Vehicle Reliability Improves Slightly

Call it a game of automotive catch-me-if-you-can, except that it's not much of a contest when no one gets captured.

That seems to be the case when it comes to the race for reliability between domestic automakers and their Japanese competition. According to the recently released Consumer Reports annual issue on reliability, the domestics are improving - but not quite enough to put a significant dent in the lead held by Honda and Toyota.

And now they're looking up at some new competition.
It appears that Subaru has had no trouble catching the leaders, as they edged Honda for the best reliability record by brand. Subaru had a reported 8 problems out of 100 cars, compared to Honda's nine. Another automaker - Hyundai - leapt over the domestics and garnered most reliable honors for their Sonata sedan, which reported only two problems per 100 vehicles. The 2004 Ford Mustang - since replaced by a new 2005 model - was the most reliable car made by a U.S. automaker with five problems per 100. The most reliable European car was the Volvo S40/V40.

The survey is based on responses for 810,000 privately owned or leased vehicles. In the survey, subscribers were asked to report serious problems they experienced during the previous year, ranging from the engine and transmission to body hardware and electrical systems. These responses allow Consumer Reports to calculate problem rates for 1997 through 2004 vehicles and to predict reliability for 2005 models. The analysis is based on the number of problems per 100 vehicles.