20 Years of Consumer Reports Surveys Show Gains in New Auto Reliability

TWENTY YEARS OF CONSUMER REPORTS SURVEYS SHOW DRAMATIC GAINS IN NEW AUTO RELIABILITY

American Vehicles have made Greatest Progress Improvement for SUVs and Pickups has been just as Dramatic

New cars have made dramatic gains in reliability, with American vehicles showing the greatest improvement, according to the Consumer Reports (CR) in-depth trend analysis of its annual auto-reliability survey information. Improvement for SUVs and pickups has been just as dramatic. The reliability gap between U.S. makes and European and Japanese makes is narrowing. But while domestic cars have made the greatest strides, they have had the most improving to do. Despite dramatic progress, new domestic cars in 2000 have only improved to about the level where new Japanese cars were in 1985. In its 2001 Annual April Auto Issue, for the first time CR takes a look back at two full decades (1980 to 2000) of auto reliability, comparing problems per 100 cars for vehicles that were then new. This year’s analysis includes information from about two-and-a-half million reader-survey responses. “Domestic car reliability is really improving, but there is still a way to go,” states David Champion, Auto Test Facility Director. “But domestic manufacturers have clearly made the most gains when it comes to auto reliability.” Back in 1980 the average trouble rate for all new vehicles was 88 problems reported for every 100 cars. By 2000 that rate had dropped to 20 problems: an astounding 77 percent improvement. The improvement in sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks was also pronounced, dropping from 99 for SUVs and pickups in 1980 to 20 in 2000. Within this overall trend of general improvement, some vehicle types, makes, and models have improved more than others. In general, Japanese-nameplate vehicles, whether they were actually manufactured in Japan or North America, continue to be the most reliable. U.S. -nameplate vehicles have, for the past 20 years, been the most problematic. European-nameplate vehicles have been in between. Car and minivan trends: From 1980 through 2000, problem rates for Japanese cars and minivans declined from an average of 34 per 100 vehicles to only 11. Nissan, Honda, and Subaru improved the most in the past 20 years. Domestic manufacturers – Ford, GM, and Chrysler – improved the most, dropping from 105 problems in 1980 to 23 in 2000. And while this is pretty good, it’s still twice as many problems as the average Japanese car. European nameplates dropped from an average of 50 problems to 20. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been the most consistently reliable European makes over the past 20 years. Truck trends: Japanese-made trucks improved from 41 problems per 100 vehicles in 1980 to 16 in 2000. U.S. – nameplate trucks improved from 102 to 23. Ford’s improvement has been the most dramatic. In 1980, new Ford pickups were the most troublesome. By 2000, Ford had improved 86 percent and ranked second behind Toyota: 16 problems vs. Toyota’s 13. The Ford F-150 went from being one of the most unreliable of all vehicles in 1980 to being the most reliable Ford product in 2000. GM’s overall trouble rate dropped from 107 to 26, and Chrysler’s from 40 to 26. SUV trends: In 1980, American SUV’s had an average of 138 problems per 100 vehicles. By 1990, that rate was down to 49, and had shrunk to 23 by 2000. Meanwhile, Japanese SUVs had an excellent problem rate of only 16 in 1990, and had improved to 9 in 2000. Now, Japanese-nameplate SUVs have surpassed Japanese-nameplate cars as among the most trouble-free vehicles on the road. Which parts are improving most: Over the years, squeaks and rattles, body hardware, and the electrical system have caused the most complaints. Those areas have improved dramatically but are still more problematic than others. On the other hand, engine and air-conditioning problems have ceased to be big worries. Rust problems have almost vanished, and complaints about driveline, exhaust system, fuel system, and paint-and- trim problems have fallen significantly. 2000’s most reliable makes: According to CR’s latest subscriber survey, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, including their luxury brands, and Subaru are among the most reliable makes for 2000. On the other hand, among the least reliable makes are Lincoln, Chevrolet, GMC, Jaguar, and Jeep. In another Annual April Auto Issue report, “Looking forward,” CR forecasts the reliability of new models based on data collected from extensive surveys of subscribers.