Before making a serious purchase, like a car, experts recommend doing your homework: make a list of all the car brands you’re interested in and fit your budget. More than that, make sure you check the brands with the best safety features and scores. If a certain brand has a higher accident rate, use this information as a red flag that there might be something wrong with that particular brand or model.
It should be noted that in many situations, it’s not the car itself to blame, but the drivers. Unfortunately, certain brands, attract certain types of drivers who manage to ruin the brand’s reputation with their driving skills.
What car brands are on the blacklist?
As per an analysis of 30 popular car brands, performed by LendingTree, 10 brands have “distinguished” themselves from the pack as having the highest accident rates, considering both factors-brands and drivers.
The analysis was based on criteria such as rate of vehicular accidents, DUI frequency, speeding and other driving-related citations such as driving without a license, hit and run etc. Curious to know what car brands have the worst owners with the worst driving skills? Then do read on to find out just that. If your own car brand is on the list, it might be time to reanalyze and correct your driving habits as well.
Car Brands with the Highest Accident Rate and Worst Drivers
10. Toyota
Cars from Toyota are known for their safety features and high safety records. More than that, four Toyota models have been evaluated and awarded in 2023 the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award.
Unfortunately, Toyota hasn’t managed to evade being on the list of car brands with the highest accident rates and drivers with subpar driving skills. That’s because various models of this car company have been part of around 25.13 road accidents per 1,000 drivers.
9. Hyundai
Things are not looking better for Hyundai. Although it is considered one of the safest vehicles on the road, the figures in the study show another facet of the popular brand. From November 2022 to November 2023, the car company’s drivers have reportedly been involved in approximately 25.47 incidents per 1,000 drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In addition, more than 1.64 million Hyundai cars have been recalled because of fuel-leaking issues that could lead to fires.
8. Infiniti
In 2022, the Infiniti QX60 won IIHS’s Top Safety Pick+ awards for its top safety characteristics and technologies. Infiniti models have also received great scores for crashworthiness. Unfortunately, these high scores have not kept them out of the pack of car brands with the highest accident rates and worst drivers. According to the study, Infiniti cars had an accident rate of 26.72 for every 1,000 drivers.
See also: 13 Useful Car Features You Didn’t Know You Might Have
7. Lexus
Lexus vehicles, especially the newer ones, have been provided with all sorts of features and technologies to keep drivers and other traffic participants as safe as possible. Features like lane tracing assist, pre-collision system, blind spot monitor and many other similar features assure a safe ride. As Lexus representatives have described it, Lexus cars support “driver awareness, decision-making, and vehicle operation over a wide range of speeds under certain conditions.”
However, the drivers behind the wheels of Lexus cars are not helping the brand maintain its status. According to the LendingTree study, the brand’s vehicles have been involved in 26.73 accidents per 1,000 drivers.
6. BMW
BMW owners have a lot of reasons to be proud of their cars. BMW models are considered one of the safest cars on the road, with a multitude of protective systems and innovative technologies, like Active Blind Spot Detection. Blind Spot Detection System, or Forward Collision Mitigation.
Unfortunately for the popular brand, its drivers do not excel when it comes to their driving skills and habits. As a matter of fact, they have been categorized as being most likely to go behind the wheel under the influence.
As detailed by LendingTree, “BMW drivers had 3.13 DUIs per 1,000 drivers—nearly twice the rate of DUIs among Ram drivers (1.72), the next-highest ranking auto brand.” According to the analysis, BMW models have been associated with 26.82 incidents for every 1,000 drivers.
5. Mazda
As explained by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Mazda won IIHS Top Safety Pick awards in 2023 for being among “the best vehicle choices for safety within size categories during a given year.”
This distinction has not helped Mazda when it comes to the list of car brands most likely to be involved in accidents. Due to its less-than-skillful drivers, the car brand landed in the 5th position, being associated with 27.74 accidents per 1,000 Mazda drivers.
4. Volkswagen
Volkswagen “earned” fourth place for the highest rate of accidents, with 27.92 accidents per 1,000 Volkswagen drivers. On the other hand, according to U.S. News & World Report, Volkswagen is one of the safest brands in the world, scoring 9.55/10 for safety. This only comes to prove that drivers have a lot to say (and do) when it comes to brand reputation.
3. Subaru
Subaru vehicles have always been praised for being among the safest cars out there. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Subaru drivers. According to the LendingTree analysis, Subaru drivers have been involved in 30.09 accidents per 1,000 drivers, making Subaru the third most likely car brand to be involved in road accidents.
You might find this interesting:10 Safest Cars for Older People
2. Tesla
According to Tesla, their vehicles “are engineered to be the safest in the world.” Insurance data, however, demonstrates otherwise. According to the analysis, Tesla drivers are the second worst drivers of the 30 brands bunch analyzed by LendingTree.
As per the released data, Tesla owners have been linked to 31 accidents for every 1,000 drivers, with its drivers having the highest incident rate in 11 states.
RELATED:9 Mandatory Things You Must Know if You Want To Buy a Tesla
1. Ram
Ram trucks have constantly received high scores for their safety features and technologies. As a matter of fact, Ram 1500 models have been considered as one of the safest vehicles in 2023, as per MotorTrend.
Unfortunately, insurance data shows another aspect of the popular trucks. LendingTree named Ram the car brand with the highest number of car accidents and drivers with the worst driving records due to the rate of 32.9 accidents per 1,000 Ram drivers.
“When you take a closer look by state, Ram has the worst drivers in nearly half the country. Incident rates for Ram drivers are higher than any other brand in 23 states—significantly higher than any of the ones analyzed,” explains LendingTree.
Read also:10 Worst Cities to Drive In, According to New Studies
