Consumer Reports Ranks the Least Reliable Automotive Brands for 2016

[Gecko]

Consumer Reports Least Reliable Automotive Brands for 2016 - ranked from less reliable to more reliable:

11. Volvo (overall score of 40 was 20 points lower than average)
10. Lincoln (down 4 spots from last year)
9. Cadillac (up 4 spots from last year)
8. Volkswagen (down 9 spots from last year, overall score of 30)
7. Jeep (up 4 spots this year)
6. GMC (fell 5 spots from last year)
5. Tesla (overall score of 28)
4. Dodge (fell three spots, overall score of 28)
3. Chrysler (overall score of 26)
2. Fiat (overall score of 17)
1. RAM (overall score of 16)

Props to FCA for taking the top --- err, bottom, --- four spots, and half of the top ten. That's impressive!

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/cons...es-make-the-least-reliable-cars#slide-3671853

 

[mmcartalk]

Consumer Reports Least Reliable Automotive Brands for 2016 - ranked from less reliable to more reliable:

11. Volvo (overall score of 40 was 20 points lower than average)
10. Lincoln (down 4 spots from last year)
9. Cadillac (up 4 spots from last year)
8. Volkswagen (down 9 spots from last year, overall score of 30)
7. Jeep (up 4 spots this year)
6. GMC (fell 5 spots from last year)
5. Tesla (overall score of 28)
4. Dodge (fell three spots, overall score of 28)
3. Chrysler (overall score of 26)
2. Fiat (overall score of 17)
1. RAM (overall score of 16)

Props to FCA for taking the top --- err, bottom, --- four spots, and half of the top ten. That's impressive!

Although notoriously unreliable Jaguar and Land Rover are not on the list (perhaps from a lack of data), yes, it's obvious what corporation produces the most unreliable vehicles in the American market. However, one thing that is interesting is that Consumer Reports (on another list, not this one) also gives quite high customer-satisfaction ratings, in spite of below-average reliability, to several FCA products.......Dodge Charger/Challenger, Chrysler 300, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

I would also suspect (but can't prove, because of low sales so far and a lack of data), that those who bought Fiat 124 Spyders are also quite satisfied, as they are basically Mazda Miatas with more power and (IMO) better-looking front ends. Although the Italian-built engine is different from the Miata's, the rest of the car should have Miata reliability....which is a whole lot better than the average Fiat.

 

[IS-SV]

No surprises there (for 2016) .

 

[mmcartalk]

No surprises there (for 2016) .

I'd say the presence of Tesla at #5 is at least somewhat of a surprise.......exceeded only by the FCA brands. One would think that vehicles that cost the kind of money that Teslas cost (especially the Model S), and have the kind of advanced engineering they do, would be somewhat more reliable.

 

[Tragic Bronson]

 

[IS-SV]

I'd say the presence of Tesla at #5 is at least somewhat of a surprise.......exceeded only by the FCA brands. One would think that vehicles that cost the kind of money that Teslas cost (especially the Model S), and have the kind of advanced engineering they do, would be somewhat more reliable.

Not a surprise to me. I'd say that high selling price doesn't assume reliability for me (or to others in automotive industry). Tesla with the newest or most "advanced" technology on this list just creates more opportunity for problems/issues that can be related to reliability. Fortunately for Tesla, reliability is just one of several important traits that buyers consider.

 

[mikeavelli]

I thought Caddy was better? Is this a big dive I wonder and why?

 

[mmcartalk]

I thought Caddy was better? Is this a big dive I wonder and why?

According to the article, it's not a dive a such.....Caddy is up by four points this year. Still, Buick has led the other three GM divisions in reliablity for years....that itself is nothing new.