Cars you can't count on

By Jennie L. Phipps • Bankrate.com

Automotive reliability is the most subjective car issue of all.

Consider this. If you drive a $10,000 Ford Focus and the dome light burns out, chances are you'll figure out how to change the bulb and you'll move on. But if you've paid $100,000 for your car and the dome light burns out, you may feel differently, particularly if you have to go to the dealership to buy a replacement because it isn't available at Pep Boys.

And while a burned-out bulb won't keep you off the road, all things automotive tend to influence a vehicle's perceived reliability. As research experts point out, if you ask someone to find something wrong, chances are they will.

"Your expectations for the vehicle have a huge amount to do with your satisfaction, or dissatisfaction, in its performance," says Phil Reed, author of Edmunds.com's "Strategies for Smart Car Buyers."

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"Look at buyers of Hummers. They've complained in droves that the car doesn't get good gas mileage; the manufacturer said it was going to get 12 miles per gallon and most owners only get about 9 mpg. Is that worth complaining about? Probably not, but when buyers pay more than $50,000 for a car, they expect every aspect to be absolutely stunning.

"In general, expectations have risen with younger buyers having higher expectations than older ones. Older buyers are just pleased that the car doesn't leave them stranded, while younger buyers expect near perfection."

Serious complaints only, please
That's why Consumer Reports magazine, creator of the largest and most influential analysis of auto reliability, specifically asks its annual survey participants to note "any problems with your car in the last year ... that you considered SERIOUS (because of cost, failure, safety, or downtime)." The nearly 400,000 online and print edition subscribers are instructed to exclude problems covered by the car's warranty and not to consider normal maintenance issues.

The results are first examined for responses that may not give a fair and accurate picture, says Douglas Love, the magazine's counsel on communications. Responses are excluded if the information appears to be incorrect, for instance the complaint is about an 8-cylinder engine and the model only comes with a 6-cylinder. The responses from drivers who say they put significantly more or less miles on their cars than the national average also are thrown out of the pool. The remaining surveys are compiled and reported in the annual car issue each April.

And the loser as are ...
Now to the heart of the matter. These cars earned the lowest rates in Consumer Reports 2004 reliability survey. They are listed by category, with vehicles in scoring order beginning with the worst score. The 2005 survey will be available in March and those models might be better ... or not.

Small Cars: Volkswagen Golf (turbo), Volkswagen Jetta (turbo), Volkswagen New Beetle
Sporty Cars/Convertibles: Hyundai Tiburon, Mercedes-Benz CLK, Volkswagen Cabrio, Mazda RX-8, Chrysler Sebring Convertible
Sedans: Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Jaguar S-Type, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar X-Tyle, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Mercedes-Benz C Class (V-6), Volvo S60 (AWD), Saab 9-3, Pontiac Grand Prix (supercharged), Volkswagen Passat (AWD), BMW 5 Series
Sport-Utility Vehicles: Land Rover Freelander, Lincoln Navigator, Volkswagen Touareg, Volvo XC90, Nissan Armada, Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Excursion, Hummer H2, Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy, Ford Expedition, Saturn Vue
Minivans: Nissan Quest, Chevrolet Astro, GMC Safari, Mazda MPV
Pickup Trucks: Ford F-150 (4WD)

Getting a second, or third, opinion
Many people are influenced by the Consumer Reports reliability survey, and rightly so. It's a careful analysis by a reputable organization. But it's not the only way of looking at automotive quality and reliability.

So before you reject a car based on the opinions of readers of one consumer-oriented magazine, consider looking at some of the other analyses:

Market researcher J.D. Power offers vehicle initial dependability, quality and residual value studies. While the results are similar to the Consumer Reports survey, there are some fairly vast differences as well.
At SaferCar.gov, you can search the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's ratings of tires, airbags, crash tests and potential for rollover.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety offers access to a variety of insurance-related tests, including 40 mph frontal, side and rear crash tests, airbag tests and reports on frequency of theft.
European New Car Assessment Programme examines models built by European auto manufacturers, some of which are also sold in the United States.
Collision and brake tests are conducted by the National Agency for Automotive Safety & Victims' Aid in Japan. A few of these models are sold in the United States.
The Australian New Car Assessment Program reports crash test results for a number of models that are also sold in the United States.