Most Reliable Midsize SUVs [Top Ranked Models]

https://www.findthebestcarprice.com/author-john-goreham

John Goreham

John Goreham

John Goreham is a life-long car nut and recovering engineer. John’s focus areas are technology, safety, and green vehicles. In the 1990s, he was part of an academic team that built a solar-electric vehicle from scratch. His was the role of the battery thermal control designer. After earning his engineering degree, John also completed a marketing program at Northeastern University. For 20 years, he applied his engineering and sales talents in the worlds of semiconductor manufacturing, biopharmaceutical production, and automotive electronics supply chain. Always a writer,  John has published numerous articles in technical journals such as Chemical Processing Magazine. In 2008 he retired from that career and dedicated himself to chasing his dream of being an auto writer. In addition to online publications such as Car Talk, John’s work has appeared in print in dozens of American newspapers, and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites.

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Midsize SUVs are primarily family vehicles, and everyone wants their family vehicle to be reliable. The SUV's reliability ratings play a big role in determining our list of the best SUVs.

We’ll call the Toyota Highlander our role model for the segment and build our readers a top-down list of the most reliable vehicles of this type.

We will overview the top five best midsize SUVs for reliability and point out some of the least reliable midsize SUVs.

Check out our overall picks for the most reliable SUVs here >>

• Most Reliable Subcompact SUVs
• Most Reliable Compact SUVs
• Most Reliable Midsize SUVs
• Most Reliable Full-Size SUVs

Read about how we rank our vehicles >>

Who Provided the Data for This List?

Our data comes primarily from two sources, RepairPal and J.D. Power & Associates.

RepairPal does a very exacting breakdown of reliability by model and model year that we find helpful. In our rankings, we average the past few years’ ratings to come up with a number between one and five, with higher being better.

J.D. Power has a great study called the Vehicle Dependability Study it publishes annually that ranks the reliability of three-year-old models based on problems per 100 vehicles. In this case, a lower number is better.

We also check out CarComplaints to be sure no new widespread reliability issue has entered the fray.

Most Reliable Midsize SUV Comparison

1. Kia Telluride

The Telluride has near-perfect reliability scores. With such a strong score, how could we not pick this model? Anyone who watches quality ratings will not be surprised to see the newest Kia model rise to this position.

Kia has been working its way steadily up the quality rankings over the past decade and is now clearly one of the leaders.

The Telluride combines a roomy interior with an exterior that still fits in your garage. Like all modern Kias, the Telluride offers a classy look and an upscale vibe. Reviewers have been raving about the Telluride since its introduction.

Current Kia Telluride Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Kia deals here.

2. Toyota 4Runner & Lexus GX

Among the body-on-frame designs on our most reliable midsize SUVs are the Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX.

Both are burly vehicles, and those who want old-school toughness will gravitate towards it.

RepairPal has lots of data for the 4Runner. Like its sibling, the Highlander, the 4Runner has an unbroken record of 4 and 5 reliability scores going back almost 20 years. So too does the Lexus GX.

Current Toyota 4Runner Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for deals and incentives, check out this month's Toyota deals here.

Current Lexus GX Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Lexus deals here.

3. Toyota Highlander & Lexus RX

The Highlander’s Consumer Reports scores were intriguing. This model has been around since 2001 and in that time has never been scored lower than a 4 by Consumer Reports. More than half of the years are perfect 5's.

Toyota also does well as a brand on the J.D. Power VDS ranking. We picked the Highlander as our size example for this story about midsize SUVs, but we could easily have used it as an example of long-term excellence as well.

If you’d like a version with a bit more premium features, check out the Lexus RX.

Current Toyota Highlander Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Toyota deals here.

Current Lexus RX Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Lexus deals here.

4. Buick Enclave

Buick seems to lead GM now when it comes to quality. This Buick beats the pants off the Cadillac CT6’s RepairPal score, and the Buick brand is one of the most highly rated by J.D. Power, matching Cadillac.

In our most recent reliability ranking of compact SUVs, Buick’s Envision also scored very high. The two are made on different continents and share little mechanically.

What does that tell us? It means Buick has built a global culture of reliability excellence.

Current Buick Enclave Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Buick deals here.

5. Hyundai Santa Fe & Palisade

The five-passenger Santa Fe is at the smaller end of the midsize segment, but it feels “right-sized” to us. So we included the Santa Fe on this list rather than the compact list. The Santa Fe has evolved rapidly, but there is no hiding the fact that it was originally modeled after the Highlander. Cribbing notes regarding size is easy. However, figuring out how to creep up on a legend’s reliability scores is a much more impressive accomplishment.

The new three-row Hyundai Palisade may be somewhat similar to its Kia Telluride sibling, but sibling rivalries can reveal character. The Palisade is earning a lot of attention and is quickly moving up the sales charts. These new vehicle owners may keep the Palisade for a decade or more. It is very likely that during that span, they will continue to have trouble-free motoring. That’s how Toyota built its niche.

Current Hyundai Santa Fe & Palisade Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Hyundai deals here.

Least Reliable Midsize SUVs

1. Subaru Ascent

Subaru’s newest three-row SUV has had its struggles.

Early Ascent models in 2019 had transmission issues, and CarComplaints shows some electrical gremlins.

Unusual for Subaru, the Ascent also had a safety defect in early models that resulted in an NHTSA recall.

2. Range Rover Sport & Velar

It is with mixed feelings that we report the low-reliability scores for Range Rover’s two midsize SUVs.

Both the Velar and Range Rover Sport score very well in style, luxury, power, and capability.

However, the brand has the lowest J.D. Power VDS score.

3. Tesla Model X

Tesla’s Model X has been on the market now for six years.

J.D. Power has limited participation from Tesla, but scores the brand fourth from the bottom in its most recent VDS.

Tesla owners love their Tesla cars, but when owner reliability data is tabulated, the Model X ranks low.

What Is the Most Reliable Midsize SUV?

The midsize SUV segment is huge. With over 30 models from which to choose, shoppers can find any mix and match of capabilities and features they desire. However, one model stands apart when it comes to reliability. Kia’s Telluride earns top scores from all of our data sources. There are many reasons this vehicle is a big hit, and reliability is just one of many reasons we would suggest shoppers add it to their list.

Frequently Asked Questions

What midsize SUV has the best reliability rating?

Two midsize SUVs stand apart from the pack on reliability. In its first two years, the Kia Telluride has scored higher than any other SUV in its class. However, the Toyota Highlander also has good scores during these years and a legacy of reliability excellence going all the way back to 2001.

What luxury midsize SUV has the best reliability ratings?

The Lexus GX and Lexus RX are a couple of the most reliable luxury midsize SUVs.

Which midsize SUV has the lowest reliability scores?

There are four midsize SUVs that score notably lower than their peers. The Subaru Ascent, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar, and Tesla Model X. Ironically, all four also score very high on owner satisfaction.

How does the Honda Pilot rank in reliability?

The Honda Pilot is a segment leader in many regards. Its sales are among the highest in its grouping, and Honda owners tend to be very brand loyal. The Pilot’s reliability scores from RepairPal for the past three model years average 3.5, and Honda has fallen below average on the J.D. Power VDS brand reliability study.