In the car-centric environment comprising most of the United States, having a reliable car is the most important factor in determining if you can get around.
According to new data from Kelley Blue Book and Cox Automotive, the average transaction price of a new car in July 2024 was $48,401.
That is not cheap.
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With new car prices soaring, Consumer Reports estimated that as many as 40% of buyers last year were solely eyeing used models. But with so many cars on the used market to choose from, it is easy to settle for a car with an attractive set of features for a low price.
However, the results of a new study by Consumer Reports show that buyers might want to avoid one particular Detroit automaker and its well-known brands, as they lack reliability.
Jeep vehicles seen outside a Jeep dealership
The worst culprits
In their study, Consumer Reports surveyed 150,000 owners of 2014-2019 vehicles and scrutinized them on “20 potential trouble areas.” These include small issues like squeaky brakes and broken interior trim to major problems that require expensive repairs like out-of-warranty engine and transmission problems, weighing them accordingly to calculate an overall reliability score.
According to their results, owners of cars from multinational automaker Stellantis (STLA) say that they are some of the most unreliable on the used market, as four out of the bottom five slots on the list consisted of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram.
Various issues in key models inspired Consumer Reports’ decision to rank them so low. 2014 Ram 1500 owners told CR that they had issues with the transmission, drive system, engine, brakes and power equipment, while owners of the popular 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee were plagued by a transmission issue that required a replacement, as well as additional problems with the fuel system, climate system, suspension and steering.
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Meanwhile, owners of the popular 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 had to replace the minivan’s battery pack and faced issues with the transmission, plug-in electrical drive system, and charging components.
In between Dodge and Jeep was Tesla, whose 2014-2019 Model S and Model X vehicles suffered a litany of issues, including with the keyless entry and headlights, as well as problems that warranted the replacement of expensive key components like the infotainment screen, electric motors and the better.
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On the opposite end of the list, the top five brands were all Japanese marques, including Toyota, Lexus, Mazda, Honda, and Acura.
The gap between Toyota, Lexus, and Mazda’s reliability scores is separated by a wide margin, which confirms their reputation for reliability among knowledgable and layman 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 improving their entire product line, rather than introducing many all-new systems,” says Elek. “Our data consistently shows over time that cars from those brands are reliable when new, and they continue to be reliable as they age.”
Buyer Beware
Though Consumer Reports rated brands as a whole, they noted that buyers should consider investigating the reliability of each individual model, as generally unreliable brands are completely capable of making a generally reliable model and vice versa.
Additionally, shoppers who encounter used cars will encounter unique cases with their own unique history of use and service that may differ from the “norm.”
Stellantis NV, which trades under STLA on the New York Stock Exchange, is up 0.48% today, trading at $15.58 at the time of writing.
Tesla Inc., which trades under TSLA on the NASDAQ, is up 3.21% today, trading at $217.50 at the time of writing.
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