Reliable performance sells cars. A 2024 CarGurus study showed that reliability is a key influence for 41% of buyers, higher than those considering budget or expected cost of ownership. So bragging about reliability is a big deal for automakers. In the latest findings from Consumer Reports, Japanese brands continue to dominate the organization’s ranking of the most reliable new cars.
However, the pecking order has changed. Toyota holds the top spot in 2026, while last year’s winner Subaru drops to second. Lexus, meanwhile, slipped to third place from last year’s silver position. Aside from the obvious connection between Toyota and Lexus, there’s another common link between the top three. Toyota owns about 20% of Subaru, and the two companies share several models (bZ/Solterra and GR86/BRZ).
The change in Consumer Reports’ rankings isn’t because Subaru or Lexus have become less reliable, but because Toyota’s reliability has improved. Last year, problems with the latest versions of some redesigned models hampered the brand’s growth. According to Consumer Reports, it looks like Toyota will be going all-in by 2026. However, unreliable Toyotas do exist.
Read more: These are the least reliable Japanese cars, according to Consumer Reports
Why Toyota’s reliability improves in 2026
A red 2026 Toyota Tacoma is parked on the paved road. – Toyota
Toyota regained its reliability crown in 2026 thanks to improvements in some models. The ninth-generation Camry debuts in 2025, and CR calls it an average reliability rating. This year, with the 2026 Camry’s reliability improving to above-average expectations, the automaker appears to have fixed some of the issues.
Tacoma, another major form of transportation, has followed a similar path. Reliability was below average for its 2024 redesign and has moved into average in the latest model year. Likewise, the twin-turbo V6 engine of the third-generation Tundra, which will debut in 2022, also had problems and was recalled in its early years. These issues appear to have been resolved as reliability settles into average territory.
Without considering the complexity of the CR rating system, it’s worth mentioning that only Toyota and Subaru fall into the above-average reliability category. The vast majority of brands, including Lexus, have average reliability scores. To be fair, Lexus is only one point behind in the rankings.
Other reliability winners and losers in 2026
A red 2026 Mazda CX-5 on a gravel road and in front of a garage. – Mazda
While the cars at the top of the rankings tend to get the most attention, some automakers in CR’s study have made significant reliability moves, for better or worse. Tesla was criticized for rising from 17th to ninth place. Helping this movement is the Model Y and Model 3, which rank as the most reliable in their respective electric car categories. “Problem rates for body hardware, paint and trim, and electrical accessories have dropped significantly,” CR noted.
Mazda, on the other hand, fell out of favor, falling from sixth to 14th place. The decline resulted in the Hiroshima-based automaker becoming the lowest-ranked Japanese brand in the 2026 survey (Infiniti and Mitsubishi did not make the list). Two factors contributed to the decline. There are issues with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of the CX-70 and CX-90, according to owner surveys collected by CR. In particular, the 2026 CX-90 PHEV scored poorly in predicted reliability, ranking 18th out of 20 midsize three-row SUVs.
In addition, Mazda’s best-selling CX-5 is excluded, which also brings greater trouble to Mazda. As a rule, CR excludes the first year of a new vehicle from its predicted reliability rankings. Jalopnik’s first review of the 2026 Mazda CX-5 calls it a strange-looking upgrade.
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