Buying a new car usually gives a sense of tranquility, but technology has also changed the way failures appear. Today a failure doesn’t necessarily start under the safe. It may be on a screen that stops responding, a connection that is lost, or a sensor that generates an alert without apparent reason.
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Data from various reliability studies conducted in 2026 shows precisely that transformation.
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The Consumer and User Organization survey, which collected responses from 85,590 drivers from 10 European countries on 392 models, found that electrical problems are the most common. In the United States, J. Power placed infotainment as the area that concentrates the most inconvenience.
Electrical problems account for 14% of the failures registered by the OCU. The category includes from auxiliary and fusible batteries to lights, wiring, sensors, elevators and centralized shutters.
Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jeep, Land Rover, Opel and Renault are among the brands with the greatest presence of this type of incidents. Many of these failures do not leave the vehicle stopped, but they can end in a visit to the workshop.
The brakes and the engine appear afterwards, with 9% of problems each. In the first case, there may be inconveniences with disks, tablets, pumps or electronic assistance systems. In the second, the causes range from leaks and lubrication problems to sensors or internal components.
Technology dependency has created another front of concern. by J.D Power recorded 56.7 infotainment problems per 100 vehicles in its 2026 study, making this category the most incidents.
CarPlay and Android Auto topped individual issues for the third year in a row, as well as problems with Bluetooth, wireless chargers and manufacturer mobile apps.
They aren’t usually faults as delicate as a brake problem, but they can be quite annoying. In some vehicles, much of the car’s functions depend on a central display, from navigation to certain air conditioning controls.
The electronics and the lighting system concentrate 8% of the failures analyzed by the OCU. They are problems that can cause difficulties to start, incorrect alerts or irregular operation.
The power system adds another 6%, while direction, axles, amortizers and tires account for 7%. The latter group may include vibrations, noise, irregular wear or changes in the stability of the vehicle.
Air conditioning also accounts for 7% of incidents.Al an air conditioning failure does not usually prevent driving, it can become a serious problem when temperatures are extreme.
Electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles have fewer mechanical components subjected to wear, but incorporate specific systems that can also fail.
The traction battery represents 5% of the failures among the electrified vehicles included in the OCU study.
Consumer Reports has also warned about the projected reliability of some plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles by 2026. That does not mean that these vehicles are less reliable by definition, but it is worth reviewing aspects such as the battery guarantee, its coverage against degradation and the history of review calls.
Studies do not show the same performance among manufacturers. The OCU placed Lexus, Subaru, Toyota and Suzuki among the best valued brands in Europe, while Consumer Reports placed Toyota at the top of its 2026 reliability ranking in the United States, followed by Subaru.
No ranking guarantees that all models of a brand will have the same results. yet, this data can serve as a reference for those who are comparing different options before buying.
Reviewing calls, knowing the warranty conditions well and testing elements such as cameras, displays, connectivity, air conditioning and driver assistants can avoid surprises. In today’s cars, checking how well technology works is almost as important as listening to the engine.
