6 Car Brands That Will Break Down More Than the Average Vehicle
Written by
Caitlyn Moorhead
Edited by
Levi Leidy
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Having an open mind about brand reputation, space, performance, looks and even price is a great thing to carry before spending your hard-earned money on a used car. However, having detailed reliability data from thousands of actual car owners at your disposal when buying a vehicle is helpful.
There are few things worse for your wallet and your sanity than regularly repairing your ride. But it’s a fact of life that some brands are less reliable than others, and some by quite a large margin.
Every year, Consumer Reports (CR) gives reliability ratings to every major vehicle model by asking members about problems they’ve had over the past 12 months. Here are the 12 least reliable car brands, based on CR’s new 2025 data.
RivianÂ
- Predicted reliability score: 14
Coming in as the least reliable vehicle purchase according to Consumer Report’s data is Rivian for both the 2025 Rivian R1S and R1T. The price range is around $75,900 to $115,900 which means you could be spending a ton of money on a car that won’t get you very far down the road.
Though many Rivian drivers claim customer satisfaction based on the electric vehicle’s comfort and speed, it often falls short in the reliability and maintenance departments.Â
CadillacÂ
- Predicted reliability score: 27
The Cadillac is often synonymous with big luxury, but that doesn’t mean all designs are created equally. The 2025 Cadillac models for both XT5 and Lyriq received a low-reliability rating. It’s estimated that the repair costs for these vehicles are about $6,875 over about 10 years, which is a nice chunk of change when you consider you paid anywhere from $44,295 to $67,495 for it to start.
GMCÂ
- Predicted reliability score: 33
Consumer Reports reviewed GMC models including Sierra 2500HD, Sierra 1500, Yukon XL, Yukon and Canyon. Though the General Motors brand has started introducing EVs, including an all-electric pickup and bigger Hummer EVs, both used and new GMC models rank below average for reliability.
JeepÂ
- Predicted reliability score: 33
Jeep is often on the naughty list for many auto experts given its reputation for high maintenance costs. The 2025 models Gladiator, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L put up low-reliability ratings across the brand.
It’s also estimated that over a 10-year period, maintenance costs for your Jeep come in around $6,470 on average.
VolkswagonÂ
- Predicted reliability score: 34
Even though Volkswagon is one of the most recognized names in the automotive industry game, it still may have a few bugs to work out when it comes to breakdowns, reliability and maintenance.
For example, many consumers have found the 2025 Volkswagon Tiguan, ID.4 and Taos unreliable, especially for new cars. This isn’t great news for buyers considering something like the Tiguan can cost you upwards of $38,880 plus an estimated $6,640 in maintenance in the first several years of ownership.
TeslaÂ
- Predicted reliability score: 36
Tesla is no stranger to innovation in the EV world, but that has also come with controversy, volatility and unreliability as far as its customer base is concerned. The Tesla Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X all scored below average for predicted reliability.
You can also expect to pay anywhere between $730 and $4,320 on maintenance alone within the first five years of ownership.
David Nadelle contributed to the reporting for this article.
Editor’s note: Predicted reliability score was sourced from Consumer Reports and is accurate as of June 16, 2025.
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