Japanese automakers lead consumer reliability survey
Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, March 12, 2002
Associated Press
DETROIT — Vehicles built by Japanese automakers led every category of Consumer Reports’ annual reliability survey, but the gap between U.S. automakers and their European counterparts is the narrowest ever, according to the survey released Tuesday.
The magazine chose the 2002 BMW 530i as its overall "top pick," and the Subaru Impreza WRX the top "fun-to-drive" vehicle.
In the reliability survey, the Infiniti QX4 sport utility vehicle had the fewest problems — four per 100 vehicles — while the two-wheel-drive Ford Explorer Sport Trac had the most, 44 per 100.
The most reliable passenger car, according to the survey, was the Infiniti I30, with six problems per 100 vehicles, and the worst was the Audi A6 2.7T, with 42.
Overall, vehicles from Japanese automakers had the fewest problems per 100 vehicles, with 15, while European and American brands had 23 and 24 problems per 100, respectively.
The survey recorded readers’ experiences with 512,000 vehicles from model years 1994-2001. The magazine has more than 4 million subscribers.
The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles was 21.
Among domestic brands for 2001 models, the Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler AG was ranked most reliable, with 22 problems per 100 vehicles, followed by General Motors Corp. with 23 and Ford Motor Co. with 26.
Vehicles built by Toyota Motor Corp. and Subaru of America Inc. had the fewest problems of the Japanese automakers — 12 per 100 vehicles — followed by American Honda Motor Company Inc. and Nissan Motors Corp., with 14 apiece.
Among European automakers, Saab, a unit of General Motors Corp., had the fewest complaints, with 14 problems per 100. However, the magazine recorded responses for only one vehicle, the Saab 9-5.
"Among 2001 models, the most complaints were for squeaks, rattles and leaks, a group we label ‘body integrity,’ " Richard Paul, Consumer Reports automotive editor, said Tuesday during a teleconference with reporters.
He said rust problems reported in the past had all but vanished.
Reaction among U.S. automakers generally mirrored how their products fared in the survey.
Top picks are based on 40 individual tests conducted by Consumer Reports experts. The magazine anonymously buys the vehicles at dealers and pays cash.
The survey information will be published in the April issue of Consumer Reports, which goes on sale March 19.
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