Consumer Reports

[blacksnapon]

Consumer Reports dings Toyota
Terry Kosdrosky, Dow Jones News Service

DETROIT - Toyota Motor Corp. has slipped in Consumer Reports' annual car reliability survey to the point where the magazine no longer will automatically recommend the automaker's new and redesigned models. Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co. showed significant improvements.

The survey results are the latest blow to Toyota, which has been stealing market share from U.S. automakers but is dealing with recent challenges. It has posted year-over-year sales declines in recent months and has seen some of its top talent, including its top U.S. executive, defect to U.S. automakers.

Consumer Reports' survey follows other studies showing that U.S. automakers are closing the quality gap with Asian automakers. Still, Asian automakers' brands top the ove! rall predicted reliability list, and U.S. brands account for almost half of the models on the "Least Reliable" list.

Consumer Reports said 41 of 44 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models in the survey scored average or better in predicted reliability. The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan "are among the most reliable cars," Consumer Reports said in a prepared statement.

Rated below average were Toyota's V6 version of the Camry and the four-wheel-drive V8 version of the Tundra pickup truck, both redesigned for 2007.

"Consumer Reports will no longer recommend any new or redesigned Toyota-built models without reliability data on a specific design," Consumer Reports said in a news release.

"We're looking forward to analyzing the Consumer Reports data," Toyota spokesman John McCandless said. "But none of our internal data shows a problem or consumer dissatisfaction with these models."

Mike Hardie, global manager of quality data for Ford, said t! he automaker is "excited" about the results.

 

[polarbear]

Vadered from NWU:

Consumer Reports magazine reported today that the quality of cars made by Toyota, long the benchmark for reliability among automotive brands, had slipped so much that the organization no longer will automatically recommend them.

Releasing the results of its 2007 annual Car Reliability Survey today in Detroit, the magazine said two high-profile models, the top-selling Camry V-6 and the four-wheel-drive Tundra pickup, both redesigned this year, scored below average. Consumer Reports won't recommend any model scoring below average to its readers.

Typically, Consumer Reports will recommend a vehicle only if it has at least one year of reliability data. New and redesigned Toyota models had been exempted from that standard because of the company's record. The magazine said today it no longer will recommend any new or redesigned Toyota-built models without reliability data on a specific design.

My own take is even Consumer Reports couldn't ignore this, no matter how in-love it's readers are with the Asian Brands. JD powers has one key advantage in credibility vs. Consumers Union- actual, empirical data over a three year periods vs. projected reliability ratings. The English language is a beautiful thing.

Fact: Mercedes Benz has seven models rated in the "least reliable" catagory.

Fact: Nissan, as a brand, has experienced some dramatic reliability issues in recent years.

Fact: Ford and GM have made dramatic strides in reliability and quality.

Fact: the actual gap in quality between "luxury" and "popular" brands has shrunk over the years. So much so, that one can question the actual benefit/value vs. the additional expense of a "luxury" brand.

Fact: Consumer perceptions take years, sometimes even decades, to catch up to the reality.

My Favorite Malibu print ad, coming to a magazine near you

We're tired of being a foreign car in our own country.

 

[Fellro]

In my opinion, they never should automatically recommend anything without proper testing... and they claimed no bias...

 

[BKW]

CR also recommends many new Honda models.

My wife and I subscribe to CR, have two Nissans, one owned, one leased, but I'm not in love with CR.

Quite the opposite.

CR is owned and run by a bunch of left wingers. Some of their tests have been faked.

btw: Any of these so called auto survey outfits like JD Power and Edmunds that take ads from auto manufacturers, IMHO, can't be trusted. They are no more subjective than the myraid auto enthusiast mags.

 

[O'Rattlecan]

I have an old boss at Westlake that I need to show this to... He's a communist and loves Toyota more than his own mother.

Ryan

 

[6L PWR]

I have an old boss at Westlake that I need to show this to... He's a communist and loves Toyota more than his own mother.

Ryan

Hmmmm, a buddy of Carl's all the way here in MO??