Is Kia More Reliable Than Toyota?

Kia and Toyota are both great car manufacturer brands, although they are quite different. Which one is more reliable: Kia or Toyota.

Kia and Toyota have the same 4 out of 5 star reliability ratings, so one isn’t more reliable than the other. However, Kia has a higher reliability ranking than Toyota, as Kia is ranked 3 out of 32 and Toyota is ranked 8 out of 32. Kia vehicle reliability has improved in recent years.

Now that you know about the reliability ratings for Kia and Toyota and how they are ranked, you are likely wondering which manufacturer produces cars that will last for a long time. Keep reading to find out.

Kia and Toyota Reliability Ratings

Kia and Toyota both have an above average 4 out of 5 reliability rating from Repair Pal, so both manufacturers make reliable cars that still have room for improvement. (Source)

Kia is ranked slightly higher than Toyota by Repair Pal. Kia is ranked 3rd out of 32 car brands while Toyota is ranked 8th out of 32, which means that consumers and experts think that Kia cars are slightly more reliable than Toyota vehicles. (Source)

J.D. Power ranked Kia higher than Toyota when compiling their 2021 rankings for their annual U.S. Initial Quality Study. J.D. Power rates cars yearly and determines their reliability, and they have compiled that information here.

Although Kia is ranked higher than Toyota in reliability, they have the same reliability rating. This means that both vehicles are reliable, although only one of these car manufactures is known for making quality, reliable vehicles.

Kia Reliability Rundown

Kia used to be known as a car manufacturing brand that made cheap, unreliable cars that broke soon after purchase. These cars frequently needed to be repaired, and many people still consider these cars to be cheap and unreliable. However, in recent years the reliability and quality of Kia vehicles have drastically improved. (Source)

Kia vehicles typically need to be repaired .2 times per year, and most cars need to be repaired .4 times per year. This means that nowadays Kia vehicles are durable and don’t need to be repaired frequently.

It costs an average of $474 to repair Kia vehicles, and only about 10% of repairs are severe and prevent the car from working properly.

Overall, Kia vehicles are reliable and relatively cheap to repair when it is needed, especially when compared to other car manufacturers. It seems like the time and money that the company spend improving their cars and conducting research paid off. Now let’s see how they compare to Toyota.

Toyota Reliability Rundown

Toyota is known as a car manufacturer that makes quality, long-lasting vehicles, and they have maintained that reputation for a long time. However, their attempts to make cars that are more reliable than the ones made in the past have for the most part been futile, so although their reputation holds it has not improved in a long time.

On average it costs $441 and is less expensive than many other similar repairs. Only about 12% of these needed repairs are severe, and it typically only needs to be taken to the repair shop .3 times per year, which is only .1 higher than Kia. (Source)

Toyota, unlike Kia, hasn’t had to repair its reputation when it comes to quality and reliability. Nowadays, they seem to be focusing on adding new, fun features to their vehicles while maintaining their above average reliability rating, and they seem to be succeeding as consumers have given Toyota a reliability rating of 78 out of 100. (Source)

Overall, Toyota vehicles are reliable and only slightly less reliable than Kia vehicles. The manufacturer definitely has room to improve their vehicles, but many people trust the brand and often choose to purchase Toyota vehicles over other brands, including Kia. It doesn’t have the same bad reputation that Kia does.

Is Kia or Toyota Ultimately Better?

Kia has a slightly higher reliability rating than Toyota, and Kia vehicles need to go to the repair shop slightly less often than Toyota vehicles, so Kia seems to be the better car manufacturer. However, on average it costs less to repair Toyota vehicles.

Kia and Toyota both made reliable vehicles that don’t have to be repaired often, but one is not ultimately better than the other.

The design of Toyota vehicles is overall better than the design of Kia vehicles, but Kia vehicles are slightly more reliable than Toyota vehicles. The pros and cons of purchasing a vehicle from either manufacturer even out so it is impossible to decide which one is better.

Ultimately, which manufacturer you choose to purchase a vehicle from is up to you. Toyota vehicles are efficient, well-designed, and reliable. Kia vehicles are reliable, but still improving in other categories that Toyota excels in.

In the end, when you consider purchasing a vehicle you will have to look at the specific reliability rating of the vehicles that you are considering purchasing, as they fluctuate depending on the vehicle, and use that to decide which vehicle to purchase if reliability is important to you.

Overall, Kia and Toyota vehicles are both reliable and well-made. When you are considering purchasing a vehicle from either of these manufacturers, look at each individual vehicle that they are selling that you would like to purchase.

Look at what safety features each of them has available, what the interior of each vehicle looks like, and the gas mileage of each vehicle as these are some of the key aspects of vehicles that people consider when purchasing a vehicle.

Then, use that knowledge to make your decision about which car to purchase. The vehicle you choose to purchase will vary depending on your budget, your family’s vehicle needs and size, the reliability rating, the drive train that you need, the safety features that are available, and your vehicle preferences.

When you are thinking about purchasing a new or used vehicle, consider purchasing a Kia or Toyota vehicle as they both have high reliability ratings and low repair costs.