The latest survey by Consumer Reports has revealed a significant shift in the reliability landscape of vehicles. Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids have shown remarkable progress in closing the gap with gas-powered automobiles. This development comes as a result of the maturing of EV and plug-in technology, as automakers gain more experience with new platforms and technologies.

Unveiling the Truth About Electric Vehicle Reliability

Improvement in Electric Vehicle Reliability

Consumer Reports subscribers, who participated in surveys throughout 2024, reported that electric vehicles had 42% more problems than gas autos on average. However, this figure is a significant improvement from the 79% more problems noted in the 2023 survey. The survey, which measured the reliability of vehicles mainly from the 2022, 2023, and 2024 model years, also showed that plug-ins had 70% more problems than gas vehicles, but this was less than half the difference found in the previous year's survey. Jake Fisher, head of Consumer Reports' automobile test center, attributes this improvement to the automakers' growing experience with new technologies. "As the automakers get more experience with the new technologies and new platforms, they will improve," Fisher said. He expects plug-in and electric vehicles to continue getting better, further narrowing the gap with gas vehicles. However, one factor that may pose a challenge is that automakers often test new automation and other features on EVs, which can lead to glitches. "Until we get to where an EV is just a car that does practical things with their own powertrain, I’m not sure they’ll ever catch up totally" to gas vehicles, Fisher said.

Comparison with Gas-Electric Hybrids

Gas-electric hybrids, which switch from internal combustion to electric power to improve mileage, were found to be about as reliable as cars with combustion engines. Fisher explained that while the technology is complex, it has been refined for a quarter century, mainly by pioneer Toyota. "CR’s tests have shown that they are often quieter, quicker and more pleasant to drive than their gasoline-only counterparts," he said. This highlights the reliability and performance advantages of gas-electric hybrids.

Brand Reliability Rankings

Consumer Reports' 2024 survey of subscribers representing about 300,000 vehicle owners found that Subaru was the most reliable brand for the first time. This was followed by perennial top finishers Lexus and Toyota. Rounding out the top five were Honda and its Acura luxury brand. It was the first time since 2020 that neither Toyota nor its Lexus luxury brand were in the top spot. The highest-ranked brand from a U.S.-based automaker was General Motors' Buick at No. 11. The five lowest of 22 brands that were ranked were electric upstart Rivian, followed by GM's Cadillac luxury brand, GMC, Jeep, and Volkswagen. The magazine and website didn't get enough data this year to rank Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Lucid, Maserati, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Porsche, and Ram. Electric vehicle sales leader Tesla finished 17th, down three spots from last year's survey. Subaru took first place by following a formula similar to Toyota's for achieving high reliability scores. Instead of making major changes when updating or unveiling new vehicles, Subaru carries parts over from the prior generation. "They don't fix what’s not broken," Fisher said. "They continue to refine their products, and because the products perform quite well, they don't have to have big changes." Rivian, on the other hand, is a new company with new electric models that have more glitches due to the lack of proven powertrains from prior generations.

Most Reliable Vehicles

The survey found that the gas-powered Toyota RAV4 small SUV was the most reliable vehicle, followed by the Toyota Corolla compact car. The RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid was third, followed by the RAV4 gas-electric hybrid. These results highlight the reliability of Toyota vehicles and the growing popularity of plug-in hybrids.Consumer Reports' survey of its subscriber base does not represent all vehicle purchasers in the U.S. or the population that bought specific vehicle types. However, the survey results provide valuable insights into the reliability trends of different vehicle types and brands. The survey results were released at a meeting of the Automotive Press Association of Detroit.