Because of reliability problems reported by car owners to Consumer Reports, 12 models—including the Honda Odyssey minivan and Tesla Model S sedan—lost their recommendations today.
Our list of CR recommended vehicles is determined, in part, by how the vehicles perform in CR’s exclusive Annual Reliability Survey. This year we collected data from CR members on more than 500,000 vehicles.
On the flip side, the predicted reliability of 16 models—from the luxury Cadillac XTS to the Subaru Impreza small car—improved enough this year for these cars to gain a recommendation (see list below).
By the way...from the Tesla article, it said Tesla was #27 out of 29. Guess who is 28 and 29. Cadillac and Volvo, respectively. I guess I will post that separately.Other findings from CR’s Annual Reliability Survey include:
- As more vehicles come with turbo engines and new transmission technologies, it’s becoming clearer which automakers are building better versions. (Learn more about turbo engine reliability.)
- Mazda gains the most and Buick drops the most among auto brands. (Learn more about reliability by brand.)
Reliability is still a very difficult subject to discuss objectively. Here is my criteria, which is likely different from other people:Newly Recommended Models With Improved Reliability
Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Suburban, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Infiniti QX60, Lincoln Continental, Mazda CX-9, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Mini Cooper, Mini Cooper Countryman, Nissan Armada, Nissan Maxima, Subaru Impreza, Volkswagen Golf, and Volkswagen Tiguan.
- Likelihood of a problem that is difficult to impossible to DIY repair (time/cost/skills/tools/facilities), as a ratio of that likelihood NOT being already built into the purchase price (i.e. resale value). If I am already getting a discount, then I roll the dice (assuming I can actually quantify the risk). This is likely VERY different from CR reliability which is probably more like "number of times I had to go to the dealer" which is almost meaningless, though to some, that is everything when you are talking new cars under warranty.