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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Toyota and Lexus have not permanently lost reliability leadership, but they have lost the top spot in at least one major ranking. In Consumer Reports’ 2025 model-year brand reliability report, published December 5, 2024, Subaru ranked first, Lexus second, and Toyota third. Consumer Reports’ next annual report, updated December 4, 2025, listed Lexus, Subaru, and Toyota at the top, and its press release called Toyota the most reliable brand in its latest Annual Auto Reliability Survey. J.D. Power’s 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study, which measures a different outcome, put Lexus first overall. The answer depends on the organization, the edition, and what each study counts as reliability.
Which ranking the headline refers to
The headline only makes sense against a specific edition of a specific study. Two organizations publish the most-cited brand rankings, and each has released more than one edition recently. The table below lists the editions this article relies on, as of October 2026.
| Source and edition | What it measures | Top results | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Reports 2025 model-year brand reliability report (released December 5, 2024) | Predicted reliability, drawn from member surveys | 1. Subaru; 2. Lexus; 3. Toyota | This is the edition where Subaru took first place. It describes that report only. |
| Consumer Reports 2026 model-year brand reliability report (updated December 4, 2025) | Predicted reliability from about 380,000 vehicles, covering model years 2000 to 2025 and early 2026 | Report coverage lists Lexus, Subaru, and Toyota at the top; the press release names Toyota the most reliable brand in the latest survey | The release wording and the top-three order point to different brands. Read the report’s own table before quoting a first place. |
| J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study | Owner-reported problems after three years, in problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) | Lexus highest overall at 140 PP100; Buick highest among mass-market brands at 143 PP100 | The industry average in this study was 202 PP100. The sample size is not stated in the release figures reviewed. |
| J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study | Owner-reported problems after three years, in PP100, for 2023 model-year vehicles | Lexus highest overall at 151 PP100; Buick highest among mass-market brands at 160 PP100 | Based on 33,268 original owners; fieldwork ran December 2024 through November 2025. |
The Consumer Reports 2025 result is the basis for the “worthy rival” framing. Subaru was first in that report and third-place-level in the next, so it is a serious competitor on Consumer Reports’ measure. The evidence does not show that Subaru has displaced Toyota and Lexus for good, because the latest Consumer Reports edition reversed the top three and J.D. Power’s most recent study kept Lexus first.
Why the rankings disagree
The studies differ on five points. Each one can move a brand up or down without any change in the cars themselves.
- The outcome measured. Consumer Reports’ brand ranking is built on predicted reliability from owner surveys. J.D. Power counts problems that owners actually report after three years of ownership.
- The vehicles included. Consumer Reports’ latest survey spans model years 2000 to 2025 and early 2026. J.D. Power’s 2026 study covers only 2023 model-year vehicles.
- The respondents. Consumer Reports draws on its member survey. J.D. Power surveys original owners of new vehicles.
- The scope of the ranking. Consumer Reports’ overall brand report card is not a reliability-only ranking. It combines predicted reliability with road-test scores, owner satisfaction, and safety ratings.
- The tier. J.D. Power reports overall results and mass-market results separately. That is why Lexus leads its overall table while Buick leads the mass-market table.
Reading Consumer Reports’ results
Consumer Reports publishes two numbers that readers often merge: a reliability result and an overall brand score. The reliability result comes from predicted reliability in its survey. The overall score adds road tests, owner satisfaction, and safety ratings. A brand can rank well on one and differently on the other, so a place in the overall brand report card should not be quoted as a reliability rank.
The 2026 edition’s coverage and press release also differ in emphasis. Coverage places Lexus first in the top three, while the release calls Toyota the reliability leader in the latest survey. Both claims come from the same edition, so the accurate summary is that Toyota and Lexus were both at the top of that report, with Subaru close behind.
Rank #2
Reading J.D. Power’s problems-per-100 scores
J.D. Power’s PP100 measure counts the problems owners report per 100 vehicles. Lower is better. A score of 151 PP100 means roughly 151 reported problems across every 100 vehicles surveyed, not that 151 percent of vehicles had a problem.
The 2025 and 2026 editions cannot be read as a year-over-year trend for Lexus. The 2026 study surveyed 2023 model-year vehicles after three years, and the score moved from 140 to 151 PP100. Compare the model years in each edition before drawing a conclusion about quality. J.D. Power’s senior director of auto benchmarking, Jason Norton, framed the study this way in the 2026 release: “As owners hold onto their vehicles longer, the long-term ownership experience matters more than ever.”
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How to use these rankings when you shop
- Name the study and year before you name a winner. Write “Consumer Reports’ 2026 model-year report” or “J.D. Power’s 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study,” not “the most reliable brand.”
- Match the measure to your question. If you want to know what owners report after three years, use the J.D. Power PP100 results. If you want Consumer Reports’ predicted reliability, use its reliability result rather than its overall report card.
- Check the model, not just the brand. A brand result is an average across its lineup. It does not guarantee that a particular model, trim, or engine is reliable.
- Look at the model year you are buying. J.D. Power’s 2026 study covers only 2023 model-year vehicles, so it says little about 2025 or 2026 cars.
- For a used car, check its history separately. A vehicle history report shows title, accident, and ownership records. It does not predict reliability.
What the evidence does and does not establish
- Subaru ranked first in Consumer Reports’ 2025 model-year brand reliability report and was among the top three in its 2026 report.
- Lexus ranked first overall in J.D. Power’s 2025 and 2026 dependability studies.
- Consumer Reports’ latest release identifies Toyota as its most reliable brand, while its report’s top three lists Lexus first.
- No single study establishes one permanent winner across every measure, source, and model year.
The defensible headline is that Toyota and Lexus have shared the top of the reliability rankings with Subaru, and that the leader changes depending on the study. Rankings from December 2025 and the 2026 J.D. Power study are the most current editions cited here, and Consumer Reports typically updates its brand report each December.
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