Which Brands Make the Best Used Cars?

Consumer Reports’ ranks 26 car brands based on the reliability of their 5- to 10-year-old models

By Jeff S. Bartlett
Managing Editor, Autos

Data visualizations by Andy BergmannData analysis by Steven Elek and Anita Lam 

Updated March 4, 2025

Consumer Reports’ brand ranking for used cars—focused on the reliability of 5- to 10-year-old models—makes it clear that buyers can reduce their risk of car trouble by concentrating on some brands over others. In the face of high new-car prices, tariffs, and inflation, buying a used model from a brand with a good reliability record can help owners save money on their next vehicle.

Of 26 brands, Lexus and Toyota top the list with a commanding advantage over third-ranked Mazda. All three brands have consistently earned average or better reliability ratings over the years. Honda and Acura round up the top five. Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler are the least reliable for used cars, with 24th, 25th, and 26th positions in the ranking, respectively. 

“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 Steven Elek, CR’s senior automotive data analyst. “Our data consistently shows over time that cars from those brands are reliable when new, and they continue to be reliable as they age.”

See the Used-Car Top Picks.

In this article

• Used-Car Brand Reliability
• How We Score Used-Car Reliability

Elek says that other brands have much less consistent reliability across their model lines. For example, over the seven years that the latest generation of the Chevrolet Equinox was sold, only the 2019 and 2024 editions have above-average reliability. Compare that with the entire 2014-2018 generation of the Chevrolet Silverado, which has below-average reliability for all four years. “This is why it’s best to check the reliability ratings for each model year when buying a used car,” he says. “Making assumptions can prove both costly and inconvenient.”

It’s also important to remember that when buying a used car, the reliability of individual models can vary from the brand’s average. Each option you might consider is unique, with its own history of use and service.

Used-Car Brand Reliability

The brands are ranked based on the problems reported by CR members on currently owned 5- to 10-year-old vehicles. Select the buttons on the right to see all the models that were factored into the calculations, and click the model names for more reliability insights. Some models offered during that period were omitted from the analysis because we didn’t have enough data to meet our threshold for inclusion.

Rank

Brand

Reliability Verdict

1

Lexus

81

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2

Toyota

74

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3

Mazda

63

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4

Honda

56

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5

Acura

55

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6

Buick

53

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7

Volvo

49

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8

Nissan

49

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9

Subaru

48

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10

Cadillac

48

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11

Mercedes-Benz

47

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12

BMW

45

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13

Lincoln

43

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14

Audi

42

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15

Tesla

40

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16

Volkswagen

40

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17

Chevrolet

40

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18

Ram

38

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19

Ford

38

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20

Kia

37

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21

GMC

36

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22

Hyundai

36

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23

Mini

33

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24

Dodge

32

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25

Jeep

31

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26

Chrysler

29

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We calculated brand-level used-car reliability scores by averaging the overall reliability verdict score for all models within a brand for the 2015 through 2020 model years.

It’s no surprise that our used-car brand reliability findings often differ from our predicted reliability ratings for new cars. With new cars, we’re basing our analysis on the latest three years of reliability, along with brand history and other factors, such as whether a brand uses the same proven components in multiple cars. 

The cars in our analysis of used models are often from an earlier generation, meaning they might not look like the current new models or share the same components. Plus, automaker portfolios can change significantly over time, especially this past decade, when many companies phased out sedans and hatchbacks for SUVs and trucks. (This trend is best exemplified by Ford, which currently offers a single car, the Mustang.) 

Some brands, like BMW, have different placements in new vs. used reliability rankings. Rising reliability ratings mean that used BMWs may rank low. But for new-car predicted reliability, BMWs are high, in eighth place in our rankings. Trends can go in the other direction as well. Among used 5- to 10-year-old models, Volvo placed seventh for reliability. But in our new-car brand reliability rankings, it ranked 15th.

Overall, Teslas are becoming more reliable, a