Unreliable Japanese cars? This may seem like an oxymoron when you first look at the ratings on Consumer Reports. After all, the top six names in CR’s latest brand reliability study were all Japanese — Subaru, Lexus, Toyota, Honda, Acura and Mazda, in that order. In addition, the Japanese Toyota RAV4, Toyota Corolla, Toyota RAV4 PHEV, Mazda MX-5 and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid also entered the top five most reliable individual cars. Clearly, CR considered vehicles from the same nameplate as the RAV4 but with different powertrains to be completely separate models.
But the truth is that almost every car manufacturer throws out junk from time to time, including Japanese manufacturers. For example, Toyota recently had to recall more than 591,000 vehicles due to problems with their digital displays. Also this year, nearly 450,000 Nissans and Infinitis were recalled because their variable compression engines could fail. No, neither brand has caught up to Ford’s record year of recalls, but the bottom line is that you can’t assume a car will be reliable just because it’s from a Japanese company. And let’s be clear, reliability remains an important part of customers’ decision-making process when looking for a new ride.
That’s where Jalopnik can help. We’ve taken a hard look at this year’s Consumer Reports reliability data to find out which Japanese cars you might want to avoid if your primary goal is to stay on the road and out of the store.
Read more: Is this 2003 $6,000 loaded Jaguar XKR is a deal that won’t hurt?
Honda Prologue/Infiniti QX80
Front 3/4 2025 Honda Prologue driving through the forest – Honda
Now, to be clear, we’re going in reverse, meaning that the Honda Prologue and Infiniti QX80, with equal scores, actually had the fourth-worst CR results in terms of predicted reliability. The Prologue stands out as Honda’s first mass-market electric car. It rides on the same platform as the Chevrolet Blazer EV, also due in 2024. The Acura ZDX, which has only been around for one year and has terrible CR reliability ratings as well. While it’s true that the ZDX and Prologue outperform their GM cousins, it’s not because of their exceptional reliability. In fact, the Prologue ranks ninth (out of 12 vehicles) in its competitive reliability suite for CR. Still, he finished well ahead of Blazer.
Moving from the efficient two-row Prologue to the big body-on-frame three-row SUV, the Infiniti QX80 has the same level of reliability as a Land Rover Range Rover or a Mercedes-Benz GLS – terrible. CR reported that 11 other three-row luxury SUVs are predicted to have higher reliability scores than the QX80. But keep in mind that the Infiniti QX80 got a twin-turbocharged V6 and a big tech boost for 2025 when it was completely redesigned.
Mazda CX-90 / Mazda CX-70
in 2025 Mazda CX-90 on the highway with the city in the background – Mazda
The next level of Japanese car reliability is the Mazda CX-90 and the almost identical Mazda CX-70. As we noted, the CX-70 is literally just a CX-90 with just two rows of seats and a different name. For its part, CR said, “We leased the CX-70 from Mazda and found it too similar to the CX-90 we had previously tested to justify purchasing it. This explains why both SUVs had the same CR scores for predicted reliability.”
Still, the number of seats means the two Mazdas have been compared against different potential rivals. In the three-row category, against the likes of the segment-leading Kia Sorento Hybrid, the CX-90 trailed 19 other SUVs in predicted reliability, including the old-school Dodge Durango. The CX-70 finished higher against fewer competitors, placing 11th. It’s a strange situation, frankly, as CR ranked Mazda as the sixth most reliable brand, while others like Car and Driver said the CX-90 “continues to prove a reliable machine” in its long-term road test.
Toyota Tacoma
in 2025 Toyota Tacoma parked off road near rocks – Toyota
This could be another surprise. After all, when we first tested the current-generation Toyota Tacoma, we said the hybrid blew away every truck in its segment. In addition, the Tacoma took first place in its segment in 2025. JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study and is one of the best-selling midsize pickups in the country. In other words, a lot of people seem to like the Tacoma.
However, Consumer Reports 2025 The Tacoma was far ahead of the Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline and Jeep Gladiator in terms of reliability. Also, it’s already had three recalls, including a broken driveshaft and brake fluid leaks. Tacoma 2024 was a similar story. Perhaps not coincidentally, 2024 was also the year Toyota introduced the all-new Tacoma, the previous generation model often leading the class in expected reliability. The good news, by comparison, is that the midsize truck segment isn’t as reliable today. Thanks to the same predicted reliability score that buried Mazda SUVs in its segments, the 2025 Tacoma finished fourth in its class of seven.
Nissan Frontier.
in 2025 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X Built Among Desert Trees – Nissan
Much of what we said about Toyota’s small truck can also apply to 2025. Nissan Frontier, starting with our positive review of current-generation models. Indeed, when the latest generation was released, we thought the Frontier might finally be a worthy competitor to the Tacoma, with Motor Trend praising Nissan’s year-long evaluation and “no complaints about service costs.”
Yes, CR seems to agree with us on the relative reliability of the Frontier and Tacoma, but that’s the problem. Note that the Tacoma’s projected reliability dropped significantly when it was redesigned in 2024, and it turns out that the Frontier did the same after 2022. reorganization. So the two trucks may now have similar reliability scores, with the Frontier just behind the Tacoma at fifth out of seven in its class, but some previous generations were considered much more reliable.
In this regard, The Frontier also shows a disturbing trend. Consumer Reports provides historical data for the truck, showing that in 2022 and 2023 overall reliability and build quality declined for the first two years the current generation was on the market, although data is not available for some model years.
Mazda CX-90 Plug-in Hybrid / CX-70 Plug-in Hybrid
Rear 7/8 frame 2025 Mazda CX-70 Plug-in Hybrid on the street – Mazda
There is an old saying that the more parts in a car, the more parts that can fail. Perhaps this explains the expected reliability of the three-row Mazda CX-90 Plug-in Hybrid and its two-row counterpart, the CX-70 Plug-in Hybrid. They’re basically the same as the non-hybrid CX-90 and CX-70 – they’re almost identical except for the seats – but their ability to provide a small portion of electric driving comes at a huge price.
Both the CX-70 and CX-90 are EPA-certified for up to 25 miles of EV range as part of their combined 490-mile range, and both are tied for the worst projected reliability for Japanese cars in 2025. CR rating.
This actually corresponds to 2024. CR concludes that, generally speaking, plug-in hybrids as a class have the most powertrain problems in the industry. in 2024 they had 70% more powertrain problems than gas-only or conventional hybrids, and plug-in hybrids were almost as dirty as gas cars.
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