Driver behind the wheel of a Subaru PHOTO Pixabay
Subaru dropped to second place in Consumer Reports’ annual vehicle reliability report.
Over the years, Subaru, Lexus and Toyota have been in a constant battle for the top position, with Subaru managing in 2024 to interrupt the duel between Lexus and Toyota, snatching the top spot from the two brands of Toyota Motor Corporation. However, in 2025, Toyota returns to the top spot.
Toyota has regained its leading position mainly due to the reliability improvements of its models in recent years. Consumer Reports noted that the Toyota Camry was significantly more reliable in 2025, making it the second most reliable sedan in the study, tied with the Honda Accord (and behind another Toyota model, the Crown).
Another vehicle with improved reliability was the Toyota Tundra: The all-new platform and engine introduced in 2022 had manufacturing issues, but Toyota appears to have resolved these issues, and the 2026 model of the pickup truck has proven much more reliable.
Subaru dropped to second place because most of its lineup is considered to have only “above average” reliability, according to Consumer Reports ratings.
How Tesla and other EV makers have fared
One of the surprising changes in the 2025 reliability study was Tesla, which ranked ninth. The controversial electric vehicle company climbed eight spots, thanks in large part to the Model 3. However, Tesla continues to have a troubling number of quality issues, particularly with the Cybertruck, which has below-average reliability. However, the reporting rate of electrical, exterior, and software issues decreased in 2025.
Overall, the Consumer Reports study found that electric vehicles are generally less reliable than hybrids. Twenty-eight of the 30 hybrid models analyzed received average or higher reliability ratings (only the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid ranked below that threshold).
Instead, many electric vehicles were at the bottom of the reliability rankings, alongside PHEV models. These include the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, which suffer from integrated charge control unit (ICCU) reliability issues, as well as the Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Blazer EV and Honda Prelude. Rivian and Lucid are also considered brands that produce overall unsafe vehicles.
How Consumer Reports rates reliability
All three of Consumer Reports’ most reliable car brands had service recalls in 2025, proving that no vehicle is perfect. However, Consumer Reports uses certain criteria to calculate the reliability scores in its study. For 2025, the organization collected data from owners covering 380,000 vehicles from the 2000–2025 model years, as well as some 2026 models.
Consumer Reports experts then analyzed the data, rating the severity of reported problems based on their impact on owners’ safety and finances. Vehicles with serious problems were given lower scores than those with minor defects, such as faulty interior finishes. Data collected from drivers is then combined with Consumer Reports’ own track tests, crash test data, safety feature lists and owner satisfaction surveys.
It’s important to note that Consumer Reports’ experience shows that new models are often more problematic because manufacturers haven’t yet worked out all the shortcomings. “Even second-year copies of a new model can have problems,” warns Consumer Reports.
“When a car gets a low score in the first year, sometimes the manufacturer needs more time to fix the problems. For example, both the gasoline and PHEV versions of the Mazda CX-70 and CX-90 remain unsafe in the second year, as do the Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Blazer EV and Colorado, as well as the GMC Canyon.” In these conditions, it may be more advantageous to buy a second-hand car, although here too there are aspects to be taken into account, writes autos.yahoo.com.
Results are valid for the United States market only.