtually unchanged for over a decade, validating Toyota’s winning formula.

Luxury partners with legendary Toyota engineering in another premium off-roader. This beast received a 9.0 out of 10 reliability score from iSeeCars. The 2016–2022 RX topped luxury categories. Built on sturdy Toyota Land Cruiser Prado underpinnings, the GX delivers exceptional dependability backed by Lexus dealers’ industry-leading customer service.

Awards keep piling up for this midsize champion. The Accord routinely goes beyond 200,000 miles with basic maintenance. Consumer Reports gave it Best Buy recognition for outstanding quality and driving dynamics, celebrating its exceptional longevity with minimal mechanical issues. Honda achieved above-average scores across three models.

The 2025 MotorTrend study highlighted the CX-5 as a top performer among compact SUVs. Interestingly, Mazda consistently holds top-10 positions among the most reliable brands. SkyActiv technology delivers brilliant efficiency and longevity, plus the CX-5 maintains one of the segment’s lowest depreciation rates.

In a stunning upset, Subaru dethroned longtime reliability champions Lexus and Toyota to claim the top spot. The Forester and Impreza earned well-above-average reliability points among Subaru’s seven surveyed models. Every Forester comes standard with all-wheel drive, a rarity in this segment, and a boxer engine design.

Now, moving to the biggest disappointments. Thirteen recalls tell the tale of this luxury automobile’s abysmal reliability record. The 2015 C-Class is notorious among automotive experts as one of the most atrocious luxury machines ever produced. Owners literally report sky-high maintenance costs for what should be an entry-level luxury sedan.

America’s best-selling truck stumbles badly in hybrid form, receiving the dubious position of being the least dependable piece surveyed by Consumer Reports. It performs worse than the already concerning conventional F-150, continuously exhibiting transmission and hybrid battery problems. In previous years, Ford also issued recalls.

Ask any tow truck driver: BMW tops their call list, especially newer models loaded with not-so-great technology. The 328i’s notorious N20 four-cylinder engine exhausted timing components at an alarming frequency, rendering routine maintenance into expensive nightmares. Complex electronics and turbocharged engineering also generate multiple failure points.

Off-road legends aren’t always street-smart, and the Wrangler proves this painful truth daily. RepairPal has placed it second-to-last in the compact SUVs list with a mediocre 3.5 out of 5 reliability rating. The probability of severe repairs jumps to 16% compared to 11% for competitors. 

The car’s fundamental components are prone to rusting, which raises inherent questions that tarnished the company’s reputation. This generation couldn’t match its legendary W124 predecessor’s benchmark, marking the beginning of Mercedes’ quality decline in the late 1990s. Costly repairs paired with frequent breakdowns made ownership a headache.  

Style over substance rarely ends well. The Evoque stands out as Land Rover’s most troublesome creation, with a devastating 37% fault rate among drivers. It is reportedly the lowest-scoring model in Land Rover’s entire lineup. Nearly half of the faulty vehicles remained out of action for over seven days.

Budget cars shouldn’t break budgets, but this small European car manages both disappointingly. The Corsa claimed the unwanted title of least reliable automobile in the 2025 Honest John Satisfaction Index, with 25% of electric owners reporting problems compared to 14% for petrol versions. Frequent breakdowns are also reported.