GREENSBORO, N.C. — Buying a new car isn’t cheap these days. With both prices and interest rates climbing, choosing a model that will hold up over time matters more than ever. Each year, Consumer Reports surveys its members about problems they’ve experienced with their vehicles over the past 12 months. The feedback covers everything from minor annoyances like trim issues and glitchy infotainment systems to major and expensive trouble with engines, transmissions, or electric motors—problems no new-car owner wants to face.
“The real concern comes later: once the warranty expires, an unreliable car becomes a costly headache that can drain both time and money,” said CR’s auto expert Mike Quincy.
This year’s analysis drew from data on roughly 380,000 vehicles. The top-performing brands were Toyota, Subaru, and Lexus, followed by Honda and BMW. Quincy says these automakers consistently lead the rankings because they avoid making drastic redesigns that introduce new risks, and they often use shared components across models—an approach that tends to support long-term reliability…