Car Reliability Ratings — Year-by-Year Scores

Toyota, Honda, and Mazda consistently produce the most reliable vehicles based on NHTSA complaint and recall data. The Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, and Mazda CX-5 are among the top performers across multiple model years.

A score of 80+ is Excellent — these vehicles have very few recalls and complaints. A score of 65–79 is Good and represents a safe buy. Below 65 means the vehicle has significant recall or complaint activity and warrants extra inspection before purchase.

Not always. Recalls are issued for safety-related defects and are repaired free at dealerships. A vehicle with 1–2 minor recalls in its history is not necessarily unreliable. The reliability score accounts for recall severity and complaint volume together.