Mazda fell on the reliability scale, PHEV models failed

If you want a new car that will spend more time with you than in the garage, Consumer Reports has some familiar advice. Stick to proven names, be suspicious of flashy new technology, and maybe don’t volunteer as a beta tester for some manufacturer’s latest big idea.

At the very top of the rankings, Toyota took first place, followed by Subaru in second and Lexus in third. Honda and BMW rounded out the top five. Consumer Reports based its research on data from surveys that covered about 380,000 vehicles in the US, according to Carscoops, so it is a ranking that has credibility and is not just the result of comments on some Internet forum.

The biggest transformation was experienced by Tesla, which jumped by as many as eight places compared to last year’s survey and is now in ninth place. This is largely due to the better results of the Model 3 and, especially, the Model Y. That’s not to say that all is suddenly perfect in Tesla’s world, the Cybertruck still scored below average, but it does suggest that the company is finally getting better at dealing with the manufacturing, finishing and hardware issues that accompanied them.

Mazda’s PHEV nightmare

The brand that experienced an unpleasant decline was Mazda, which dropped eight places to the 14th position. Older Mazda models have continued to prove quite reliable, but newer and more complicated models like the CX-70 and CX-90, especially in their plug-in hybrid (PHEV) guises, have clearly given owners constant headaches. The decline is all the greater because Mazda was declared the most reliable manufacturer back in 2020, precisely because of its conservative approach and use of proven platforms.

This is a classic example of what happens when an automaker gets too ambitious with new platforms, new powertrains and new technology all at once. Sometimes the engineering team does everything perfectly. Sometimes, however, owners become unwitting, unpaid members of the research and development team.

Consumer Reports also states that classic hybrids continue to be a safe option for combustion engine enthusiasts looking for better economy. On the other hand, fully electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are still overrepresented among the least reliable models in the survey, especially when they are brand new or significantly redesigned.

The research confirmed that Asian brands still dominate in terms of reliability, European brands are somewhere in the middle, while American brands generally lag behind.

Car Brand Reliability Ranking (Consumer Reports 2026)