Curious about some of the most durable car engines built in recent years? You’ve come to the right place, as we will be breaking down the key details of the ten most reliable car engines of the last two decades (or so). The insane cost of both new and used vehicles means that finding the most dependable vehicle platforms available has only become more essential.
We have analyzed every last bit of data from an iSeeCars study detailing the top 25 longest-lasting cars in 2025. From sedans to pickups, if your vehicle is likely to make it to 250,000 miles or greater, it is almost guaranteed to be on this list. We then cross-referenced each of the powertrains of the top finishers to understand which engines are powering the most reliable vehicles available. Follow along as we break down these ten engines that most commonly make it to 250,000 miles or greater.
Toyota 2TR-FE Inline-Four
The Toyota 2TR-FE is a 2.7-liter inline-four engine found most notably in the base model configuration of the second and third generation Toyota Tacoma truck. The Toyota 2TR-FE continues Toyota’s lineage of reliable truck-based inline-four engines, stemming back to the iconic 2.4-liter 22R inline-four, which powered the predecessor to the Tacoma, the Toyota Hilux.
The Toyota 2TR-FE inline-four is so dead reliable as a workhorse truck engine that it powered the Toyota Tacoma for nearly two decades while spanning two separate generations. With its low compression ratio and low redline, the Toyota 2TR-FE inline-four is built for endless hours of constant operation. This engine received a notable update in 2015 that utilizes Dual VVT-i technology, further increasing its capabilities, but only by a slight margin. The 2TR-FE inline-four is so reliable that Toyota is still producing the decades-old platform today for use in the Toyota Hilux Champ, the $10,000 Toyota minitruck we will never get.
Honda K24 Inline-Four
While Toyota may have an undeniable lineage of dead reliable inline-four engines, nobody builds an inline-four quite like Honda. The crown jewel of Honda’s decades of development of the inline-four layout is the Honda K-Series family, which still powers a variety of Honda models to this day. One of the most capable and reliable variants of the Honda K-Series is the 2.4-liter K24 inline-four, which has powered notable models such as the seventh through ninth generation Honda Accord (2003-2017), the last three (and current) generations of the Honda Odyssey (2003-present), and the second through fifth generation of the Honda CR-V (2007-2022).
Unlike the Toyota 2TR-FE inline-four, the Honda K24 inline-four was not designed for truck-based applications and instead offers a significantly more lively character without sacrificing durability. This vibrant character comes as a result of Honda’s long history in motorcycles, which provides the Honda K24 more power than the Toyota inline-four and a significantly increased redline of about 6,800 RPM in most applications (despite its smaller size). The smaller 2.0-liter Honda K20 variant is also still utilized in various configurations across several current Honda models, including turbocharged variants as found in the 2025 Honda Civic Type R and 2026 Acura RDX.
Toyota A25A-FXS Hybrid Inline-Four
The most reliable hybrid platform available right now is, without a doubt, the 2.5-liter Toyota A25A-FXS inline-four. Before we get into its details, we must note how incredible it is to make a hybrid engine reliable at the level of other non-hybrid combustion engines. The Toyota A25A-FXS inline-four is the hybrid engine on our list, and only Honda and Toyota are capable of boasting the durability of their hybrid platforms to this degree. The Toyota A25A inline-four was the first engine introduced as part of Toyota’s latest Dynamic Force engine family in 2017, in a collective effort to simplify the numerous powertrains available across its various brands.
Despite being the first of its generation, the Toyota A25A-FKS inline-four (the non-hybrid variant) achieves 40 percent thermal efficiency, and the hybrid (FXS) achieves 41 percent. For context, a 2021 Nissan study detailed that it took “almost 30 years” of constant engineering innovation to improve thermal efficiency from 30 percent to 40 percent, while most combustion engines today still consider 20 percent thermal efficiency within the acceptable range. If you look at the long list of the Toyota-branded vehicles powered by the Toyota A25A-FKS inline-four, you will find among the most reliable hybrid vehicles available today, like the 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
Nissan VQ V-6
The Nissan VQ V-6 engine family is the very backbone of Nissan’s success as a brand since the mid-1990s. For decades, the Japanese brand has spent countless resources and time developing this particular V-6 platform, and the result is one of the most reliable V-6 engine platforms ever engineered. The 3.0-liter variant of the Nissan VQ V-6 has been around since the mid-1990s in models such as the Nissan Maxima. Yet, it was not until the 2001 introduction of the VQ35DE, the 3.5-liter variant, that this engine platform established itself as a bona fide leader in the segment.
Even in its mildest variants, the VQ35DE V-6 still offers a minimum of about 240 horsepower in economy-focused models like the Nissan Murano and up to 300 horsepower in sports cars such as the Nissan Z33 350Z. The sheer flexibility of the VQ35DE makes it an outstanding engine for use across a variety of platforms, and its impressive build quality, which includes forged rods and crankshaft, makes it incredibly tolerant to constant abuse. The last application of the VQ35DE V-6 was found in the 2024 Nissan Murano. Yet, other variants of the VQ, such as the 3.8-liter VQ33DD, still live on in the 2026 Nissan Frontier.
Toyota 1GR-FE V6
The 4.0-liter Toyota 1GR-FE V-6 is, simply put, one of the most unkillable engines ever built. This Toyota powerplant has famously powered the majority of the brand’s larger truck and SUV models at one point or another, but it is most notably found in the fourth and fifth generations of the Toyota 4Runner (2002-2024) and the second generation of the Toyota Tacoma (2004-2015).
While the Toyota 1GR-FE V-6 has often been criticized for its lack of power or fuel efficiency, its durability is unquestionable. In the 2025 iSeeCars study, the Toyota 4Runner had a 32.9 percent chance of lasting 250,000+ miles, which is 6.5 times greater than the overall average of 4.8 percent. That makes it the second-longest-lasting vehicle available out of the top 25 from the calculated data. Much of this incredible durability can be attributed to this V-6’s stellar build quality, broad torque band, and low compression ratio. The legacy of this workhorse V-6 engine is far from over, as the decades-old 1GR-FE is still being produced across Toyota’s international line-up in models such as the Toyota Land Cruiser.
Honda J35 V-6
The Honda J-Series engine family is one of the Japanese brand’s most successful and reliable engine platforms that is still in use today. In contrast to the Nissan VQ V-6, the Honda J-Series utilizes a SOHC design built specifically for transverse applications (most of them FWD). Although this V-6 engine debuted initially with a 2.5-liter displacement, its eventual enlargement would see it reach up to 3.7 liters of displacement.
The most common and most prevalent variant of the Honda J-Series is the 3.5-liter J35, which is most commonly associated with the top-trim Honda Accord and Honda Pilot. The majority of Acura models have also utilized the J35 V-6 at one point or another, and we still have it in use today with the 2026 Acura MDX. The foundation of the J35 V-6 is so solid that Honda utilized the same internal architecture when producing the Honda BF-Series marine engines. Although the J35 was once ubiquitous in the Honda line-up as well, now it is only available in the larger SUVs, such as the Honda Pilot and Honda Passport.
Toyota 2GR V-6
Our last V-6 on the list is the Toyota 2GR family, which completes the “holy trinity” of Japanese V-6 engines, including the Nissan VQ and Honda J-Series. In simple terms, the Toyota 2GR V-6 is the most reliable and notable V-6 engine ever built. Despite being significantly smaller than the 4.0-liter Toyota 1GR-FE, the first variant of the 2GR, the 3.5-liter 2GR-FE, offered more power while also providing similar torque figures to its truck-based cousin.
First introduced in 2005 in the Toyota Avalon, the 2GR V-6 has seen continued improvement through the decades and is still in use in certain Toyota products today. Its most notable improvement through its vast lifespan was the 2GR-FKS variant that was introduced in the 2015 Lexus RX 350. The 2GR-FKS combines both the original architecture of the 2GR with Toyota’s most modern efficiency technologies, such as the on-demand Atkinson cycle, along with selective direct and port injection. This ultimate variant of the 2GR and its hybrid variant, the 2GR-FXS, can still be found in models such as the Lexus IS 350 and Lexus TX 550h+.
Cummins 6.7-Liter Turbocharged Inline-Six Diesel
The most notable outlier on our list is the Cummins 6.7-liter turbocharged inline-six diesel engine. The only engine with a turbocharger or powered by diesel on our list, the Cummins 6.7-liter is the latest iteration of Cummins’ iconic B-Series inline-six diesel engine introduced in 2007, commonly found on Dodge RAM 2500 or 3500 trucks. The Cummins 6.7-liter is the largest light-duty truck inline-six engine ever produced and now offers up to an astonishing 1,075 pound-feet of torque in the 2026 Dodge RAM 3500 truck. Among trucks, the Ram 3500 offered the highest chance of lasting 250,000+ miles at 39.7 percent, which is 3.1 times higher than the overall truck average of 13.0 percent.
The Cummins 6.7-liter is so notable for its durability that it has been the select power unit of school buses over the last couple of decades. Despite its immense capability, the Cummins 6.7-liter has some reliability-related contention regarding its VGT (Variable Geometry Turbocharger), the first of its kind utilized on a diesel Cummins inline-six. Because these modern turbos have many moving and complex parts and offer unique features like the exhaust brake, failures are common. Several alternatives exist if your Cummins inevitably has a turbo failure, though none of them are particularly cheap. Despite this, the Cummins 6.7-liter long block is nearly unbreakable, so you might be inclined to believe most investments are worth it.
Chevrolet Vortec 6200 V-8
If you want a naturally aspirated V-8 engine that will last a lifetime, it will likely be something based on the Small Block Chevy (SBC) design. Debate all you want, but the greatest American performance V-8 engine of the last two decades is the 6.2-liter Chevrolet LS3 that was introduced in 2008 as the base engine of the C6 generation of the Chevrolet Corvette. Yet, its truck-based equivalent that debuted in the same time period, the Chevy Vortec 6200 V-8, is just as impressive considering its long-term durability.
In the top 25 spots in the iSeeCars rankings, SBC-powered vehicles scored wins with the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (#13), the Chevrolet Suburban (#16), and the GMC Sierra 1500 (#18). These three trucks/truck-based SUVs are all slight variations of one another, but all share the same powertrains and basic foundation (most importantly, the Vortec 6200 V-8). The successor to the Vortec 6200, known as the 6.2-liter EcoTec3, introduced in 2014, suffers from significantly more reliability issues because of its active fuel management system. Although more efficient, the EcoTec3 pays a significant price by reducing reliability compared to its predecessors. The safe bet is to always avoid active fuel management systems if durability is a priority.
Toyota 3UR-FE V-8
Toyota, unsurprisingly, dominates our list as the only automaker that has an entry in the inline-four, V-6, and V-8 categories. Five out of ten of these leading engines in durability on our list are Toyota engines, so you might know now which brand offers the best consistency overall as well. Toyota’s UR family V-8 engines are the stuff of legends, and let’s explain why their durability is so legendary.
The Toyota UZ V-8, the predecessor to the Toyota UR V-8, was developed as part of the creation of Lexus’s first flagship model, the Lexus LS sedan. Back in 1987, Toyota spent $2.85 billion (yes, billion) on the development of the Lexus LS when adjusted for 2025 inflation, which is still one of the biggest bankrolls ever put toward the development of a production vehicle. The Toyota UZ family V-8’s reliability became its immediate staple in the following years, and the introduction of the UR family V-8 in 2006 for the fourth generation of the Lexus LS would take its durability another step further.
The 3UR-FE V-8, designed specifically for the largest truck-based models like the Toyota Tundra and Toyota Sequoia, is the shining star of Toyota’s V-8 lineage. According to iSeeCars data, the Toyota Sequoia is the number one vehicle with the highest chance of making it to 250,000+ miles, with 39.1 percent, which is 8.1 times higher than the overall average of 4.8 percent. The Toyota Tundra takes the number four spot, where it is 30 percent more likely to last 250,000+ miles than the average of 4.8 percent. Safe to say that if you want a vehicle that may go on to outlive you, your best bet is something with a Toyota V-8 in it.