Whenever anyone asks a car enthusiast what the most reliable brands are, most will enthusiastically say, “Toyota.” The V8 engines in the late 1990s and early 2000s Tundra trucks were unkillable. Toyota designed and produced some of the most reliable six-cylinder engines ever made for the 4Runner in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

For years, Consumer Reports testers and driver survey respondents have ranked Toyota and its luxury division, Lexus, as the most reliable brands (both new and used). This year marks the first time that Toyota or Lexus is not sitting comfortably in first place. Toyota and Lexus rank as the second and third most reliable brands.

Subaru, a relatively small Japanese manufacturer with just nine models, no hybrids, and only one EV (the Solterra, which is just a rebadged Toyota bz4X), has taken the crown. Consumer Reports sent a survey to drivers who owned vehicles from 2000 to 2024 to address 20 of the most common complaints in new and used cars over a year.

Consumer Reports assemble the rankings based on member’s responses and their vehicle reviews. While Subaru has regularly scored in the top five most reliable vehicles, Jake Fisher, the senior director of auto testing, says reliability ratings depend on a lot of factors.

“While brand rankings can guide you to the showroom, it is critical to also look at reliability for specific models before making a purchase decision,” he said.

“Even within high-ranking companies, there can be significant variation in reliability.”

So, what makes a Subaru more reliable?

Toyota has had a hard time impressing customers with its radical vehicle redesigns and abundant recalls. Toyota has recalled millions of RAV4 hybrids due to fire risks from the hybrid battery, issued 10 recalls for the new Tundra since the 2022 model year, and recalled the 2023 to 2024 Corolla for cracking steering shafts.

Subaru’s redesigns, such as the appearance change for the 2025 Forester, have been warmly accepted.

Toyota had 10 active recalls across various models, mainly the Sequoia, Tundra, Crown, Prius, and Corolla since 2022. Subaru has issued 10 recalls, with the only models recalled after 2022 being the 2024 Crosstrek and Impreza, due to a risk of a short circuit that can cause a loss of power while driving.

Subaru is also recalling 2023 Legacy vehicles due to an improper weld that could allow water to seep through and damage the inhibitor switch. A failed inhibitor switch can prevent the reverse lights from switching on, and the reverse camera from engaging.

Toyota has also introduced new hybrid engines in the Land Cruiser, Tundra, and Sequoia – and first model years of any engine can go through growing pains. Subaru’s engine updates have been minor, with hybrids to be introduced (with the help of Toyota) in 2025.

“Subaru’s cars share many reliable components,” said Steven Elek, a data analyst for the outlet. “This commonality means that when Subaru redesigns a vehicle, it can make fewer incremental changes by carrying over dependable systems. This reduces the risk of new problems.”

The Subaru Forester and Impreza have the highest reliability ratings. The Outback, Ascent, Legacy, and Crosstrek rate above average and average.