When researching cars, you will want to look into the dependability of the vehicles you’re considering in addition to other factors like safety and fuel economy. J.D Power and Associates conducts a survey every year to find out how drivers feel about their 3-year-old vehicles. This year, for instance, focuses on 2010 models, and Lexus and Porsche ranked the highest for the second year in a row. This means drivers who owned these brands experienced the least amount of issues over the past 12 months. Ram owners reported fewer issues than in past years, leading the brand to jump 20 spots from near the bottom to a position in the top 10. Ford, Mazda and Infiniti also saw major improvements from last year’s report.

Not all brands did well this year, as Scion, Audi, Volvo and Cadillac owners reported more issues than in previous years, causing the companies to drop in the rankings.

“The continuous improvement in long-term dependability means consumers should have more confidence in 3-year-old vehicles, whether they are keeping their current vehicle or shopping for a used car, truck, crossover or SUV,” said David Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power and Associates. “This means there are a lot of dependable off-lease vehicles in the used-vehicle market.”

Overall, vehicle dependability improved by about 5 percent, which indicates that car shoppers interested in purchasing used cars may want to look into newer models that have been manufactured in the past few years. Drivers in the New York/New Jersey area can head to NJ State Auto Auction, which carries a wide selection of makes and models. Every vehicle on the lot has been CARFAX certified, giving car shoppers peace of mind that they are getting behind the wheel of a reliable ride.