Consumer Reports says these are the most unreliable used cars

Within the automobile-centric environment comprising most of the U. S., having a reliable car is the biggest factor in determining if that you only may maybe get around.

According to new data from Kelley Blue Book and Cox Automotive, the average transaction price of a brand new car in July 2024 was $forty eight,401.

That's now not cheap.

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With new car prices soaring, Consumer Reports estimated that as many as Forty% of buyers last year were solely eyeing used models. But with so many cars on the used market, that's far easy to settle for a car with a fascinating set of features for a low price.

Alternatively, the results of a brand new learn about by Consumer Reports show that customers would possibly steer clear of one particular Detroit automaker and its well-known brands, as they lack reliability.

The worst used cars to purchase

Consumer Reports surveyed 150,000 owners of 2014-2019 vehicles of their learn about and scrutinized them on "20 potential trouble areas."

Vehicle problems range from small issues like squeaky brakes and broken interior trim to major problems that require expensive repairs, like out-of-warranty engine and transmission problems. Consumer Reports weighed these issues accordingly to calculate an overall reliability score.

According to Consumer Reports results, owners of cars from multinational automaker Stellantis (STLA) say that they are an even deal of a few of the most unreliable on the used market. Four out of the underside five slots on the list consisted of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram.

Owners of the 2014 Ram 1500 told Consumer Reports that they'd issues with the transmission, drive system, engine, brakes, and power equipment.

Owners of the favored 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee were plagued by a transmission issue that required a replacement, to boot to additional problems with the fuel system, climate system, suspension, and steering.

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Meanwhile, owners of the favored 2014 Dodge Durango reported that they were dragged down by issues with the torque converter in its automatic transmission, power steering, oil leaks, and brakes.

Additionally, owners of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid reported that they'd to replace the minivan's battery % and faced issues with the transmission, plug-in electrical drive system, and charging components.

Between Dodge and Jeep was Tesla (TSLA) , whose 2014-2019 Model S and Model X vehicles suffered a litany of issues. Problems were reported with keyless entry and headlights, and problems that warranted the replacement of pricy components like the infotainment screen and electric motors.

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On the opposite end of the list, the pinnacle five brands were all Japanese marques, including Toyota, Lexus, Mazda, Honda, and Acura.

The gap between Toyota, Lexus, and Mazda's reliability scores and the worst performers is wide, confirming their reputation for reliability among auto buyers.

Consumer Reports senior automotive data analyst Steven Elek attributes this to discipline at the automaker from Toyota City.

“Brands like Lexus and Toyota have a history of conservative redesigns, incrementally making improvements to their entire product line, versus introducing many all-new systems,” says Elek. “Our data consistently shows over time that cars from those brands are reliable when new, and so they continue to be reliable as they age.”

Car buyer beware

Though Consumer Reports rated brands as an entire, they noted that customers should accept as true with investigating the reliability of every individual model, as normally unreliable brands are completely able to creating a normally reliable model and vice versa.

Additionally, shoppers who stumble upon used cars will stumble upon unique cases with their own unique history of use and service which is able to differ from the "norm."

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