8 luxury models rated least reliable in their own class

Luxury badges promise more than most owners actually get once the warranty clock runs out. A recent reliability study scored dozens of premium cars and SUVs against their own class rivals, and several familiar nameplates landed near the bottom. Here are eight luxury models that finished dead last or next-to-last for reliability against their segment rivals.

1. BMW 7 Series: Near The Bottom Of Its Class

The iSeeCars luxury large car reliability ranking scored the BMW 7 Series 6.6 out of 10, second from last among the ten models it ranked in the class. Only one large luxury sedan finished with a lower reliability score, leaving BMW’s flagship closer to the bottom of the field than to the mid-pack scores most rivals earned.

The 7 Series carries far more sensors, screens, and driver-assist hardware than an ordinary sedan, and each added system is another part that can fail once the factory warranty runs out. Owners chasing the flagship’s tech often inherit dealer-only repair bills that a simpler luxury car in the same class would never generate.

2. Maserati Quattroporte: The Lowest Score On The List

The same large-car reliability study gave the Maserati Quattroporte 6.5 out of 10, the lowest score of any luxury large car it ranked. No other full-size luxury sedan in the field scored worse, putting the Italian flagship at the very bottom of its own class rather than merely near it.

Maserati’s low-volume production gives the Quattroporte a level of exclusivity few luxury sedans can match, but parts and specialist labor are scarce outside major cities and can take weeks to source. A driveline or electrical fault can leave an owner stranded far longer than a mainstream luxury brand’s dealer network would ever allow, and repair estimates tend to run well past what a comparable German sedan would cost.

3. Lincoln Aviator: Dead Last Among Large SUVs

The luxury large SUV reliability rankings placed the Lincoln Aviator at 6.7 out of 10, dead last among the twelve models iSeeCars ranked in the class. Every other three-row luxury SUV in the study, including its Ford-badged relatives, posted a higher score than Lincoln’s flagship.

The Aviator’s twin-turbo six-cylinder engine and available plug-in hybrid system add power but also complexity that a simpler three-row SUV skips entirely, and complexity tends to show up later as warranty claims. Owners keeping one past the factory coverage period should budget for electrical and drivetrain repairs more often than buyers of the other SUVs that scored above it in the same class.

4. Land Rover Range Rover: Second Worst In Its Class

That same large SUV study scored the Land Rover Range Rover 7.0 out of 10, second from last among the twelve luxury large SUVs it ranked. Only the Lincoln Aviator finished lower, leaving Land Rover’s flagship SUV near the very bottom of a class it otherwise dominates on prestige and price.

Air suspension, dual infotainment screens, and a long options list have long trailed the Range Rover with a reputation for electrical gremlins, and this ranking backs that history with a hard number rather than anecdote. A pre-purchase inspection matters more here than on most rivals in the same price range, since a failed air strut or software glitch rarely shows up on a short test drive.

5. Audi Q7: The Weakest Midsize SUV Score

The midsize luxury SUV rankings gave the Audi Q7 6.9 out of 10, the lowest score among the twelve luxury midsize SUVs iSeeCars ranked. Every other three-row midsize luxury SUV in the study, German or otherwise, finished with a stronger reliability score than Audi’s largest crossover managed.

Quattro all-wheel drive and adaptive air suspension make the Q7 capable on paper, but both systems add failure points that a front-wheel-drive competitor never carries in the first place. Buyers shopping used should weigh the Q7’s driving manners against a service history that can run heavier than a comparable Lexus or Acura, especially once the suspension hardware starts aging past the warranty window.

6. Land Rover Range Rover Sport: Another Land Rover Near The Bottom

The same midsize SUV reliability data rated the Land Rover Range Rover Sport 7.1 out of 10, second from bottom among the luxury midsize SUVs ranked. Only the Audi Q7 scored lower, giving Land Rover two of the weakest reliability results in the same midsize luxury class this year.

The Range Rover Sport shares much of its air suspension and electronics architecture with its full-size sibling, so many of the same failure points that dragged down the standard Range Rover carry straight over here. A short-term lease starts to look safer than long-term ownership once the factory coverage runs out and warranty-covered repairs turn into owner-funded ones.

7. BMW X3: The Least Reliable Small SUV

The luxury small SUV reliability ranking scored the BMW X3 7.2 out of 10, the lowest of the nine luxury small SUVs iSeeCars ranked. Every other compact luxury SUV the study covered finished with a better reliability score than the X3 managed to post.

The X3 sells in far higher volume than most rivals in its class, which puts more high-mileage examples on the road and can expose driveline and electrical issues that a lower-volume competitor never accumulates enough miles to reveal. A pre-purchase inspection still beats trusting the badge alone, particularly on a used example nearing the end of its factory coverage.

8. Buick Encore: Bottom Of A Five-Model Field

The subcompact luxury SUV rankings gave the Buick Encore 7.2 out of 10, the lowest score among the five luxury subcompact SUVs iSeeCars ranked. With only five models making up the class, one soft score is enough to put the Encore at the very bottom of the smallest luxury SUV segment measured.

Buick markets the Encore on value more than on outright luxury features, and that positioning shows up in a reliability score that trails purpose-built rivals from Audi and BMW despite the lower sticker price. Shoppers cross-shopping the segment’s small field should weigh that savings against the class’s weakest reliability result before signing on a used example.