Who wants new wheels? What with tariffs, inflation and, in some countries, a shrinking choice of powertrain as combustion engines face the chop – not to mention digital technology that baffles or even infuriates some motorists – second-hand auto markets are robust. But older cars themselves are perhaps less so… 

Consumer Reports, an American non-profit that helps customers make informed choices, has studied the reliability of vehicles up to 10 years old to find out how the models turning up on today’s used car forecourts are likely to perform. And some of its findings might surprise you. So if you’re thinking of buying a pre-loved ride, read on...

All dollar amounts in US dollars.

Consumer Reports logged owners’ feedback on over 150,00 cars between five and 10 years old. Noting every conceivable problem from nuisance noises to major malfunctions, they were able to come up with a Reliability Verdict (RV) – an overall score that rises with each car’s reliability. 

The rankings are not to be confused with the resilience of currently available new models. In fact, the differences between each manufacturer’s new and older products can be eye-opening. It’s also useful to consider other Consumer Reports data regarding ongoing maintenance costs and customer satisfaction scores. With all that in mind, let’s look under the bonnet at the top 20 most reliable car brands…   

South Korean brand Kia, owned by Hyundai, is famous for offering one of the automotive world’s longer warranties – a full seven years. Presumably, they don’t do that while expecting big problems with their cars, yet the brand scores only a modest RV of 37 in the study, securing 20th place. Incidentally, its new vehicles do considerably better, with a 9th place ranking. 

Drivers of cast-off Kias can relax though: over 10 years the cars typically run up a relatively affordable $6,500 repair and maintenance bill, and the brand comes in a respectable 16th place in the owner satisfaction index, with just over two-thirds of buyers saying they would choose Kia again. 

One of America’s "Big Three" automotive giants, Ford now tends to move away from making smaller cars in favour of bigger trucks and SUVs. Consumer Reports recommends some offerings such as the Maverick (pictured), a hybrid petrol-electric pickup truck, but says other vehicles can score low in road tests and have average or below-average reliability. Its verdict on older models is that “with some exceptions, used Fords can be a risk.” Their RV is 38. 

That said, Ford still achieves a top-10 owner satisfaction ranking, with 67% of buyers saying they’d opt for the famous blue badge in their next purchase, so presumably they’re doing something right. 

US brand Ram is mainly known for large, rugged vehicles, and Consumer Reports says it has a middle ranking for the reliability of new products. The customer champion singles out one model – the Ram 1500 pick-up – as particularly deserving of praise. However, second-hand older ones score a rather (drumroll…) sheepish RV of 38, leaving them to share equal 18th place with Ford. 

When and if Ram vehicles do need attention, they’ll tend to attract fairly normal costs, with a 10-year repair and maintenance bill of $7,605. But the marque only manages 22nd place out of 27 for owner satisfaction, as just 56% of owners responding said their next car would be from the same stable. 

Part of General Motors, Chevrolet can perhaps hold claim to the most all-American image, with iconic models like the Corvette and the Bel Air (pictured) etched into our vision of cruising US highways. Appropriately enough, the brand still builds some models in the vicinity of Motor City – Detroit. 

The vehicles themselves might not all stand the test of time so well though. Consumer Reports gave used examples an overall RV of 40, saying some – though not all – have reliability issues. On the plus side, they can be less expensive than many cars to put right, with 10-year maintenance costs at just $6,050. Whatever the ups and downs might be, driving a Chevy seems popular, and 70% of owners say they would buy from the brand again. 

Thanks mainly to tariffs and Chinese competition, Germany’s automotive behemoth is facing difficult times right now. According to Consumer Reports members, its factory-fresh cars won’t help the situation much, as they rank a rather uninspiring 18th out of 22 reliability contenders. Older VWs perform a little better, though they’re still fairly average, with an RV of 40 that places them in equal 15th place.  

Not everyone has such a downbeat assessment though. Forbes has rated VW’s Passat saloon (pictured) as the second-most reliable used car in its five and 10-year-old categories, with an expected total lifespan of up to 17 years. 

We’re used to hearing about Tesla’s technical ingenuity, so perhaps it’s a surprise to learn it only makes equal 15th place in this list. However, as Consumer Reports points out, it was previously ranked in 24th place, so its vehicles appear to be improving rapidly thanks to manufacturing advances and improved engineering.

Electronic glitches and minor bodywork defects seem to be among the most common issues reported. Happily, putting them right won’t set you back too much: Tesla’s 10-year repair and maintenance cost is just $5,050 – the cheapest of any brand surveyed – while it secures a very impressive third place in the customer satisfaction rankings.

Volkswagen’s upscale brand Audi scores less well than you might imagine, with an RV of 42 in our list. While praising the luxury feel of its saloons and SUVs, Consumer Reports declares used models are “difficult to recommend” due to their high maintenance costs. These add up to some $11,050 over 10 years – one of the most expensive of any brand surveyed. Some $9,000 of that is incurred on cars over five years old. 

Having said all that, a survey by UK magazine What Car? found the Audi A3 saloon to be the most reliable used car in both its gasoline and diesel variants, recommending readers search out a 2017 model (pictured). So, Vorsprung durch Technik? Or schadenfreude? You decide. 

A luxury marque belonging to Ford and once the maker of the famous Continental, Lincoln outperforms its parent brand to come 13th in the used car reliability list with an RV of 43. Its 10-year repair costs are also more impressive, coming second only to Tesla at $5,200. That's well under half the repair costs typically seen by Audi.  

The company no longer builds the capacious sedans it was once known for, now preferring SUVs, but they’re still plentiful on the second-hand market. The now-discontinued MKZ is one example, and it’s earned a good reputation for reliability, with examples built in 2020 (pictured) seen as especially worthwhile. Forbes agrees, placing the MKZ as third in its own used car reliability hit parade. 

The driver behind that huge kidney grille in your rearview mirror? Apparently they're happy, since BMW ranks second when it comes to owner satisfaction, with 73% of Beamer buyers willing to get another. If they’re behind the wheel of an older model, though, they could be marginally less content: At 45, the marque’s RV is not bad, but not the best. Typical 10-year maintenance costs are a hefty $9,800 too, so running older Bavarian wheels might not come cheap. 

Once more though, What Car? magazine takes a more positive line, placing used BMWs ahead of its premium German rivals for steering clear of the garage, and singling out the 1 Series (pictured) for particular praise, followed by the 3 and 5 Series. 

With a whopping maintenance and repair cost of $13,100 over 10 years, Stuttgart’s pride lives up to its pricey image even in old age. “An expensive base price with expensive options and below-average reliability” is Consumer Reports’ rather damning verdict. Ouch. The price of out-of-warranty remedial work is apparently a big issue, while the organization’s members also rated Mercedes second-to-last in customer satisfaction, with only 53% of purchasers happy to repeat the experience. 

Yet again What Car? comes to the rescue, identifying the Mercedes SL as a top-five reliable used car in its own rankings. What Car? is a UK publication whereas Consumer Reports is based in the United States, so perhaps American motorists have just been unlucky. 

We enter the top 10 with Cadillac, a brand whose overall reliability when it comes to used cars is notably better than that of newly built offerings, according to Consumer Reports. Perhaps the simpler technology of yesteryear helps humble older models to prevail.  

Keeping your Caddy on the road will likely cost around $6,875 over a decade, while about two-thirds of owners would sign up to the brand again – both of which are respectable achievements. And the overall Reliability Verdict of 48 still beats any used premium German cars that Cadillac competes with head-to-head. 

Sharing that equal ninth place with Cadillac is Japanese automaker Subaru. Its current new models do even better, crowned the most reliable of any that Consumer Reports has studied. 

The company is best known for rugged, all-wheel drive vehicles like the Outback, Forester, and Legacy, and has earned a good reputation for safety, as well as rallying. Consumer Reports describes its products as “no nonsense” vehicles and points out that many of them score highly when it comes to owner satisfaction. The brand as a whole is top-10 ranked in that regard, coming in at eighth place with 68% of owners happy to buy again. As for repair and maintenance costs, they’ll set you back $7,270 over a decade, so fairly average. 

In corporate terms, Nissan is facing uncertain times, and some of its used cars seem to raise questions too. Consumer Reports talks of “up-and-down” reliability and inconsistent quality across the diverse range of SUVs, saloons, electric vehicles, and others. Overall, though, it awarded Nissan an RV of 49. Meanwhile, servicing and repair costs are good at $5,935, but this doesn’t help lift the overall owner satisfaction from 24th place out of 27, with only 54% of surveyed Nissan owners saying they would buy from the brand again.

If that all sounds a bit lacklustre, it’s worth considering that only six brands beat Nissan’s reliability score in the index. 

Volvo, which is owned by Chinese company Geely, shares seventh place with Nissan for reliability. Its new cars don’t do so well, ranking only 15th, and by the time it's 10 years old, a Volvo is likely to have set you back a not-inconsiderable $9,825. That’s the fifth-highest maintenance cost in Consumer Reports’ index. 

Of course, there are differences between the various models. Anecdotally, the XC40 (pictured) and XC60 seem to be among the best bets for avoiding the repair shop. 

Buick makes sixth place with a respectable RV of 53, placing it above any other US automaker. It does pretty well for its new cars’ durability too, achieving 11th place in that particular index. With upkeep costs of around $5,300 over a decade, these mainly mid-market vehicles offer better maintenance and repair value than any other make, bar Tesla and Lincoln.   

In fact, the only setback is a relatively humdrum 21st place for owner satisfaction, with only 59% of surveyed buyers saying they would opt for the tri-shield logo again. 

We’re into the top five most reliable used car brands now – and they’re all Japanese. Acura kicks off for us; famously reliable, it’s Honda’s more luxurious badge. Incidentally, new Acura vehicles also take fifth place for staying out of the garage. The company doesn't produce any hybrids, so perhaps avoiding complex powertrains helps keep its cars trouble-free. 

Mind you, Consumer Reports adds that the reliability of used Acuras does vary between models. This might explain why, despite such an impressive overall score, the brand only manages 19th place in the customer satisfaction rankings, with just 61% of owners saying they would consider buying another Acura. 

As for Acura’s parent company Honda, it does better still, with an RV one point higher at 56. Like Acura, its new car reliability ranking matches that of used vehicles.

Generally affordable and easily driven, Honda’s lineup includes models such as the small Fit (badged as the Jazz in some markets) and the ubiquitous Civic (pictured). And for once, everyone seems to agree they won’t let you down: Forbes’ top 10 reliable used cars includes both models, with the Fit coming out best of all for both five and 10-year-old examples with an expected lifespan of up to an amazing 19 years. What Car? is not quite so gushing but still finds a space in its top 10 for the 2015 gasoline-engine Civic. 

Mazda consistently produces dependable vehicles, often using naturally aspirated combustion engines rather than more complex turbo-charging systems. Some observers find them sturdier as a result, and Consumer Reports members award the brand a very high RV of 63, powering it into third place. 

Once again, there’s no apparent disagreement over Mazda’s achievement. Forbes marks out its Mazda3 hatchback for a top 10 listing at five years old, and What Car? suggests the 2018 CX-5 in a gasoline variant. Curiously, owner satisfaction is slightly less impressive, with only a modest 61% of owners saying they would choose the brand again. 

Toyota is the biggest carmaker in the world by volume, and perhaps its sizeable experience in bolting metal together means it does it very well. Consumer Reports also notes its strategy of incremental technical development, meaning the brand irons out problems over time and sticks with what works, rather than risking radical new designs. 

At any rate, with Toyota securing second place for both its used and new vehicles, its products seem unlikely to let you down. Unsurprisingly, 10-year repair and maintenance costs are low at just $5,300. What’s more surprising is the rather average owner satisfaction rating at 67%. Perhaps Toyota drivers yearn for a Lexus...

…and who could blame them? Lexus is, after all, Toyota’s very own luxury brand, and it boasts its parent company’s engineering prowess but with that extra level of refinement. It outperforms even Toyota’s reliability with a barnstorming RV of 81. New Lexus cars share the same billing, securing the very top spot. 

Keeping your luxury Lex on the road for 10 years is likely to cost a very acceptable $6,645, considerably less than fellow premium Japanese marques Acura and Infiniti. And seven out of 10 owners would opt for Lexus next time, making it fifth for owner satisfaction. The Lexus slogan is “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection,” and – while nothing is truly perfect – it seems you won’t go too far wrong with a pre-loved NX, RX or CT. 

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