Japanese cars continue to be the big winners in Consumer Reports’ 2011 Reliability Survey. US automakers, with some exceptions, got another black eye.
Ford came out the loser in the survey, which was released today. They fell from 10th last year to the 20th position in 2011. Ford’s low scores are due to the below average reliability scores on their new Ford Explorer, Fiesta, and Focus. According to Consumer Reports, part of Ford’s problems came from new technologies used in the cars, including the MyFord Touch infotainment system and the new automated-manual transmission. “Ford’s problems underscore our advice to hold off buying a new car in its first year,” said Consumer Reports in a summary of the survey.
One bright spot for US auto industry is Chrysler’s results. Jeep moved up seven spots, to come in at 13. Chrysler and Dodge also moved up in the rankings.
But Japanese brands grabbed the top nine spots in the survey. Scion, Lexus, Acura, Mazda, Honda, and Toyota led the way. According to the report, Lexus CT 200h and Honda CR-Z came in at the top for hybrid cars.They also said that “heavy-duty, three-quarter-ton pickups are among the most problematic vehicles. With the exception of the turbodiesel Ford F-250, , they all scored below average.”
The full results from the reliability survey is available through Consumer Reports at http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/reliability/index.htm.
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