20 Vehicles That Need the Fewest ‘Check Engine’ Repairs

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The check-engine light is on in at least 10 percent of cars and trucks on the road at any given time, according to a new report from CarMD.

Of course, sometimes it’s a fluke. My car’s check-engine light is on right now because the mechanic forgot to reset it after my last oil change, and I’m too lazy to drive back just to have it reset or to figure out how to do so myself.

So CarMD set out to determine which vehicles are least likely to actually need repairs associated with their check-engine lights. The result is the 2016 CarMD Vehicle Health Index released this week.

The latest annual index lists these as the U.S. vehicle models from model years 1996 to 2016 that had the fewest check-engine-related problems reported from October 2015 through September 2016:

  1. 2012 Honda CR-V
  2. 2014 Toyota Tundra
  3. 2015 Toyota Camry
  4. 2015 Toyota Corolla
  5. 2014 Ford Explorer
  6. 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  7. 2013 Honda Pilot
  8. 2015 Ford F-250
  9. 2010 Toyota Prius
  10. 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  11. 2015 Chevrolet Cruze
  12. 2011 Honda Civic
  13. 2013 Honda Accord
  14. 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
  15. 2011 Toyota Sienna
  16. 2011 Honda CR-V
  17. 2015 Nissan Altima
  18. 2008 Toyota Prius
  19. 2014 Ford Fusion
  20. 2013 Nissan Rogue

A list of all 100 top-ranked vehicle models based on repair frequency is available on CarMD’s “2016 Make & Model Rankings” page, which notes:

It is important to remember that even the 99th or 100th ranked vehicle on the list is a significant achievement, as this puts it in the top 1 percent of all vehicles being ranked.

The vehicle makes that had the fewest check-engine-related problems reported from October 2015 through September 2016 are:

  1. Toyota
  2. Honda
  3. Nissan
  4. Audi
  5. Volkswagen
  6. BMW
  7. Mercury
  8. Buick
  9. Jeep
  10. Hyundai

For help with car repairs, check out:

Did your vehicle make CarMD’s top 100 list? Let us know below or over on our Facebook page.

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