U.S. Brands Stumble in Auto Reliability Survey
Engineering360 News Desk | October 26, 2018
Predicted reliability for the Tesla Model S has fluctuated based on what problems were reported by owners. Source: Consumer Reports Auto Reliability Surveys 2013-2018
U.S. auto companies such as General Motors, Tesla and Ford did not fare well this year in Consumer Reports’ reliability rankings as readers reported considerable mechanical trouble with their vehicles.
All U.S.-based brands fell to the bottom half of 29 brands in the rankings. Cadillac is the worst-rated domestic manufacturer and ranks near the bottom at 28. Lexus, Toyota and Mazda, in that order, continue to be the best for new car reliability in the survey. Seven of the top 10 brands in this year’s reliability rankings are from Japan and South Korea, including Subaru, Kia, Infiniti and Hyundai.
Audi, BMW and Mini round out the top 10. Audi and BMW both declined from last year while Porsche, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz finished midpack. The worst ranking was assigned to Volvo.
Tesla dropped six spots from last year and now ranks 27 out of 29 brands. The Model S dropped to below average reliability this year, and its overall score is no longer high enough to be recommended by Consumer Reports. Owners reported suspension problems and other issues that included the extending door handle. The Model X SUV remained ranked “much-worse-than-average” for reliability, with ongoing problems including the falcon-wing doors and center display screen. The Model 3 sedan has average predicted reliability based on owner feedback.
When compared to the average non-turbo engine among 2016 to 2018 models, Lexus makes the most reliable turbo powertrain, followed by Honda and Porsche. On the other end of the spectrum, Hyundai and Mini have the most problematic turbos.
Consumer Reports received more than 500,000 responses to the annual survey of its subscribers, and it uses the data from the 2000 to 2017 model years to predict the reliability of 2019 vehicles.
The first indication of possible skewing of the data is that the population includes only those who subscribe to Consumer Reports.
It is also possible that the type of driver who purchases and drives Brand X, may or may not be more likely to respond either more or less favorably to a survey about their automobile.
If there was a way to track warranty service/repairs, that would probably give a better picture but it's not like the auto manufacturers are going to share that data.
I have no gripe or love of Volvo, but I find it surprising they are at the bottom of the heap.
In reply to #1
I believe they meant it is at the 10th place, the bottom of the EU group. I am not surprised. I have owned many Volvos and saw their quality go down over the years. For now, the American cars are below that but the Chinese owners will do some more cost cutting...
It is a good example of the effect of the race to the bottom the NA manufacturers are embarked into. Cost reduction has priority over product improvement. Everybody want quality, yet it seems that few are ready to pay for it.
It is the same problem with public bidding. The lowest bidder is rarely the best. That is why our infrastructure degrades so fast.
In reply to #2
I like to look at the complaints of owners, these are real problems that owners have to deal with....still there are good and bad among any type car, a lot has to do with the luck of the draw, you might get a good one,,,or you might get a lemon, there are no guarantees of problem free ownership, just warranted repairs for a bit....Dealing with the problems effectively is more important to me than agonizing over the possibility that something might go wrong....Then there's good and bad dealerships that sometimes have a good mechanic and sometimes a
damned idiot, not,, finding a good mechanic to me is more important than trying to buy a perfect car, as proper maintenance and repair plays a big role in keeping your car running and driving well....https://www.carcompl