CONSUMER REPORTS: Most reliable cars of 2023

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Shopping for a new car can be tricky and nerve-wracking in the best of times. No one wants to waste money—or time—on an unreliable model. With supply chain issues and inflation, it’s even more important now to make a good choice. Here’s the good news: Consumer Reports is here to help with its just released exclusive car reliability report. We’ve got its list of brands and models that owners consider the most reliable and the ones that are regulars at the repair shop.

Every year Consumer Reports surveys hundreds of thousands of its members asking them a simple but important question: What problems have they had with their vehicles in the past year? The survey asks about everything from the engine, transmission, and brakes to electrical systems, noise, leaks, paint, and trim.

With reports on more than 300,000 vehicles, Consumer Reports calculated predicted reliability ratings.

This year, Toyota, Lexus, and BMW were the top brands, with BMW moving up 10 spots from last year.

And while pickup trucks account for 1 of every 5 new vehicles sold, they fell behind in reliability. Pickup trucks have been at the lower end of CR’s ratings for six of the last seven years. In this year’s survey, there were only seven trucks of more than a dozen that had reliability scores that were better than average or average.

If you’re looking for a tried-and-true reliable vehicle, Consumer Reports says a car—as in a traditional sedan—might be the way to go.

Sedan body styles have been on the road for a long time, which has given manufacturers a chance to work on some of those problem areas and bugs. Trucks, minivans, and SUVs have complicated systems and can be more problematic.

You might also be surprised to learn that Consumer Reports found a majority of hybrids vehicles were as reliable as or better than their nonhybrid counterparts. The most reliable car in CR’s survey was the Toyota Corolla Hybrid.

Auto brands at the bottom of the reliability report were Mercedes-Benz, Jeep, and Volkswagen.

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