Cringe
Chinks in Toyota's armor are becoming apparent as Ford's domestic brands become more reliable, according to data from the Consumer Reports 2007 Annual Car Reliability Survey, reports MarketingCharts.
Still, the top three automakers in reliability are non-U.S.-based brands.
Toyota's V6 version of the top-selling Camry, and the four-wheel-drive V8 version of the Tundra pickup, both redesigned for 2007, now rate below average in the Consumer Reports predicted reliability rating.
So does the all-wheel-drive version of the Lexus GS sedan. Accordingly, none of them makes CR's "Recommended" list.
Nevertheless, Toyota (including Lexus and Scion) still ranks third in reliability among all automakers, behind only Honda and Subaru.
Forty-one of 44 (93 percent) Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models in CR's survey scored average or better in predicted reliability. The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan are among the most reliable cars, and along with the two-wheel-drive Ford F-150 V6 are three of the only four domestic models on the Consumer Reports "Most Reliable" list.
Still, US brands account for almost half the models — 20 of 44 — on CR's list of "Least Reliable" models:
- 13 are from General Motors, 6 from Chrysler, and 1 from Ford.
- European makes account for 17 of those models: 6 each from Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen/Audi.
- Asian nameplates are also on the "Least Reliable" list: The Hyundai Entourage, Infiniti QX56, Mazda CX-7, Nissan Armada (4WD), Quest, and Titan (4WD), and Toyota Tundra (V8, 4WD).
MarketingCharts provides additional reliability-related findings.
