Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
4 min of reading 
1 comment 
International Ranking Reveals That Automotive Reliability, Previously Dominated by Popular Brands, Gained a New Protagonist in 2025 and Surprises Experts and Consumers in the Sector in Brazil and Around the World.
Automotive reliability has become an essential criterion for those looking to purchase a car.
This is because, in a scenario of high prices for new models, long financing terms, and increasingly tight budgets, consumers seek security in choosing vehicles that present a low rate of defects and controlled maintenance costs.
According to the ranking released by Consumer Reports, a global reference in technical evaluations and consumer satisfaction, Subaru has earned the title of the most reliable brand in the world, surpassing automakers widely recognized in the Brazilian market, such as Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet, Volkswagen, Fiat, and Ford.
-
The car stored for 38 years: when opening the barn door, what appears is breathtaking and looks like a scene from a movie!
-
Fiat works miracles in the Brazilian market, lowers the price of its 0 km hatch to R$ 69,990, reestablishes the model as the cheapest car in the country, and reignites the battle against Kwid and C3.
-
Chevette with cooking gas: How the gas cylinder ends up being used in cars clandestinely and why this makeshift solution can result in leaks, explosions, damaged engines, and seized vehicles.
-
Fiat launches the new 2027 Toro hybrid with 48V, 176 hp, an electric motor of 15.5 hp, a 0.85 kWh battery, up to 7% fuel savings, 8% fewer emissions, and possible exemption from IPVA.
The 2025 survey was based on reports from hundreds of thousands of owners who detailed incidents involving mechanical, electronic, and structural failures.
In addition to considering the frequency of issues, the research also evaluates repair times and average costs in different regions.
Among the brands present in Brazil, in addition to Toyota and Honda, automakers such as Hyundai, Nissan, Jeep, Renault, Peugeot, and Citroën appear in the ranking, but it was Subaru that achieved the best indicators, establishing itself as a benchmark for durability and low risk of serious breakdowns.
Popular Brands and Models in Brazil
Data indicates that traditional models from Brazilian automakers, such as Chevrolet Onix, Hyundai HB20, Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Argo, Ford Ka (in production until 2021), Renault Sandero, Jeep Compass, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Kicks, and Hyundai Creta frequently appear among the best sellers, but they do not always lead the reliability rankings.
The methodology of Consumer Reports favors brands and models with a proven history of low maintenance and high user satisfaction over years of use.
Subaru’s presence in Brazil is more limited, with a lean dealership network and a focus on imported models like Impreza, Crosstrek, WRX, and Forester.
The Forester, for example, has maintained the same engine since 2019, which, according to the report, favors technical stability and reduces the risk of recurring failures.
The method of sharing parts and components among different Subaru cars makes maintenance accessible and reduces costs in case of potential repairs.
Criteria for Evaluating the Most Reliable Cars
In addition to analyzing the performance of the most reliable engines, Consumer Reports assesses criteria such as safety, post-sale satisfaction, incidence of recalls, and ease of obtaining parts.
In the 2025 ranking, brands such as BMW, Lexus, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi were also evaluated, but even among luxury vehicles, Subaru demonstrated superior performance in robustness and longevity.
In the Brazilian market, Toyota and Honda maintain a strong reputation, especially with models like Toyota Corolla, Toyota Hilux, Honda Civic, and Honda HR-V.
Among national brands, models like Chevrolet Tracker, Fiat Pulse, Jeep Renegade, and Volkswagen T-Cross stand out in sales, but face direct competition from Korean and Japanese brands in reliability criteria.
The international study emphasizes that, although Subaru is little remembered by the general public in Brazil, its global performance is a benchmark when it comes to the most reliable brand and low incidence of mechanical problems.
According to owner reports, vehicles from the brand present predictable maintenance cycles, with few cases of serious breakdowns or recalls.
This contributes to a positive perception of durability, a factor increasingly valued in light of rising average prices in the automotive sector in the country.
Impact on the Brazilian Market and Trends
For the Brazilian consumer, the trend of prioritizing established brands, such as Chevrolet, Volkswagen, Fiat, Renault, Hyundai, and Nissan, may be influenced by results from international studies like the one from Consumer Reports.
The announcement that the most reliable engines today belong to Subaru — and not just Toyota or Honda — could alter purchasing preferences, especially among those looking for used or niche imported vehicles.
The report also highlights the advancement of hybrid and electric technologies.
Manufacturers such as Toyota (with the Corolla Cross Hybrid), Honda (with the Accord Hybrid), and Hyundai (with the Kona Hybrid) have heavily invested in this segment, although the adoption of these innovations still requires long-term performance monitoring to be considered fully reliable.
Subaru, for its part, has announced the arrival of hybrid engines in its main models for 2026, maintaining the philosophy of gradual evolution and rigorous quality control.
Consumer Reports also emphasizes that the concept of an “unbreakable car” depends on objective factors: incidence of defects, ease of maintenance, owner satisfaction, and low recall rates.
In the 2025 ranking, Subaru is cited as the most reliable brand in multiple segments, exceeding expectations and challenging old paradigms of the Brazilian automotive market.
Tenho um Forester 2010, pneus duram 80.000km, pastilhas 60.000km velas 120000 km. Em 150.000km fiz uma manutenção preventiva que custou R$10.000 . O carro está inteiro, melhor que muito Toyota ou Honda 2020.