Hyundai tops CarMD's 2015 Vehicle Health Index with lowest repair costs

(December 29, 2015) CarMD.com has released its 2015 CarMD Vehicle Health Index Manufacturer & Vehicle Reliability Rankings. Unlike other industry reports and rankings that rely on subjective survey data, this is the only Index to offer an annual ranking of manufacturers and vehicles using statistically-based “check engine”-related failures and repair costs.

These rankings are based on a combined average rating of fewest “check engine”-related problems and lowest repair costs for vehicles needing repairs over the past year.

More than 251,000 reported in-use repairs that apply to an estimated 192 million model year 1996-2015 were analyzed to prepare this Index. CarMD recognizes that car maintenance and repairs are part of car ownership and reports on these findings to help consumers identify the vehicles with lower upkeep, while helping the industry stay abreast of year-over-year trends. This Index also ranks the top 100 vehicles overall, top vehicles by category and lists the most common repairs by make. Historical rankings are not necessarily indicative of future vehicle reliability.

Returning to the top spot after a one-year hiatus, Hyundai ranks no. 1, edging out Toyota (no. 2). Rounding out the top five vehicle manufacturers of 2015 are no. 3 Honda, no. 4 Ford and no. 5 Chrysler, no. 6 Kia, no. 7 General Motors, no. 8 Mazda and no. 9 Nissan. New to this year’s list of the 10 most reliable manufacturers is Volkswagen (no. 10), which ranks just above BMW, which is not on this year’s list.



Hyundai’s Index rating score and ranking were helped by an average repair cost and low repair frequency, meaning Hyundai owners had fewer trips to the repair shop as compared with other manufacturers.

Five sedans, two compacts, one crossover, one minivan and one hybrid comprise this year’s top 10 list of most reliable vehicles, according to CarMD. The top 100 vehicles represent the best vehicles out of more than 3,800 different types of model year 1996 to 2015 vehicles on the road today, and the top 10 manufacturers represent the best out of more than 20 parent manufacturers.

It is important to remember that even the 99th or 100th ranked vehicle on the list is a significant achievement, as this puts it in the top 2 percent of all vehicles being ranked.