Tesla makes gains in auto brand rankings for 2026, according to Consumer Reports

Detroit – the leader in electric vehicle sales in the United States Tesla Made notable strides in Consumer Reports’ annual Influential Auto Brands rankings, ranking in the top 10 overall in the U.S.

The electric vehicle maker jumped from 18th place on last year’s list of more than 30 auto brands to 10th place in Consumer Reports’ 2026 Brand Report Card, which was released on Thursday.

“They certainly have their struggles, but by continuing to improve and not making major changes to their models, they’re able to make more reliable cars, and they’ve moved up our ratings,” Jake Fisher, senior director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports, told CNBC.

The annual automotive brand report card is based on Consumer Reports tests as well as reliability, safety and overall customer satisfaction according to owner surveys.

Fisher said that Tesla’s gains came because its vehicles became more reliable over time, especially since the company did not make major design changes to many of its vehicles as traditional automakers do.

Tesla instead relies on over-the-air or over-the-air updates to review many features in vehicles. The reliability of its powertrain continues to rank among electric vehicles, according to Consumer Reports.

The only Tesla model to receive a below-average score is the Cybertruck, its latest model that features a host of new technologies such as a 48-volt system architecture and “steer-by-wire.”

“They are definitely getting better by maintaining things and improving, but if you look at their existing models that are 5 to 10 years old, when it comes to reliability, they are dead last among all the brands,” Fisher said. “They can improve reliability if they don’t make major changes.”

And on the other end of the report card, Rivian Cars It rose five places to 26th but remains near the bottom of the rankings. Rivian’s models are the least reliable, Fisher said.

Brands with good reliability tend to perform well in the overall rankings. The reliability of the new 2026 models is predicted based on the overall reliability of each model over the past three years, provided the model has not been redesigned during that period.

Subaru topped the overall list of brands for 2026, followed by BMW, Porsche, Honda and Toyota to round out the top five brands. At the bottom of the rankings were Jeep, Land Rover, GMC, Dodge and Alfa Romeo.

ford motor Lincoln, the top-rated domestic brand, made the biggest jump in this year’s rankings, climbing 17 spots to seventh place for its reliability scores. Audi fell further than last year, falling 10 places to 16th.

Consumer Reports said hybrid vehicles, which are growing in popularity, continue to outperform other “electric” vehicles, as well as traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines.

Of nearly 30 hybrid vehicles analyzed by Consumer Reports, only the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid and Mazda CX-50 Hybrid earned predicted reliability scores below average.