Consumer Reports said Ford, Lincoln and Mercury "continue to pull away from the rest of the Detroit automakers" with average or higher scores for almost all Ford products. The same is not true at General Motors, where a quarter of its models are "still well below average" — including the Cadillac CTS — and at Chrysler, where almost two-thirds of the model lineup earned below-average reliability ratings. Chrysler's Sebring convertible rated a dismal 283 percent below average, the publication said.
Mercedes-Benz was called out for improving reliability ratings, with six models improving to "average" reliability — although none of its models scored above average, the publication said. Every model from Toyota, including its Lexus and Scion offshoots, scored "average" or higher, which CR noted was an improvement after last year's survey in which the Camry V6, Tundra V8 4WD and Lexus GS AWD all scored below average.
Nissan and Volvo were complimented for improvement in reliability over last year, and CR said Hyundai and Kia models now "rank right up there with the better Japanese makers." Land Rover was cited for "well below average" scores on all of its vehicles, including the new LR2.
The Consumer Reports study is based on a survey of subscribers, who report on their experiences with 17 trouble areas over the past 12 months.
Inside Line says: Looks like buyers of the littlest economy cars or hybrids can feel reassured about reliability. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
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