Buick just did something no American car brand has done before

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2015 Buick RegalGS 021

Buick

Buick Regal GS.

On Monday, Consumer Reports announced the results of their 2016 Annual Reliability Survey.

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While Toyota and its Lexus luxury brand finished first and second in the survey respectively, the big news is the brand that finished third - Buick.

Buick's ranking is the highest an American brand has ever placed in the survey that has been tracking automotive reliability since the early 1980s.

"Buick's achievement is commendable and sure to be a wake-up call to other manufacturers," Consumer Reports' director of automotive testing Jake Fisher said in a statement.

"One reason why the brand has been able to leapfrog others in the General Motors' stable has been its limited vehicle lineup--with none of the pickups and truck-based SUVs that have negatively impacted Cadillac and Chevrolet."

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Buick's stellar performance in the survey is by no means a fluke. GM's mid-level luxury brand has been hovering around the top 10 of the survey for the past few years. In fact, Buick finished seventh in last year's survey. Consumer Reports attributes Buick's superior reliability to a line up consisting of mature models that have had many of its kinks worked out over the past few years.

The only other American brand to reach the top 15 in the survey is Chevrolet. The mass-market GM brand moved up five spots over last year's survey. At the top of the rankings, Toyota and Lexus continue their dominance with their fourth consecutive 1-2 finish.

The 2016 Consumer Reports Annual Reliability Survey is based on information gathered from the publication's subscribers who have "owned or leased over half a million vehicles, from model years 2000 to 2016, with a smattering of 2017s, covering more than 300 models."