CarMD releases entirely objective reliability rankings

Jeffrey N. Ross — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:33:00 EST

Reliability ratings for cars are important stats for customers to have when looking at buying a new or used car, but can vary greatly depending on the source. While Consumer Reports uses customer feedback that can be somewhat subjective but encompassing of the entire car (including elements not necessarily involved with reliability), CarMD can more objectively (in theory) measure a car's reliability with its Vehicle Health Index. The index uses data based on problems associated with check engine codes, as well as the average costs to repair these problems.

In just the second year of its study, CarMD found that Toyota (including Scion and Lexus) has once again held its ground as the most reliable automaker having the fewest issues that would set a check engine light. Likewise, Hyundai stays at the runner up spot. BMW sits in the third spot after not being named to the list at all last year. Honda and Volkswagen round out the top five. In terms of cost to repair, it isn't that surprising that BMW has the most expensive repair costs at an average of $502.48, but we were definitely surprised to see Toyota listed in the two spot with average repairs of $490.72. American automakers General Motors and Ford dropped out of the top five to the eight and nine spots, respectively.

Overall, the most reliable car on the list is the 2010 Toyota Corolla just barely ahead of the 2008 Ford Taurus and the 2008 Toyota Yaris. Of the top 100 cars, 16 of them were Toyotas with Ford following close behind with 15 cars on the list. Ford did take the top spot when it in the truck category and Subaru was named the best in the wagon and crossover SUV category. The study even breaks down the top five causes for a check engine light by automaker.

Scroll down for the official press release, and be sure to check out the full CarMD reliability study.

Continue reading CarMD releases entirely objective reliability rankings

CarMD releases entirely objective reliability rankings originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Porsche and Lincoln climb to top of J.D. Power 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study

Michael Harley — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Buick, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Lincoln, Porsche

Click above for results of the 2010 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study

J.D. Power and Associates has just released its 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS)... and Porsche, Lincoln and Buick have climbed on the podium (Buick, Jaguar and Lexus occupied the top spots in last year's 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study). The German automaker demonstrated a significant jump in quality (up ten spots) with Ford's brand hot on its heels (up six positions). While Buick dropped down, its score was indicative of improved quality - however, the bar had been raised.

This year's VDS found that several brands that perform well in the firm's dependability study are avoided due to public misperception about reliability. These brands include Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Lincoln and Mercury - all having the greatest lags between dependability performance and consumer perception. "Producing vehicles with world-class quality is just part of the battle for automakers; convincing consumers to believe in their quality is equally as important," says a J.D. Power and Associates spokesperson.

The Vehicle Dependability Study is designed to accurately measure problems experienced by original owners of three-year-old (2007 model year) vehicles. This year's study was based on responses from more than 52,000 vehicle owners surveys between October and December of 2009. Scores are based on the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with lower scores reflecting higher vehicle quality. The complete J.D. Power press release and charts can be found after the jump and in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2010 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study

[Source: J.D. Power.com]

Continue reading Porsche and Lincoln climb to top of J.D. Power 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study

Porsche and Lincoln climb to top of J.D. Power 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments