Japanese brands dominate Consumer Reports' reliable car survey

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Scion xB is the most reliable new car you can buy, according to Consumer Reports' latest reliability survey.

"We collect data on over a million vehicles, so we can tell you which ones are most and least likely to give you trouble. And we have data on 28 brands as well," said Jake Fisher of Consumer Reports.

Once again the most reliable brands are dominated by the Japanese, with Lexus, Toyota and Mazda taking the top three spots. Honda came in at No. 4. The four least reliable brands: Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat -- all owned by Chrysler.

"Chrysler has traditionally had more than its fair share of trouble. And the addition of Fiat in the mix, it really hasn't helped," Fisher said.

In fact the new Fiat 500L is ranked the least reliable car out of the 248 Consumer Reports rated. Some American brands did well, however. Lincoln shot up 12 spots this year, and Buick made it onto the top 10 list of reliable brands -- the only American car to do so.

"GM has been one of the better domestic brands in terms of reliability. And Buick has often been their top brand," said Fisher.

A few first-year cars, like the Mazda6 and Kia Cadenza, got high marks for reliability. But most didn't.

"If you're looking for a reliable car, it's really not best to buy a car that's in its first year of the redesign. Wait a year or two until they work out some of those bugs," said Fisher.

Case in point - the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado, which Consumer Reports research shows had lots of problems in its first year.

According to consumer reports, the most reliable SUVs are the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, the Subaru Forester, the Toyota Highlander and the Lexus RX.