Find the Best Car Deals Near You ⤵
Top 10 Most Reliable Car Brands
April 3, 2014
When you're looking to buy a car, of course you want one that's going to be reliable and not have you spending tons of money to fix it.
CarMD.com has recently released their annual list of the most reliable car manufacturers. The 2013 CarMD Reliability Rankings bases its rankings on the combined number of "check engine" related issues a vehicle has over the past year, as well as who has the lowest repair costs. The 2013 report is based on repairs that were done from October 1, 2012, to September 30, 2013, and features about 119 million model year 2003-2013 vehicles.
When it comes to manufacturers, Hyundai ranked #1 on the list, having the least amount of "check engine" problems and lowest average repair costs. The top five are rounded out by (in order) Toyota, GM, Chrysler, and Honda.
As for the top 10 most reliable vehicles, the 2012 Toyota Camry was crowned #1, followed by the 2012 Nissan Altima and 2011 Toyota Corolla.
If you're considering any of these vehicles, I recommend you use TrueCar No Haggle and CarsDirect to get the best deal possible.
Most Reliable Vehicle Brands
Rank | Manufacturer | % CarMD Problems Seen | Avg. Repair Cost | Year-Over-Year Overall Rating Comparison* | Year-Over-Year Comparison |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hyundai | 2.44% | $312.67 | 0.80 (0.67) | Rating Improved from #2 in 2012 |
2 | Toyota | 10.34% | $540.53 | 0.86 (0.58) | Rating Dropped from #1 in 2012 |
3 | GM | 28.75% | $304.99 | 0.91 (1.12) | Rating Improved from #8 in 2012 |
4 | Chrysler | 5.19% | $325.38 | 0.96 (1.23) | Rating Improved from #10 in 2012 |
5 | Honda | 12.62% | $469.93 | 0.97 (0.98) | Rating Improved from #4 in 2012 |
6 | Ford | 24.17% | $385.82 | 1.04 (1.17) | Rating Improved from #9 in 2012 |
7 | Nissan | 8.61% | $404.61 | 1.09 (1.00) | Rating Dropped from #6 in 2012 |
8 | Kia | 2.46% | $346.92 | 1.56 (1.04) | Rating Dropped from #7 in 2012 |
9 | Volkswagen | 2.61% | $438.35 | 1.79 (0.99) | Rating Dropped from #5 in 2012 |
10 | Mitsubishi | 1.74% | $472.96 | 2.84 (n/a) | New to Top 10 |
Most Reliable Vehicles
Rank | Vehicle | Overall CarMD 2013 Index Rating Score |
---|---|---|
1 | 2012 Toyota Camry | 0.011 |
2 | 2012 Nissan Altima | 0.013 |
3 | 2011 Toyota Corolla | 0.014 |
4 | 2011 Toyota Camry | 0.015 |
5 | 2011 Nissan Rogue | 0.015 |
6 | 2012 Nissan Rouge | 0.016 |
7 | 2012 Nissan Sentra | 0.016 |
8 | 2010 Hyundai Elantra | 0.020 |
9 | 2011 Nissan Sentra | 0.021 |
10 | 2012 Mazda 3 | 0.021 |
Signup for The Weekly Newsletter

Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author

Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
November 2023
- Biggest Price Drops on New Cars (Fall 2023) Nov 30, 2023
- Best Car Deals Around the Country Nov 30, 2023
- Cheapest Luxury Lease Deals Nov 30, 2023
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks Nov 30, 2023
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Nov 23, 2023
- Best Black Friday Car Deals Nov 23, 2023
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Nov 23, 2023
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Nov 23, 2023
- Worst Cars to Lease Right Now Nov 16, 2023
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Nov 16, 2023
- Which Cars Better to Lease or Buy Nov 16, 2023
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Nov 16, 2023
- Best 0% Finance Deals November 2023 Nov 09, 2023
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Nov 09, 2023
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Nov 09, 2023
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Nov 09, 2023
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars Nov 02, 2023
- Best Car Deals by Category Nov 02, 2023
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Nov 02, 2023
- New Cars You Should Wait to Buy Nov 02, 2023
October 2023
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Oct 26, 2023
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars for 2023 Oct 19, 2023
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars Oct 19, 2023
I welcome your car buying questions. Email Me and I'll be glad to answer them!