1 Japanese Car Brand Takes 2 of the Top Spots for Best Reliability, and It’s Not Toyota
It should come as no surprise that a Japanese car brand tops reliability ratings. But that brand might not be the name you expect. Most would figure Toyota would be first, but Japan’s most reliable car brand competes closely with Toyota.
What is the most reliable Japanese car brand?
Eight major car brands achieved high marks for reliability from the repair and maintenance site RepairPal. The brand that takes the top two spots is Honda. How can one brand sit in two positions? Easy — Honda is the parent company of Acura, and the Acura brand is second only to Honda on this list.
Here’s the complete list of the top eight car brands in RepairPal’s 2018 reliability rankings:
- Honda
- Acura
- Kia
- Hyundai
- Mazda
- Lexus
- Toyota
- Nissan
What criteria does RepairPal use?
RepairPal’s reliability ratings are based on three factors:
- Average annual repair and maintenance costs
- Average annual frequency of major unscheduled repairs
- The severity of the unscheduled repairs
Are Honda models reliable?
Based on RepairPal ratings, Honda sits at the top for reliability, with the brand’s HR-V subcompact SUV as the top-ranked vehicle. Four other Honda models are in the top 30 overall. They are the Fit, Civic, Accord, and CR-V. The most common factor for these stellar results is Honda vehicles’ low annual repair and maintenance costs.
Are Acura cars and SUVs any good?
Likewise, Acura vehicles are affordable to maintain and boast excellent reliability ratings. The top Acura model is the TLX midsize sedan, which places five overall. The ILX compact sedan and RDX compact SUV also appear in the top 30. Acura’s results are primarily due to a low-percentage chance of severe repairs.
Toyota and Honda avoid the least reliable list
Consumer Reports publishes an annual list of the most and least reliable vehicles. Kelley Blue Book shared the models that hit the bottom of the barrel. Honda’s and Toyota’s high reliability scores prevented their models from landing on this list.
The least reliable vehicles in descending order are as follows:
- Jeep Wrangler
- Mercedes-Benz GLE
- Jeep Gladiator
- Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra
- Chevrolet Bolt
- Ford Explorer
- Nissan Sentra
- Lincoln Aviator
- Hyundai Kona Electric
- Ford F-150 Hybrid
What are the most reliable new cars?
Honda might be the most reliable Japanese car brand based on data from RepairPal, which collects information for a model year over a few years. But how do we know which late-model vehicles are the most reliable? U.S. News & World Report publishes an annual list of the most reliable new cars based on J.D. Power reliability scores.
The 12 most reliable new cars of 2023 and their J.D. Power reliability scores are as follows:
- Lexus IS, 92/100
- Buick Encore GX, 90/100
- Chevrolet Equinox, 90/100
- Nissan Murano, 90/100
- Lincoln Nautilus, 88/100
- Kia Sportage Hybrid, 88/100
- Kia Sportage, 88/100
- Toyota 4Runner, 87/100
- Ford Bronco Sport, 87/100
- Lexus ES, 87/100
- Kia Forte, 87/100
- Genesis G70, 87/100
- Genesis G80, 87/100
- Kia Soul, 87/100
Strangely, Honda and Acura don’t appear on this list. That could be because these brands have model lineups focusing more on SUVs than some of the names mentioned above.
Is Toyota a reliable car brand?
Although Toyota doesn’t rank as high as Honda and Acura for reliability with RepairPal, that doesn’t mean the venerable auto giant isn’t reliable. For years, Toyota has held a reputation as the most reliable Japanese car brand. It ranks in the top 10 from RepairPal with an excellent 4.0 out of 5.0 rating, placing it above average.
