Customer surveys reveal that they have the least problems in the first three years of ownership.
When your money is on the line for a used SUV, you want to know the vehicle you’re buying will be a reliable traveling companion years down the road.
Our Instrumented Tests give you a clear picture of what every new SUV has to offer, and we also run select models through our Long-Term Test program to see how they hold up during one year and 40,000 miles of abuse. But when we want information on how reliable a vehicle promises to be after several years in service, we turn to research firm J.D. Power.
Customer Feedback on Reliability
Power conducts an annual Vehicle Dependability Study that asks thousands of owners how their vehicle has performed three years after their initial purchase. The Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) covers a total of 177 potential problem areas. The results are presented in terms of issues per 100 vehicles. An Overall score of 100 means that a vehicle has an average of 100 issues per 100 vehicles, or an average of 1 per vehicle. Obviously, a lower score equates to fewer problems and better reliability.
The Overall scores for three-year-old vehicles will never be perfectly predictive of how reliable a brand-new, current-year model will be; manufacturers tend to improve the quality of their vehicles over time, but there are also some years when they slide backwards. If you're looking for a new SUV, we suggest cross-checking the VDS with Power's Initial Quality Study (IQS), which surveys customers on problems in the first 90 days of ownership. Industry insiders say it's a reasonably good predictor of a car's future score on the Dependability Study.
How We Chose These Vehicles
For a deeper check on a vehicle's reliability, the Power site enables you to look back beyond the latest VDS survey to previous years' results to see how the same model has done over time. For this review, we've done just that: We've assembled the 13 used SUVs that rank highest in dependability based on their Overall scores in their individual categories in the two most recent VDS studies, published in 2017 and 2018. Each of those surveys looks back three years, so the SUVs assembled here represent the most dependable ones from model years 2014 and 2015. As a group, what's most impressive is that every one of these vehicles averaged less than 100 issues per 100 vehicles — in other words, less than one issue per vehicle on average—after three years in service. That's how reliable SUVs have become.
Small SUV: 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan
J.D. Power Dependability Score: 81
Precise steering and compact proportions make the original Tiguan—a second-generation model is out now—a great choice for city-dwelling SUV owners who need to fight through traffic or squeeze into tight parking spots.
Small SUV: 2015 Hyundai Tucson
J.D. Power Dependability Score: 80
Easy to drive in town, thanks to its small size and carlike handling, the diminutive Tucson sports a budget-friendly price to go along with its top-flight reliability.
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Small Premium SUV: 2015 Audi Q3
J.D. Power Dependability Score: 87
New for the 2015 model year in the U.S. market—it was on sale elsewhere starting in 2012—the Q3 has been the entry point to Audi SUV ownership. Though we were never overly impressed with this version's driving dynamics or interior layout, a second generation hits the road in 2019 and promises to cure all that and more. FYI, if you're curious about the most dependable small premium SUV from 2014, there isn't one; this category was new starting with 2015 models.
Compact SUV: 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser
J.D. Power Dependability Score: 84
The rugged FJ Cruiser's blocky appearance was inspired by the Jeep-look alike Toyota J40 Land Cruiser of the 1960s. Like the original, the FJ has serious off-road capability as well. The modern FJ Cruiser was in its final sales year in 2014, and it went out with a top dependability score.
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Compact SUV: 2015 Chevrolet Equinox
J.D. Power Dependability Score: 82
You see a lot of Chevrolet Equinoxes on the road, and with good reason. This version got the job done by providing lots of interior room, decent fuel economy, and an SUV's expected utility all at a reasonable price. Better still, the tens of thousands who bought one got great dependability in the bargain.
Compact Premium SUV: 2014 — 15 Mercedes-Benz GLK
2014 J.D. Power Dependability Score: 89
2015 J.D. Power Dependability Score: 87
Rare is it that any vehicle holds on to the top dependability spot for more than a single model year; the competition is tight and even small changes in reliability can dethrone a winner. But the GLK managed to top its category in the last two Dependability Studies. That speaks to its long-term quality. The fact that it still looks like money even though it's a few model-years old only adds to its luster.
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Mid-size SUV: 2014 Toyota Venza
J.D. Power Dependability Score: 84
The Venza is an interesting vehicle. It looks equal parts SUV and station wagon, is roomy and is reasonably well appointed. The 2014 model reinforced Toyota's rep for building dependable, no-nonsense vehicles, but that was not enough for the company to keep selling it. It disappeared from the U.S. market at the end of the 2015 model year.
Mid-size SUV: 2015 Chevrolet Traverse
J.D. Power Dependability Score: 84
While this first-generation Traverse garnered some bad press for looking more like a minivan than a rugged SUV, the 2015 model delivered undeniable reliability according to customer surveys. With three rows of seating and a strong record for dependability, it proved to be a defensible choice in a crowded SUV market.
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Mid-size Premium SUV: 2014 —15 Lexus RX
2014 J.D. Power Dependability Score: 91
2015 J.D. Power Dependability Score: 89
Lexus has an excellent reputation for reliability, so it’s not surprising to see RX350 come out on top in the midsize premium SUV category. In fact, given its Toyota roots, it's not a shocker that it has stayed at the top of the reliability mountain for two years in a row. After all, what good is a luxury vehicle if it's breaking down all the time?
Large SUV: 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe
J.D. Power Dependability Score: 83
Everyone knows the do-all, tow-all Chevrolet Tahoe. It's been around forever. It's big, roomy, powerful, and surprisingly agile for its huge size—and for the 2014 model year it's the most dependable large SUV. Its impressive score shows that American-branded SUVs can match the reliability of anything built by foreign manufacturers.
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Large SUV: 2015 Ford Expedition
J.D. Power Dependability Score: 79
Ford built this same basic Expedition—with plenty of mechanical updates, of course—from 2007 through 2017, so the company has had a lot of time to get it right. That the 2015 model notched the lowest (meaning "best") Overall dependability score of any vehicle on this list proves that building the same vehicle over the long run pays dividends.
Most Reliable Used SUVs: 2017 Models
We break down small, mid-size, and large SUVs and feature those with the least problems over the last three years based on owner surveys by J.D. Power. See the List
Nick Kurczewski
For more than 20 years, automotive journalist Nick Kurczewski has written for dozens of print and digital publications about all aspects of the car world. Past adventures have included driving nearly 200 mph on the German autobahn and becoming a licensed Zamboni driver at an ice rink in Manhattan. He’s driven a car powered by compressed air, investigated how to keep rodents out of engine bays, and talked his way out of a ticket while piloting a Bugatti. In his more relaxed moments, Nick loves helping people find the perfect car for their driving needs and shopping budget
