Not all car models manufacturers produce are made with the same build quality and most times offer different reliability results. When it comes to auto manufacturers reliability ratings as a whole the average of all their models will be taken into account. Therefore the results below are for brand and not model specific. Every manufacturer has at some point in time produced a "lemon".
From reliabilityindex.com in the UK (Europe);
"The UK Reliability index takes into account all factors of a repair, the cost of the parts and the frequency of failures."
Top 10 most reliable auto manufacturers in order:
Honda, Daihatsu, Suzuki, Toyota, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Lexus, Ford, Mazda, and Skoda. If you would like to see the full list click on the link:
http://www.reliabilityindex.com/manufacturer
From the New York Times article based on consumer reports article (North America);
"The results of Consumer Reports’ annual survey, which tries to highlight
the most reliable 2014 vehicles by evaluating past years’ models. The report is based on data from 1.1 million 2004-13 model-year vehicles
leased or owned by Consumer Reports subscribers. Subscribers were asked
whether, in the last year, they had a serious problem with their
vehicle that required a visit to the dealer."
Top 10 most reliable auto manufacturers in order:
Lexus, Toyota, Acura, Audi, Mazda, Infinity, Volvo, Honda, GMC, and Subaru. If you would like to see the full list click on the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/automobiles/japanese-autos-lose-ground-in-consumer-reports-reliability-ratings.html?_r=0
From J.D. Power.com in the US;
"The study, now in its 24th year, measures problems experienced during
the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old vehicles (those
that were introduced for the 2010 model year). Overall dependability is
determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles
(PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality."
Top 10 most reliable auto manufacturers in order:
Lexus, Porsche, Lincoln, Toyota, Mercedes, Buick, Honda, Acura, RAM, and Suzuki.
If you would like to see the full list click on the link:
http://autos.jdpower.com/ratings/dependability-press-release.htm
In summary I would take all three of these results and find a common factor in all. Basically manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, Mazda, and Suzuki have repeatedly shown up in dependability tests. It may be a better bet to choose one of those or at least one of the manufacturers which score high two or more times on the reliability rankings.
You may also want to look at my October 10th posting on best rustproofed cars before making your final decision.
Happy shopping.
