The study, now in its 36th year, covers 184 specific problem areas across nine major vehicle categories: climate; driving assistance; driving experience; exterior; features/controls/displays; infotainment; interior; powertrain; and seats.

Lexus is the highest-ranked brand overall with 140 problems per 100 vehicles (140 PP100). They’re followed by Buick, which is the highest-ranked mainstream brand with 143 PP100, while Mazda is in third with 161 PP100.

Toyota, Chevrolet, Porsche, BMW, Mini, Kia, and Honda all scored above the industry average (202 PP100), with Ford, Subaru, Nissan, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi all below average.

The three lowest ranked brands this year are Jeep (275 PP100), Chrysler (282 PP100), and Volkswagen (285 PP100).

According to the study, new models struggle to perform better than their segment average when it comes to dependability. New models launched in 2022 average 241 PP100, whereas carryover models have 196 PP100 in all nine study categories.

Biggest issues faced by owners continue to center around software with smartphone connectivity (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto). Half of the top 10 problems reported by owners is related to smartphone connectivity.

In addition, the dependability of battery electric vehicles is getting better, but PHEVs are getting worse. Hybrid vehicles experience the fewest problems (199 PP100), followed by gas-powered vehicles (200 PP100), BEVs (223 PP100), diesel (233 PP100), and PHEVs (242 PP100). The gap between gas-powered vehicles and BEVs has narrowed significantly this year.

In terms of vehicles, the Toyota Avalon is the most dependable vehicle in the study. Others are the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Tacoma, BMW 3 Series, Nissan Kicks, Lexus GX, and the Chevrolet Corvette.