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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchConsumer Reports’ automotive reliability rating summarizes owner-reported problems in specific trouble areas and compares them with the average for vehicles of the same model year. It is a model-level measure of reported experience—not a count of defects, a prediction that any individual car will fail, or a guarantee that it will be trouble-free.
Where does Consumer Reports get its reliability data?
Consumer Reports (CR) asks members to report problems their vehicles experienced during the previous 12 months. Its Survey Research Department asks respondents to identify serious issues involving cost, failure, safety, or downtime. Warranty-covered problems count; accident damage and problems caused solely by recalls do not.
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The questionnaire covers 20 trouble areas, including the engine, transmission, climate system, brakes, electrical systems, and accessories. Respondents can also describe problems in their own words to help CR interpret the reports.
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In its 2025 survey, CR collected responses on about 380,000 vehicles from model years 2000 through 2025, plus some early 2026 vehicles. The survey was conducted during calendar year 2025 and asked about problems in the prior 12 months. CR says a typical vehicle has about 200 to 300 responses per model year, though counts vary. Participants are invited CR members who choose to respond, so the results describe member respondents—not every owner of those vehicles. CR’s Car Reliability FAQ explains the survey and its scope.
What does the rating mean?
For a model with sufficient data, CR’s reliability history shows whether reported problems in each trouble area were above or below the average for vehicles of the same model year. The overall reliability verdict brings results across as many as 20 trouble spots into one summary.
“Above average” means fewer reported problems than the comparison average; “below average” means more. Neither label says a vehicle has no problems or that every example will match the model’s reported pattern. Because the comparison is tied to model year, do not treat ratings from different model years as directly equivalent.
Rank #2
- Subject: CONSUMER REPORTS, Country/Region Of Manufacture: United States
- Publication Name: CONSUMER REPORTS, Year Published: 2012
- Issue Type: OCTOBER, 2012 DISPLAY UNTIL OCTOBER, 01st 2012, Country Of Manufacture: United States
- Month: October, Publication Year: 2012
- Language: English
It is not just a defect count
CR gives more weight to some trouble areas because of their potential severity, expense, or effect on drivability. Its FAQ identifies major engine and transmission components, cooling, electric motors, EV batteries, and drive systems among the areas receiving greater weight. As a result, two models with a similar number of reported trouble spots can have different overall reliability results if one has more consequential problems.
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How to read the 0-to-100 score
CR also presents online reliability scores on a 0-to-100 scale, based on the percentage difference from the average reliability of all models and grouped by vehicle type for competitor comparisons. Read the number as a comparative summary within CR’s scoring framework, not as a percentage chance that a particular car will fail.
Rank #3
- Subject: CONSUMER REPORTS, BEST & WORST NEW CARS, 2013, Country/Region Of Manufacture: United States
- Publication Name: CONSUMER REPORTS, BEST & WORST NEW CARS, 2013, Year Published: 2012
- Issue Type: 2012 DISPLAY UNTIL JANUARY, 21st 2013, Country Of Manufacture: United States
- Month: Not Applicable, Publication Year: 2012
- Language: English
How is predicted reliability different from reliability history?
Reliability history summarizes survey reports about vehicles already on the road. Predicted reliability is CR’s estimate of how a currently available new model is likely to hold up, using recent history when the evidence is sufficiently comparable.
CR generally averages the latest three model years when the vehicle has not changed significantly and the current model year is not a redesign. If a redesign or limited data makes that unsuitable, it may use one or two years instead. When a model has too few responses, CR may supplement with brand-level data, similar models, or adjacent model years in the same generation that share major components. For a brand-new or redesigned model, it may draw on the manufacturer’s track record, the prior generation, or similar models that share components. These are inputs to an estimate, not a substitute for a full history of that new model.
Rank #4
- Subject:CONSUMER REPORTS, NEW CAR RATINGS & REVI, Month:Not Applicable, Year Published:2013
- Publication Name:CONSUMER REPORTS, NEW CAR RATINGS & REVI, Language:English, Country Of Manufacture:United States
- Issue Type:ISSUE, 2013 DISPLAY UNTIL JULY, 01st 201, Country/Region Of Manufacture:United States, Publication Year:2013
CR’s own caution is direct: “However, this is only a prediction, and these scores are not a guarantee of the reliability of any individual car.” See its Car Reliability FAQ for how it describes predicted reliability.
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No. Reliability answers a narrower question about reported problems and, for new models, predicted durability. CR’s Overall Score also incorporates road-test results, owner satisfaction, safety features, and crash-test data. A reliability rating alone does not tell you how a car performs, how safe it is, how comfortable owners find it, or whether it suits your needs. CR outlines the broader evaluation in its most-reliable-cars methodology article.
What should you check when comparing ratings?
- Identify the model year and measure. Note whether you are looking at historical reliability for vehicles already surveyed or predicted reliability for a new model.
- Look beyond the overall result. Check which trouble areas are better or worse than average, and distinguish potentially serious component problems from less consequential issues.
- Account for changes and limited data. A redesign, small response count, or use of related models can make a prediction less directly grounded in that model’s own history.
- For a used car, assess the individual vehicle. The model-level rating cannot establish a particular car’s maintenance, condition, damage, or repair history.
Does the same method apply to every product CR rates?
No. For products outside the automotive category, CR says ratings combine expert lab testing with predicted reliability and owner satisfaction based on product-owner surveys. Those surveys typically ask about ownership duration, use, breakdowns or declining function, types of problems, and likelihood to recommend. The details and scoring vary by product category; the car-specific 20-trouble-area method should not be assumed to apply. See CR’s Product Testing and Research page.
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