The least reliable cars in America

Considering how big an investment it is to actually go out and buy a brand-new car, most buyers probably assume they are going to have a relatively trouble-free few years, at the very least, of ownership. Sadly, that's not always the case.

According to Consumer Reports, not all cars are as reliable as they should be. The magazine's Auto Reliability Survey compiled responses from the owners of hundreds of thousands of vehicles. Click here for more information from Consumer Reports, but first, scroll through the slideshow above to see the vehicles that were singled out as being unreliable, in descending order.

Looking for something reliable? Check out the top 10 vehicles that owners keep the longest.

With a predicted reliability score of 28 out of 100, the Volvo XC60 crossover lands in 10th position on this list of unreliable vehicles from Consumer Reports.

The Ford EcoSport is the smallest crossover sold by the American automaker, and its predicted reliability score of 28 puts it in a tie with the Volvo XC60.

Jeep's iconic Wrangler, available in both two- and four-door styles, is known the as one of the best off-road vehicles in the world. It's more popular today than ever before, but its predicted reliability score of 27 lands it on Consumer Reports' list of unreliable vehicles.

The Tesla Model S is known as one of the most desirable electric cars available in America, but the relatively young automaker has had more than its fair share of problems. A score of 26 puts the Model S in a three-way tie with the next two vehicles on this list.

Astute readers will notice that this is the only electric vehicle to make the list from readers of Consumer Reports. It's also the only four-door sedan.

The Chevrolet Colorado, a competitive midsize pickup truck that competes with the Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline, Jeep Gladiator, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma, earns a spot on this list of unreliable vehicles with a predicted reliability score of 26.

It's worth noting that this rating applies equally to the mechanically similar GMC Canyon pickup truck.

The second Volvo crossover on this list is the XC90. Like the Tesla Model S and Chevrolet Colorado, Volvo's largest crossover has a predicted reliability score of 26 out of 100 points, according to Consumer Reports.

The Jeep Compass lands in fourth spot on this list of unreliable vehicles with a score of 21. That means just three automobiles have a lower predicted reliability score from Consumer Reports.

The Volkswagen Atlas is one of the roomiest vehicles in its class of three-row crossovers, so if you really need a lot of space for people and their stuff, it's a pretty good option. But with a predicted reliability score of just 19 out of 100, VW's spacious crossover is Consumer Reports' third least reliable vehicle.

The Ascent is the largest vehicle that Subaru sells. The three-row crossover uses a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission with all-wheel drive. Consumer Reports' predicted reliability score of 18 makes the Atlas the second least reliable vehicle in America.

And now we come to the biggest loser in the group. According to Consumer Reports, the Chevrolet Silverado and its twin, the GMC Sierra, are the least reliable new vehicles sold in America for 2021. It's worth noting that the only two trucks (four if you could the mechanically identical GMCs) on this list both come from General Motors.