The least satisfying Japanese car brand to drive, according to Consumer Reports – Jalopnik rankings

In the automotive world, perception is everything. How someone feels about a vehicle can be just as important as its reliability ratings. Sometimes looks don’t even matter. Just ask the Jalopnik readers who still love these ugly cars. These beliefs can be difficult to pin down in detail, but the numbers are tricky Consumer Reports (CR) do their best every year with the group’s annual car owner satisfaction ratings.

The latest reviews prove that reliability and satisfaction don’t go hand in hand. Rivian came out on top, with 85% of owners surveyed saying they would buy from the same brand again. That’s in stark contrast to how the EV startup did it CR’s recent assessment of new car reliability: dead last. At the same time, this reliability survey is a ranking where Japanese brands usually do quite well. Toyota, Subaru and Lexus, for example, are at the top. These same companies also have high levels of owner satisfaction.

But then we come to Nissan’s topsy-turvy universe. According to CR, it ranks sixth in new car reliability (just ahead of Acura), but in the eyes and minds of its owners, it’s not so lucky. As one of Japan’s largest automakers, Nissan ranked 23rd out of 26 car companies rated by CR for owner satisfaction. Numerous other brands from the Land of the Rising Sun did better: Subaru (3rd), Lexus (7th), Toyota (8th), Honda (9th), Acura (19th) and Mazda (22nd). Due to minimal data, two other Japanese brands – Mitsubishi and Infiniti – were not rated for owner satisfaction.

Nissan’s placement not only makes it the lowest Japanese brand in owner satisfaction, but also ranks it among the worst of the 26 companies in the index. Only Audi, Volkswagen and Jeep had lower ratings. The timing isn’t ideal as Nissan is facing major problems in the US due to market share losses and an underperforming lineup. In the CR survey, 53% of Nissan owners said they would remain loyal to the brand in a future purchase.

However, Nissan is not completely alone in terms of consumer confidence, as Mazda’s position is just one step above Nissan’s. That translates to a 55% buy-again rating for Mazda owners. Acura owners said they would return to the same brand 59% of the time. The other Japanese brands gained better ground, with buy-again ratings of 64% to 69%. Subaru sits on top of this series.

CR can’t pinpoint a precise reason for the difference between reliability and owner happiness, especially at Nissan. The organization points out the possibility that owners are more concerned about reliability and cost than appearance and functionality. CR also notes that unreliable cars can have high owner satisfaction ratings because new car warranties cover repairs.

In pure terms, more than half (53%) of Nissan owners would buy another car from the same company. Yet an almost equal share (47%) prefer to shop elsewhere. The CR survey results don’t address the specifics of this dissatisfaction, but we can explore some possibilities. This starts with expectations about whether Japan makes the most reliable cars. While no brand is perfect, Japanese automakers consistently score high in CR and JD Power’s quality and reliability studies.

Consumers may get the impression that Nissan is comparable to Toyota, Honda and Subaru. All of these brands can be painted with the same reliability brush in the minds of consumers, but the reality says otherwise. A AutoEdge Research has shown that the average Nissan costs almost $7,400 to maintain over ten years, compared to about $5,500 for a Toyota. Explore others AutoEdge Data shows that a 10-year-old Nissan Altima has a 17% chance of needing repairs, while AutoEdge places the odds for a similarly aged Toyota Camry at 12.3%.

Deserved or not, continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) are often part of the Nissan reliability conversation. Nissan CVTs, especially those from the early 2000s, are notoriously problematic. In subsequent years, the company has reworked these transmissions to be more reliable, but the consequences of CVT problems can linger on owners of older Nissans.