10 Of The Most Reliable Used Cars Under $5,000

Buying a new car can be equal parts exciting and frustrating. Though it might be fun to buy something that's new (or at least, new to you), the actual car-buying process isn't always the highlight of the experience. One way to make it a bit less stressful is by researching ahead of time for vehicles that fit your financial and performance expectations. With a budget of only a few thousand dollars, your options may be limited, but that doesn't mean you can't find a reliable vehicle that will get you where you need to go.

While it may be easier to find a reliable used car for closer to $10,000, there are still options if your budget is $5,000 or below. Dependability doesn't always mean a high price tag, though it typically means more miles and older model years. You can easily find a reliable car for under five grand, and although all of our picks are listed by dealerships, you could find even better deals if you're willing to negotiate with private sellers.

Selecting one of the makes and year models on our list is an excellent place to start shopping. Our list of the most reliable used cars — all of them priced at or under $5,000 on Cars.com — relies on dependability data from J.D. Power, information from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), and availability on Cars.com. Learn more about our methodology after the results.

In 2011, J.D. Power labeled the 2008 Honda Fit one of the most dependable vehicles on the road in the small vehicle category. It might be small, but the Honda Fit has a reputation for being practical yet fun to drive. The car is a subcompact hatchback, and its small size means that its fuel economy is no joke. You can expect to get between 29 and 31 combined MPG in a 2008 Fit, with up to 34 MPG for highway MPG. 

Gas savings is part of the package, but you can find Honda Fits from various dealerships, according to Cars.com, for under $5,000. Of course, because Cars.com's filter options limit you to under $4,000 or under $6,000, you'll need to skim the results for relevant, budget-friendly options.

If you're open to a similarly rated model year of the Fit, the 2007 was also labeled dependable by J.D. Power. However, at SlashGear, we've determined that it's one of the Fit years best avoided based on owner complaints on other sites, such as Consumer Reports and CarComplaints.com. The 2008 Fit, on the other hand, has fewer complaints and fewer recalls, with eight recalls, compared to the 2010's 12. At under $5,000, though, it may still be worth seeking out a 2007 Fit with a good track record.

Another 2011 pick for dependability from J.D. Power is the 2008 Honda CR-V. The CR-V was labeled best in its class for quality and reliability by owners, beating out models of the same year and class, like the Subaru Forester, Ford Escape, and Chevrolet Equinox.

With dozens available for sale under $5,000, the CR-V also beats out many of its dependability competitors when it comes to price. We found plenty of CR-Vs listed on Cars.com coming in well under $5,000. While you can expect to pay less for vehicles with more miles, the fact that a CR-V is still on the road with an excess of 200,000 miles might be more of a testament to its reliability than J.D. Power's consumer ratings.

CR-Vs from 2008 are also known to have decent gas mileage, with a 23 MPG combined (27 highway MPG) rating from the U.S. Department of Energy. Then again, some say the 2008 CR-V is one of the Honda models to steer clear of, mostly because of a high number of recalls and complaints. Yet, comparing this year to others, it might not be the worst purchase. For example, the 2002 CR-V had a whopping 16 recalls, while the 2008 had 11. It pays to explore the vehicle history before you get the keys, but a clean 2008 CR-V could be a great deal.

If you're looking for an affordable and reliable vehicle that's not a compact car or SUV, the Ford Fusion might be your top pick. The Fusion is largely considered one of the cheapest, most reliable Fords you can buy today, and that spans multiple year models. However, if your budget is $5,000 or below, you'll have a tough time finding a newer Fusion. Not to worry, though. The 2008 Ford Fusion was J.D. Power's top pick for dependability in its 2011 ratings, meaning owners gave it high praise.

The 2008 Ford Fusion was a midsize vehicle award winner with high quality and reliability ratings, plus high rankings for the driving experience. Today, you can easily find a 2008 Fusion for $5,000 or less. At least a dozen options were available on Cars.com when we went shopping.

Compared to other model years, the 2008 Fusion has had fewer recalls (there are at least 20 model years with more recalls), with seven total recalls over the years. Most are related to the air bags, so one note of caution if you're shopping for this make and model is to ensure that the used car you're looking at has already had the recommended manufacturer repairs. Given that the recall impacted plenty of other Ford models, this isn't necessarily a red flag for reliability, but it's definitely something to take care of before you throw cash down.

For those budget-savvy drivers wanting a reliable vehicle that also happens to be a hybrid, an older model Toyota Prius might be the perfect fit. Both the 2005 and 2006 Prius models were ranked highly in J.D. Power's dependability awards three years after their debuts. Though it was also one of J.D. Power's most dependable picks in 2010, the otherwise high-performing 2007 Prius might be best avoided due to annoying headlight shutoff issues.

Fortunately, there are plenty of 2005 and 2006 Prius models on the market, with at least several under $4,000 on Cars.com and more under $5,000. The 2005 and 2006 Priuses have had a handful of recalls each, mostly centering on steering shaft issues. Not all of the vehicles from those years were impacted, but in order to buy the most reliable Prius possible, you'll want to learn about any manufacturer fixes before purchase.

Once you drive your new Prius home, you'll find that dependability isn't the only perk. The hybrid vehicle gets exceptional gas mileage. The 2005 and 2006 can both achieve 46 MPG combined city and highway. Although I often hear that people think driving one is embarrassing, I have to say I enjoy my 2013 Prius. It's one of the most reliable cars my family has ever had, even with well over 100,000 miles.

J.D. Power considered the 2006 Buick LaCrosse one of the most dependable vehicles in its 2009 evaluation, comparing it to other large cars and SUVs that also impressed. Among choices like the 2006 Lincoln Mark LT and the 2006 Lexus LS 430, the LaCrosse is one of two (more on the Dodge Grand Caravan next) that has high reliability ratings and is available for under $5,000 today. An MPG rating of around 21 is also not terrible.

That said, the LaCrosse itself doesn't have a great reputation overall, with SlashGear's research suggesting that the LaCrosse's design was subpar for Buick and, worse, that some models have timing chain issues. Fortunately, those expensive repairs are more common in 2010 and 2011 models. The 2006 LaCrosse had only four recalls, with manufacturer fixes likely applied years ago. You'll still want to get the vehicle maintenance details when buying a 2006 LaCrosse, but compared to other models, these are less likely to have issues, based on J.D. Power and NHTSA reports.

Now for some better news. Despite Buick's reputation for offering more luxurious vehicles — in terms of both design and price — you can easily find a LaCrosse for under $5,000 at sites like Cars.com. At least a dozen were available when we searched, with many clocking in at under 200,000 miles, suggesting they still have plenty of life left in them.

In the large vehicle category with the Buick LaCrosse, though as a minivan, the 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan also impressed J.D. Power by way of owner-driver feedback. Again, the Grand Caravan was categorized with luxury vehicles and higher-priced models that have retained their value all these years (we're looking at you, Toyota Tundra).

If you need a vehicle to accommodate lots of friends and family (including pets) or cargo, an older model Grand Caravan is an exceptionally affordable purchase that will get the job done. Make sure to budget for gas, though. The Caravan maxes out at 20 combined MPG, per the U.S. Department of Energy, and that's only on the four-cylinder model. Comparable models like the 2006 Toyota Sienna, with a maximum 19 combined MPG, won't fare much better at the pump.

Dodge has since discontinued the Grand Caravan, but that's because demand for minivans has dropped overall. Rather than pour more resources into pushing its minivans, Dodge turned to SUVs that could compete with rising names like the Toyota RAV4. Although Dodge's parent brand (Stellantis) now manufactures the Chrysler Pacifica, who knows whether the Grand Caravan could have held its own in the minivan sphere.

The good news is that you can find many Grand Caravans on Cars.com, though it may take some smart searching (and patience) to get exactly what you're looking for. However, you might be able to find private sellers willing to part with their well-kept Caravans — especially locally — for less than $5,000.

In 2007, the Scion xA stood alone in J.D. Power's rankings for small vehicle dependability. As the only winning car in its category, the Scion didn't have any competition, making it an easy pick for our list. While other vehicles received awards in line with other models, requiring us to check prices before choosing one to recommend for both affordability and reliability, the Scion xA checked both boxes.

As a subsidiary of Toyota, Scion had a limited run, with the xA being discontinued after only a couple of years on the market (2004 to 2006). The debut year performed well, according to owner-drivers who provided feedback to J.D. Power, and many are still on the road — and on the market — today.

When we looked for 2004 Scion xA models on Cars.com, we found at least a dozen models under $5,000. Most had between 120,000 and 210,000 miles, but these cars also had relatively few recalls and complaints. Though there aren't many model years to compare it to, the 2004 xA had only two recalls, neither of which impacted all of the 2004 models. Both recalls were solved via manufacturer repairs, so a used model should continue to be reliable based on the available data. There's also more good news when it comes to the xA. Its fuel economy is an impressive 30 MPG combined, which compounds your savings even more.

If you were waiting and hoping for the Honda Civic to appear on this list, it's finally here. Older Honda Civics are generally good and cheap cars, but you'll have to go back pretty far for one under $5,000 at a dealership, hence our recommending the 2003 or 2004 model year.

The 2003 Honda Civic earned recognition during J.D. Power's 2006 dependability awards, and the following year, the 2004 Civic ranked, too. Nestled against other compact vehicles like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Honda S2000, and Toyota RAV4, the 2003 Honda Civic more than holds up for reliability. The 2004 Honda Civic was up against the exact same vehicles for the following model year and again was the only one that we would consider both reliable and affordable.

Although not every option looks absolutely pristine, you'll find plenty of 2003 to 2004 Honda Civics on Cars.com. It may be difficult (but not impossible) to find one with under 100,000 miles, but the beauty of the Civic is that there are tons of them on the road. As of 2022, the Civic was Honda's best-selling car in the company's history. At that time, the Civic was approaching 30 million in sales globally.

Not all Civics are equal, though. The 2004 Civic has fewer recalls than the 2003 model. Even with 15 total recalls over the years, the 2004 is not the most-recalled Civic. That award goes to the 2001 Civic, with a record 27 recalls.

Because Buick is largely recognized as a luxury brand, it's probably not surprising that the most affordable and reliable Buick we could find was from 2003. In 2006, J.D. Power recognized the Century alongside other midsize cars like the 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo, the 2003 Acura CL, and the 2003 Ford Ranger. Unfortunately, not many of those vehicles were available at under $5,000 when we checked, so the Century comes in clutch.

While admittedly not the flashiest car on our list, the 2003 Buick Century received high marks from J.D. Power's owner-drivers. With only two recalls to date, the 2003 Century has the fewest number of recalls of any vehicle on our list. If that's not enough to earn the reliability label, we don't know what would be!

An older Century won't be the easiest vehicle to find used, but Cars.com does have a handful listed at under $5,000. This may be another case where a local search for private sellers could land you a great deal. Either way, it's hard to go wrong with a Century, especially because the gas mileage isn't as terrible as you might expect for a vehicle over two decades old. With a fuel economy of 21 combined city/highway MPG, it's not the worst on gas mileage, although there are plenty of affordable options on our list with superior fuel efficiency.

Our last entry in the under-$5,000 list of the most reliable cars we could find, the 2003 Toyota Highlander, makes its appearance. Toyota vehicles tend to hold their value, and given that the 2003 Highlander cost around $23,000 the year it was manufactured, it's not surprising that it took over 20 years to get the SUV down to $5K.

As far as finding the best Highlander for your money, the 2003 model didn't qualify as either a pick to avoid or a best year. Based on our deep dive into the Highlander's reliability, it's one of the best options at this price point. In 2006, J.D. Power included the Highlander on its list of cars that earned dependability awards, and it wasn't the first time. Thus, other model years of Highlanders are also deemed dependable by owner-drivers, but 2003 is how far back we had to go to find one for $5,000.

When we perused Cars.com for a 2003 Toyota Highlander, there were at least a dozen options, with a few under 200,000 miles. While the mileage may not be great, this model year seems to be, especially compared to other years. It turns out that the 2003 Toyota Highlander had a mere two recalls, which is an excellent statistic considering it is more than 20 years old at this point. 

To recommend the most reliable cars under $5,000, we began with J.D. Power Awards rankings for dependability. J.D. Power's rankings range back to 2004, with ratings for vehicles that were three years old at the time of each rankings release. J.D. Power asks owner-drivers for their feedback on the vehicles' quality and reliability, which it uses to rank each one. Vehicles are classed based on size, often with multiple cars in a single class receiving the dependability award.

We sorted through J.D. Power's rankings, cross-referencing with used car listings on Cars.com, to find models that earned recognition for their dependability and are still available from a dealership for under $5,000. In many cases, a vehicle might have had the same or better reliability ratings than the one we picked, but the alternatives were much more expensive than $5,000. Where applicable, we also discussed NHTSA ratings to support the reliability claims of specific vehicles and model years.