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The 10 Least Reliable Car Brands of 2025: Consumer Reports, Recalls, and More

Key Takeaways

  • GM brands and luxury automakers dominate the list.
  • Consumer Reports ranks EVs and PHEVs poorly in reliability.
  • It’s never been more clear that more money often equals more problems.

Shopping for a new car is an exciting time, but knowing which brands to steer clear of can save you from a lot of future headaches. At CarEdge, we’re diving deep into rankings from Consumer Reports, and complimenting their legendary work with our own car market updates from CarEdge Insights. Here’s a breakdown of the 10 least reliable car brands in 2025. If you buy one of these cars, you ought to have a car maintenance emergency fund at your disposal, or start getting quotes for extended warranty protection!

Looking for the MOST reliable car brands? Check those out here. 

Consumer Reports’ 2025 Reliability Rankings: The Least Dependable Car Brands

least reliable car brands

We hope you enjoy the real-time car market data we’ve included. Head over to CarEdge Insights for localized data that YOU can use to negotiate effectively.

Consumer Reports provides an annual snapshot of car reliability, all based on data from over 300,000 vehicles that addresses 17 common trouble areas. The non-profit has been helping car buyers make smart choices for 88 years. In 2025, the CR rankings reveal a few brands that, well, might not be your best bet if reliability tops your priority list. For comparison’s sake, we’ve also included the number of recalls for each manufacturer over the past year ending in January 2025, via the NHTSA.

Although Rivian is the least reliable car brand according to Consumer Reports, all GM brand rank near the bottom. Here’s a look at the car brands most likely to give you problems during ownership.

The 10 Least Reliable Car Brands in 2025:

  1. Rivian
    • Predicted Reliability Score: 18/100
    • Average Selling Price: est. $85,000
  2. Cadillac
    • Predicted Reliability Score: 27/100
    • Recalls: 34 (across all General Motors brands)
    • Average Selling Price: $72,586
    • Market Supply: 89 days of supply (average)
  3. GMC (Tie)
    • Predicted Reliability Score: 33/100
    • Recalls: 34 (across all General Motors brands)
    • Average Selling Price: $67,516
    • Market Supply: 79 days of supply (average)
  4. Jeep (Tie)
    • Predicted Reliability Score: 33/100
    • Recalls: 72 (across all FCA brands)
    • Average Selling Price: $50,001
    • Market Supply: 126 days of supply (high)
  5. Volkswagen
    • Predicted Reliability Score: 34/100
    • Average Selling Price: $36,255
    • Market Supply: 85 days of supply (average)
  6. Tesla
  7. Chevrolet
    • Predicted Reliability Score: 37/100
    • Recalls: 34 (across all General Motors brands)
    • Average Selling Price: $49,081
    • Market Supply: 87 days of supply (average)
  8. Volvo
    • Predicted Reliability Score: 38/100
    • Average Selling Price: $62,960
    • Market Supply: 108 days of supply (high)
  9. Genesis
    • Predicted Reliability Score: 40/100
    • Recalls: 25 (across Hyundai and Genesis)
    • Average Selling Price: $64,459
    • Market Supply: 95 days of supply (above average)
  10. Ford
    • Predicted Reliability Score: 44/100
    • Recalls: 67 (across all Ford Motor Company brands)
    • Average Selling Price: $54,913
    • Market Supply: 129 days of supply (high)

👉 See local car market prices and trends with CarEdge Insights

The Least Dependable Car Brands Surprisingly Don’t Have Much In Common

Jeep reliability ratings 2025

From frequent breakdowns to excessive recalls, these brands show various signs of potential trouble for consumers. Surprisingly, the least reliable car brands are often expensive. With the likes of Rivian, Tesla, Volvo and Volkswagen on the list, it’s clear that when it comes to reliability, you don’t always get what you pay for.

Other than that, we see a mix of manufacturers from around the world on this unfortunate list. In a massive improvement from last year, only one Stellantis brand is on the list. General Motors, on the other hand, had falling reliability ratings, with three of the four GM brands on the bottom 10. Chrysler, the only GM brand not making an appearance, wasn’t rated by Consumer Reports due to ‘insufficient data’.

👉 By the way, these are the 10 MOST reliable car brands, according to CR

Breaking Down Reliability by Powertrain

Rivian reliability ratings - least reliable car brands 2025

According to Consumer Reports, hybrid vehicles lead the pack among electrified powertrains in terms of reliability. “On average, hybrid powertrains remain reliable, while pure electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) are improving despite continuing reliability problems.”

On the other hand, plug-in hybrid vehicles tell a different story, facing 70% more issues than gasoline (ICE) vehicles. Consumer Reports found that fully electric vehicles (BEVs) have 42% more problems than gas-powered or traditional hybrid vehicles. This is a big improvement from last year, when EVs had 79% more issues than ICE vehicles.

Want Free Car Buying Help in 2025?

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While it’s crucial to consider reliability, don’t forget to weigh other factors such as fuel efficiency, safety features, and overall cost of ownership. Check out our detailed CarEdge cost of ownership rankings to get a fuller picture.

Ready to outsmart the dealerships? Download your 100% free car buying cheat sheets today. From negotiating a deal to leasing a car the smart way, it’s all available for instant download. Get your cheat sheets today!

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Last updated Jan 13, 2025

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