Top 10 Most Reliable Cars in Canada for 2024 (2024)

For the 2024 model year, cars are bucking a trend: as a group, they’re less reliable than analysts were expecting. According to J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, the rate of vehicle problems experienced between 90 days and three years of ownership has increased by 5 percentage points year over year, from 12% in 2023 to 17% in 2024. This result is also an unusual decline from J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study for these vehicles from three years ago.

As a vehicle owner, how do you protect yourself when shopping for a new or used car as vehicles become less reliable? It’s important to research well and choose a vehicle that performs well in dependability surveys and studies. Data shows Toyota continues to be a strong choice not only for reliability but also for standard safety features, though which Toyota products you should buy depends on who you ask. The Consumer Reports list is dominated by products from the mainstream Toyota brand, while J.D. Power ranks Lexus as its highest brand overall. On the other hand, Toyota is J.D. Power’s highest-ranking mainstream manufacturer and lands in second place, so it appears both brands continue to be a solid bet whether you’re shopping for a used or new vehicle.

We consulted both the 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study and the list of the most reliable vehicles in 2024 from Consumer Reports to compile this rundown of the top 10 most reliable vehicles in Canada for 2024. Check the bottom of the list for a look at the least reliable vehicles on the market today, and if you'd prefer to see only SUVs, check out our separate guide to the Most Reliable SUVs in Canada

Top 10 Most Reliable Vehicles in Canada in 2024

J.D. Power Rankings
Consumer Reports Rankings
Acura RDX
BMW X5/X6
Lexus RX
Porsche 718
Subaru Forester
Toyota 4Runner
Toyota Camry/Toyota Camry Hybrid
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Highlander/Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Toyota RAV4
The Least Reliable Cars and Brands

J.D. Power Rankings

Lexus retains the top spot in the 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, with its mainstream sibling Toyota landing in the number two position. This move makes Toyota one of the three most-improved brands for reliability ratings in 2024, sharing that honour with Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. General Motors brands performed well with Chevrolet and Buick taking two of the top five positions overall. MINI also makes big gains with an appearance in the top five. What’s shocking to see is how far the Korean brands have fallen: after Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis dominated the list in recent years, only Kia lands in the top 10 and above the industry average.

Consumer Reports Rankings

On the Consumer Reports side for 2024, Toyota only left room for three vehicles from other brands among the publication’s list of the top 10 most reliable vehicles. A pair of compact SUVs, the Acura RDX and Subaru Forester, and the mid-size BMW X5 join a field otherwise flooded with Toyota cars and SUVs. Gasoline and hybrid vehicle dominate this list, while Consumer Reports lists EVs, plug-in hybrids, and pick-up trucks among the least reliable vehicles.

Top 10 Most Reliable Vehicles in Canada

Acura RDX

Acura as a brand hasn’t been frequenting reliability lists lately, so it’s good to see the Acura RDX make an appearance for 2024. This competitors to the Lexus NX, Audi Q5, and BMW X3 ranks in a tie for seventh overall in the Consumer Reports top 10 list of the most reliable vehicles, a position it shares with another compact SUV, the Toyota RAV4. It’s worth noting J.D. Power’s survey results don’t look on the RDX as positively: no Acura makes its segment’s top three, and Acura as a brand ranks below the 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study’s average score for reliability.

BMW X5/X6

The related BMW X5 and BMW X6 midsize SUVs share a long list of accolades among the industry’s most respected dependability studies. For the X5’s part, it makes J.D. Power’s top three in the Upper Midsize Premium SUV category, and it’s also ranked fifth overall by Consumer Reports. The coupe-styled BMW X6 ranks as the best vehicle overall in J.D. Power’s Upper Midsize Premium SUV category. That brand’s U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study puts BMW as a brand in its top 10 with a score that ties the study average.

Lexus RX

Lexus doesn’t factor into Consumer Reports study results in 2024 at all, but J.D. Power’s accolades make up for it. The Lexus brand is the most reliable car brand overall according to J.D. Power, and the Canadian-built Lexus RX ranks with the best reliability score among Midsize Premium SUVs according to the 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study.

Porsche 718

If your budget allows you to consider the sporty driving experience of a luxury car, rest assured the J.D. Power reliability data supports buying a Porsche as a good investment. The Porsche 718, a nameplate that covers both the hard-top Cayman and the convertible Boxster sports cars, is ranked the most dependable vehicle overall in the 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. As a brand, Porsche is positioned second overall just behind Lexus, and it’s also the most improved of all brands according to this year’s data.

Subaru Forester

It’s good to have options when shopping for a new or used vehicle, so we’ve taken a cue from Consumer Reports here by adding the Subaru Forester with its standard all-wheel drive to our list of the top 10 most reliable vehicles in Canada for 2024. According to the publication, the Forester—a competitor to the Toyota RAV4 that appears lower on this list as well as vehicles like the Mazda CX-5—is ranked fifth among its top 10 most reliable vehicles industry-wide. That said, J.D. Power doesn’t look on Subaru quite as positively. No Subaru vehicle makes its segment’s top three, and Subaru as a brand scores just below J.D. Power’s industry average.

Toyota 4Runner

Toyota just announced a new generation of 4Runner, and one of the reasons the nameplate has such stalwart fans is because of its legendary vehicle reliability. Studies from both J.D. Power and Consumer Reports—which both measure three-year-old models, so they don’t apply to the new generation yet—give the Toyota 4Runner glowing marks. On the Consumer Reports side, it places in a tie for most reliable vehicle overall, while J.D. Power says the 4Runner is the Best Midsize SUV for dependability in 2024. Note that one of the downsides of choosing a 4Runner, which has run for more than a decade with the generation in question, is its sub-par fuel economy.

Toyota Camry/Toyota Camry Hybrid

If you’re in the market for a midsize car, it’s worth noting the Toyota Camry is the only vehicle in its category to make this list. On top of the glowing reviews for Toyota’s reliability overall, J.D. Power ranks the Camry as the number one Best Midsize Car in its U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. The Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata also make the top three, while the Honda Accord notably does not. J.D. Power doesn’t distinguish between powertrain types in its data, but Consumer Reports does, which is why the Camry is listed twice in its 2024 data: the Toyota Camry Hybrid ties with the 4Runner for first overall, while the gas-powered Camry takes the third spot on the publication’s list.

Toyota Corolla

Canada’s best-selling car is also a great bet when it comes to dependability. The Toyota Corolla is J.D. Power’s number one choice in the Compact Car category in its 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, a list that also includes the Honda Civic and the Toyota Prius. Other competitors such as the Hyundai Elantra and Mazda Mazda3 don’t rank at all. On the Consumer Reports list of the top 10 most reliable vehicles for 2024, the Corolla ranks ninth overall.

Toyota Highlander/Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Should you choose gas or hybrid when buying a Toyota Highlander? From a reliability perspective, the experts say there is a difference. J.D. Power doesn’t differentiate between powertrains in its U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, where the Toyota Highlander ranks among the top 3 most dependable Upper Midsize SUVs. However, Consumer Reports does make a distinction and says the Highlander Hybrid is the way to go, placing it in tenth position among its list of the top 10 most reliable vehicles overall in 2024.

Toyota RAV4

Given the Canadian-built Toyota RAV4’s popularity in this country, it’s encouraging to see it score so well in dependability studies. In addition to Toyota’s top ranking among mainstream brands with J.D. Power, the publication also places the RAV4 among the top 3 most dependable compact SUVs. Consumer Reports gives the RAV4 two spots on its list of the top 10 most reliable vehicles: the gas-powered Toyota RAV4 sits in a tie for seventh place, while the Toyota RAV4 Prime places fourth overall and is the only plug-in hybrid vehicle to make its top 10 list, making it the best choice for peak fuel efficiency.

The Least Reliable Cars and Brands

While you’re shopping for a new car, it’s good to know which vehicles the experts consider to be the least reliable. For 2024, the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has the dubious honour of being the least dependable vehicle on the market according to Consumer Reports. It’s joined on that publication’s top 10 list by the Volkswagen Taos, Ford F-150 Hybrid, Volvo XC60 PHEV, Rivian R1T, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Nissan Frontier, Volkswagen Jetta, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Jeep Wrangler.

On the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, the worst-ranking brands in order include Chrysler, Audi, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Tesla, Lincoln, Volvo, Ford, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, and Acura.

Note: Images may show US models.