There is a lot to consider when you’re buying a car, but the overall reliability is often one of the major deciding factors for a lot of people. After all, you don’t want to visit the workshop more than usual or get stuck on the road because of a niggle in your car. This is not only a big waste of time but can also significantly increase the overall cost of your car ownership. So, it’s always important to know which car brands are considered reliable and dependable, and which are the opposite, according to different rating firms. While Lexus and Buick rank highest in the 2026 dependability ratings issued by JD Power, Volkswagen (VW) is on the other side of the spectrum as the least dependable car brand. JD Power is a respected consumer insights firm, known for its impartial and unbiased ratings and reviews for the auto industry. It says Volkswagen cars have the most problems per 100 cars, and its score of 301 problems is significantly higher than the industry average of 204.
JD Power’s study covers problem areas across different categories, including driving experience, infotainment system, interior, powertrain, and driving assistance. The 2026 study surveyed over 33,000 vehicle owners with at least three years of ownership for their specific car models. The supposedly lower dependability of VW cars also shows in the ratings offered by other firms, such as Consumer Reports (CR), which ranked VW at number 16 in its reliability ranking, with Toyota being the most reliable, followed by Subaru and Lexus. VW also ranked pretty much at the bottom in CR’s owner satisfaction ratings, with only Jeep scoring lower than it, which is also among the five major car brands to avoid.
Reliability of VW cars
Although JD Power doesn’t go into detail about specific problems with Volkswagen cars in its Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) press note, CR, which gave the German brand’s ID.4 EV a low reliability score, noted that it had a slow infotainment experience and unintuitive controls. The actual buyer experience, however, is generally positive, as many ID.4 owners highlighted their satisfaction with the car in a Reddit thread talking about its long-term reliability. However, there are some complaints about its software and the onboard GPS.
The only other EV in VW’s current U.S. portfolio — the ID.Buzz — also doesn’t score high in terms of reliability, according to U.S. News & World Report. It says the car has a “frustrating infotainment interface” and not-so-great interior quality. Similarly, CR notes it expects ID.Buzz to be “less reliable than the average new car.” The reliability of non-EV VW vehicles is also either average or below par as per CR and experiences shared by various VW owners on Reddit.
Increasing software and tech in cars causing more problems
According to JD Power, vehicle problems after three years of ownership are rising, and compared to 2025’s survey results, the 2026 survey saw an increase of two problems per 100 vehicles. Some of the most prevalent problem areas are infotainment systems, poor over-the-air (OTA) update experience, and issues with car exteriors. In terms of specific issues, car owners are most frustrated with the experience of connecting their smartphones to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, and wireless charging support.
On the powertrain front, plug-in hybrids may be more fuel-efficient, but JD Power found that it’s the most troubling powertrain, followed by EVs and regular hybrids. Gas-powered cars have the fewest number of niggles, and in fact, their dependability has improved over the last year. Finally, it says, premium cars are less dependable than their mass-market counterparts, and also saw more problems than in previous years.
