Consumer Reports Names Most Reliable Cars of 2011

[yellowstang]

Read the entire article here...

I'm surprised Ford actually droped that much!



In recent years, Ford has been a model of American reliability. The brand ranked 10th in our predicted-reliability ranking last year and competed well with Japanese makes. This year, however, the Ford brand has slipped 10 spots, to 20th out of 28 makes. That was the biggest drop for any major nameplate, according to Consumer Reports' 2011 Annual Auto Survey, which is based on subscribers' experiences with 1.3 million vehicles.

What changed? Three new or redesigned models — the Explorer, Fiesta, and Focus — had below-average reliability in their first year. We have often found that new or revamped models have more problems in their first year than in subsequent model years. Ford's problems underscore our advice to hold off buying a new car in its first year.

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Ford's drop can also be attributed to problems with new technologies: the new MyFord Touch infotainment system and the new automated-manual transmission used in the Fiesta and Focus.



SYNC sucks!!!

[Rick Modena]

Yeah I was talking to a friend of mine who is the GM of local dealership and he was telling me most of those problems are from the Mytouch nav systems, if it wasn't for that the reliability of Fords vehicles are pretty good. Those navs are made by the japanese, go figure, haha!

[STANGGT40]

i just can't see how any chrysler product (outside of a cummins truck) would be more reliable than a ford product...it makes me wonder how much each of the manufacturers donated to consumer reports this year...

[Ruffdaddy]

i just can't see how any chrysler product (outside of a cummins truck) would be more reliable than a ford product...it makes me wonder how much each of the manufacturers donated to consumer reports this year...

It really shows how useless the metrics are. They need criticality of failure in there as well.

[Chopped54]

i just can't see how any chrysler product (outside of a cummins truck) would be more reliable than a ford product.

Why?

[EW]

That article does not even mention the mustang chinese transmission issues.

[STANGGT40]

Why?

to be honest, i don't have much experience with the new chrysler products, but just about every chrysler vehicle i've come across is a complete box of crap. rattle traps, electrical problems, etc. that's just my experience...and that goes for several of their vehicles (mini-vans, trucks, cars...)

my '05 dodge truck was, by a long shot, a huge exception to what i've experienced to be the rule.

[mustangguy289]

to be honest, i don't have much experience with the new chrysler products, but just about every chrysler vehicle i've come across is a complete box of crap. rattle traps, electrical problems, etc. that's just my experience...and that goes for several of their vehicles (mini-vans, trucks, cars...)

my '05 dodge truck was, by a long shot, a huge exception to what i've experienced to be the rule.

I find that most people who say this have not owned a Chrysler product in a very long time.

My 07 1500 is a better truck than my 07 F150 was. No engine ticking, no spark plug issues, and about 8,000 cheaper ( both had about same mileage when purchased). It also gets better gas mileage and has more power. I owned the F150 for about 8 months and out roughly 16k miles on it. In that time I replaced the battery, starter, A/C control motor that directs hot/cold air, fixed a miss due to spark plugs, and I never messed with the tick (most likely cam followers). It had about 78k when I sold it.

My dad had a 97 dodge avenger, he sold it at 206k miles back in 2005. The people who bought it are still driving it and have had no major issues. My dad did have the auto transmission rebuilt once in it while he had it.

[Rreemo]

to be honest, i don't have much experience with the new chrysler products, but just about every chrysler vehicle i've come across is a complete box of crap. rattle traps, electrical problems, etc. that's just my experience...and that goes for several of their vehicles (mini-vans, trucks, cars...)

my '05 dodge truck was, by a long shot, a huge exception to what i've experienced to be the rule.

I think they are just way more hit or miss than the other domestics....I've had 4 Dodge vehicles mself.....3 diesel trucks and my wife's 05' Magnum.

2 of the trucks were pretty much constant shitboxes, but 1 was a real good truck with virtually no major issues (and I regularly towed a very big trailer with it too). I bought my wife's Magnum brand new in 05'....it has been a great car. No major issues at all, other than tires and maintenance stuff....hell I finally just replaced the original battery a couple months ago. About to put it up for sale though....bought her a new Flex a few weeks ago, so I've been drving the Magnum a lot more.....I've been procrastinating on selling it too.....I'm actually going to hate to see it go.