The 5 Most Reliable Car Brands - Subaru Misses Out At 6th Best

Does Subaru make reliable cars? The answer is yes, but they aren't among the top five automakers. Those top five spots, according to a new Consumer Reports surveys, are reserved for Lexus #1 with a score of 79, followed by Toyota (76), Mini (71), Acura (70), and Honda (70). 

I cover Subaru's reliability score yearly, and Subaru just missed the top five most reliable car brands by one point. Subaru scored a 69. Mazda scored 67, Porsche (66), BMW (64), and Kia (61) round out the Consumer Reports top ten most reliable car brands list.

Subaru did move up a spot from last year's study when they were number seven overall. 

CR says, "This Japanese automaker has long been synonymous with unpretentious, practical, and affordable all-wheel-drive vehicles. Subarus typically do well in our testing thanks to roomy interiors, easy access, great visibility, intuitive controls, good fuel economy, and a comfortable ride. Subarus have fared well in our reliability surveys, consistently ranking in top-10 of all manufacturers."

Subaru models that score above-average or well-above-average reliability.

According to the latest CR reliability data, the Subaru BRZ sport coupe, WRX performance sports sedan, Forester compact SUV, and redesigned 2024 Crosstrek subcompact SUV score above-average or well-above-average reliability. 

Subaru's models ranked from best to worst.

1. Subaru Crosstrek
2. Subaru Forester
3. Subaru WRX
4. Subaru BRZ
5. Subaru Outback
6. Subaru Ascent
7. Subaru Solterra
8. Subaru Legacy
9. Subaru Impreza (not ranked)

The Crosstrek is Subaru's most reliable model, scoring 99. The Subaru Forester is the next most reliable model, scoring 82, followed by the WRX (78) and the Subaru BRZ (76).

Consumer Reports 10 Most Reliable Cars - It’s The Subaru Forester Again @DenisFlierl @AllSubaru @torquenewsauto#subaru #forester #subaruforesterhttps://t.co/X57o5JPmiY
— Subaru Report (@SubaruReport) November 29, 2023

The Crosstrek and Forester have well above-average reliability. The performance models, WRX and BRZ, have above-average reliability. The Outback, Ascent, Solterra, and Legacy have average reliability.

The Outback scores 50 points, followed by the Ascent (49), Solterra (47), and Legacy (47). Consumer Reports has not released the scoring for the 2024 Subaru Impreza. 

Why do some Subaru models have average reliability?

The 2024 Subaru Outback, Ascent, Solterra EV, and Legacy are all average in reliability. According to the new Consumer Reports ranking, CR says, "Some members report that the Solterra EV has problems with charging, the Outback and Legacy have in-car electronics issues, and the Ascent SUV has climate system and brake problems."

How does CR score reliability?

Every year, CR asks its members about problems they've had with their vehicles in the previous 12 months. This year, they gathered data on over 330,000 cars from the 2000 to 2023 model years, with a few early-introduced 2024 model years. 

CR studies 20 trouble areas, from nuisances—such as squeaky brakes and broken interior trim—to major bummers, such as potentially expensive out-of-warranty engine, transmission, EV battery, and EV charging problems. 

2024 Subaru WRX Gets A Big Win From Consumer Reports @DenisFlierl @AllSubaru @torquenewsauto#subaru #wrx #subaruwrx #wrxtrhttps://t.co/W6vtVc2SgL
— Subaru Report (@SubaruReport) December 4, 2023

They use that information to give reliability ratings for every major mainstream model. CR weighs the severity of each type of problem to create a predicted reliability score for each vehicle, from 1 to 100.

What are the most reliable car brands for 2024? Consumer reports says Subaru misses the top five best brands and is the sixth best now.

Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope you enjoyed this Subaru Reliability story. See you tomorrow for my latest Subaru Report.

For additional articles related to new Subaru models, here are a few of my top stories you may enjoy. 

My Must-Read Top Picks

• Consumer Reports 10 Most Reliable Cars - It’s The Subaru Forester Again
• Consumer Reports Reveals Subaru’s Best And Worst Models For Reliability
• It’s Another Best-Ever For The All-New Subaru Crosstrek

Check out the Consumer Reports’ 2024 Cars Reliability Results on YouTube

I am Denis Flierl, a 12-year Torque News senior writer with 20+ years of Subaru and automotive journalism experience. I enjoy bringing you, the Subaru fans and customers, the most up-to-date Subaru news, reviews, and new model information. You'll find the latest Subaru stories on the Subaru page. Follow me on my The Dirty Subaru website, Dirty Subaru blog, SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

I’ve got you covered! - I cover all Subaru all the time - It’s called the “Subaru Report.” Check back daily for my expert Subaru analysis!

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photo credit: Subaru USA