Oh`No> Ford Tumbles In Consumer Reports' Annual Reliability Survey
#1
10-30-2012, 11:06 AM
Oh`No> Ford Tumbles In Consumer Reports' Annual Reliability Survey
** Disclaimer by `Space **, I don't agree with everything that consumer Reports ~> Reports 
..There are several Ford Products I like & know many that own them & are very happy with their rides..
======================================
Ford Tumbles In Consumer Reports' Annual Reliability Survey
Japanese automakers hold top 7 places in influential rankings
Posted: Oct 29, 2012| By: Pete Bigelow | AOL Autos Staff
Scion earned top honors in Consumer Reports' annual reliability survey, and the xD, above, ranked as its most reliable model. (Toyota).
by: Peter Bigelow
Automakers have made substantial gains in building sturdier engines and transmissions over the past five years, according to a Consumer Reports study on automotive reliability released Monday.
But they ran into substantial trouble adding electronic equipment and computer systems into their vehicles, the Annual Reliability Study also found.
The problems negated the improvements, said Jake Fisher, the director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports. "Overall, reliability is about the same as it was five years ago," he said Monday at a press conference to announce the findings in Detroit.
Toyota swept the top three spots in the reliability rankings. Its Scion brand captured the most-reliable spot for the second consecutive year, while the flagship Toyota brand ranked second and its Lexus luxury brand took third. More than 90 percent of its models tested ranked average or better.
Japanese automakers carried the top seven spots in the rankings.
But the biggest story that emerged from the findings was Ford's plunge. The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker finished 27th of 28 brands ranked. Only two years ago, Consumer Reports had hailed Ford as a "poster child" of reliability. Fisher attributed Ford's rapid descent to problems in new versions of the Explorer, Fiesta and Focus as well as widespread hiccups with its MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch infotainment system.
"Ford had a really bad year this year," Fisher said.
He said customers reported problems that were not minor. Often, cars equipped with the infotainment systems needed to go back to the dealerships to get the car computer completely rebooted.
Consumer Reports' bases its study on information collected from car owners on the Consumer Reports National Research Center database, and is based on the three most recent model years, so long as the models were not redesigned for 2013.
That exception could hurt Ford further in the years ahead, because the '13 Escape was not included in the rankings--a vehicle that has already been recalled three times since its launch.
Sixty-percent of Ford-branded models and 50-percent of Lincoln models fared below average in predicted reliability, and none fared above average, according to the study.
Ford said the Consumer Reports results matched internal data the company had received, although officials added that the company made major improvement earlier this year, and that the survey lagged behind current trends.
"Consumer Reports is hugely important to Ford; you can't dismiss Consumer Reports in any way," said Ford spokesperson Mark Schirmer. "We offered a major improvement to MyFord Touch in the spring and began offering new transmission calibrations this summer. Unfortunately, there are still some bugs in the system that we are working through."
It was bleak news overall for American automakers. No American brands finished in the top 10, and there are no new models offered by Detroit's Big Three that fell on Consumer Reports' recommended list. Cadillac was perhaps the lone success story, jumping 14 places in the rankings to No. 11, the first American car on the rankings.
Its CTS coupe ranked as the most reliable domestic car. Several other GM nameplates – Buick, Chevrolet and GMC – also moved upward. The Chevy Volt continues to have above-average reliability (significant since there is so much technology in the Volt), according to Consumer Reports, while the Chevy Cruze, improved to average.
Other notable items from the survey: Audi earned the biggest climb in the rankings, rising eighteen spots to No. 8 overall. Consumer Reports says that Mazda, fourth overall, is "hot on the tail" of the three Toyota brands ahead, and lauded the all-new CX-5 crossover as "much better than average." Subaru's standing improved, with a redesigned Impreza boosting its status.
Sharon Silke Carty and Scott Burgess contributed to this story.
Gallery: The Best And Worst Ideas In The Auto Industry
..There are several Ford Products I like & know many that own them & are very happy with their rides..======================================
Ford Tumbles In Consumer Reports' Annual Reliability Survey
Japanese automakers hold top 7 places in influential rankings
Posted: Oct 29, 2012| By: Pete Bigelow | AOL Autos StaffScion earned top honors in Consumer Reports' annual reliability survey, and the xD, above, ranked as its most reliable model. (Toyota).
by: Peter Bigelow
Automakers have made substantial gains in building sturdier engines and transmissions over the past five years, according to a Consumer Reports study on automotive reliability released Monday.
But they ran into substantial trouble adding electronic equipment and computer systems into their vehicles, the Annual Reliability Study also found.
The problems negated the improvements, said Jake Fisher, the director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports. "Overall, reliability is about the same as it was five years ago," he said Monday at a press conference to announce the findings in Detroit.
Toyota swept the top three spots in the reliability rankings. Its Scion brand captured the most-reliable spot for the second consecutive year, while the flagship Toyota brand ranked second and its Lexus luxury brand took third. More than 90 percent of its models tested ranked average or better.
Japanese automakers carried the top seven spots in the rankings.
But the biggest story that emerged from the findings was Ford's plunge. The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker finished 27th of 28 brands ranked. Only two years ago, Consumer Reports had hailed Ford as a "poster child" of reliability. Fisher attributed Ford's rapid descent to problems in new versions of the Explorer, Fiesta and Focus as well as widespread hiccups with its MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch infotainment system.
"Ford had a really bad year this year," Fisher said.
He said customers reported problems that were not minor. Often, cars equipped with the infotainment systems needed to go back to the dealerships to get the car computer completely rebooted.
Consumer Reports' bases its study on information collected from car owners on the Consumer Reports National Research Center database, and is based on the three most recent model years, so long as the models were not redesigned for 2013.
That exception could hurt Ford further in the years ahead, because the '13 Escape was not included in the rankings--a vehicle that has already been recalled three times since its launch.
Sixty-percent of Ford-branded models and 50-percent of Lincoln models fared below average in predicted reliability, and none fared above average, according to the study.
Ford said the Consumer Reports results matched internal data the company had received, although officials added that the company made major improvement earlier this year, and that the survey lagged behind current trends.
"Consumer Reports is hugely important to Ford; you can't dismiss Consumer Reports in any way," said Ford spokesperson Mark Schirmer. "We offered a major improvement to MyFord Touch in the spring and began offering new transmission calibrations this summer. Unfortunately, there are still some bugs in the system that we are working through."
It was bleak news overall for American automakers. No American brands finished in the top 10, and there are no new models offered by Detroit's Big Three that fell on Consumer Reports' recommended list. Cadillac was perhaps the lone success story, jumping 14 places in the rankings to No. 11, the first American car on the rankings.
Its CTS coupe ranked as the most reliable domestic car. Several other GM nameplates – Buick, Chevrolet and GMC – also moved upward. The Chevy Volt continues to have above-average reliability (significant since there is so much technology in the Volt), according to Consumer Reports, while the Chevy Cruze, improved to average.Other notable items from the survey: Audi earned the biggest climb in the rankings, rising eighteen spots to No. 8 overall. Consumer Reports says that Mazda, fourth overall, is "hot on the tail" of the three Toyota brands ahead, and lauded the all-new CX-5 crossover as "much better than average." Subaru's standing improved, with a redesigned Impreza boosting its status.
Sharon Silke Carty and Scott Burgess contributed to this story.
Gallery: The Best And Worst Ideas In The Auto Industry
Last edited by Space; 10-30-2012 at 11:50 AM.
#2
10-30-2012, 11:17 AM
I'd like to have one 4-Sure
Below is one Scion I really, really like...It's not really a 1/4 Hot Rod, but it handles & has a super stick shift & all reviews are positive about it being a blast to drive...I'm going to test drive one the first chance that I get...
The 2013 FR-S is Here, but What’s Next for Scion?
Written by: Matthew Askari<!-- no extra author data --> on October 30 2012 6:30 AM
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<!--leftside ends here -->“Just wait until it comes out,” a Scion spokesperson said to me last year, speaking of the much anticipated release of the 2013 Scion FR-S. The much-hyped collaboration between Scion and Subaru to develop a purely fun-to-drive car was the automaker’s focus, and for good reason. The youth-oriented, far edgier arm of Toyota had seen sales soar in the mid-2000s, but the depressed economy of the past few years hit Scion’s core demographic hard. The automaker hadn’t had any truly exciting new models for some time, and this would be the model to reinvigorate the brand. Half a year on and we can say the 2013 Scion FR-S was largely a success. But what now?
This past summer, Scion’s vice president since 2007, Jack Hollis, was named head of marketing at Toyota. His replacement, Doug Murtha, brings a product-planning background to the position. And that’s good, because outside of the FR-S, Scion buyers don’t have much to be excited about. The Scion xB’s most direct competitor, the Kia Soul, outsells the entire Scion lineup single-handedly. If Scion wants to woo back buyers, it will need more than just an uptick in the economy. It’ll need cars its core can get excited about. “We need to look after our volume and place in the market. Each model will play its own role. We have new products in the pipeline,” said Scion’s new vice president.
Scion will be showing off refreshed versions of the xB and xD models at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, but to what extent they have been refreshed is unknown at this point. While the xD is aging, Murtha says the xB will be around for a while. “You don’t have to worry about the box disappearing anytime soon.” Murtha’s role will largely be in lobbying his Japanese contacts to make sure Scion has a prominent voice at Toyota.
Source: Automotive News, Scion
<!-- .entry-content-->Categories:Compact Car, Coupe, News, Scion, Sports Car
Related Automotive Articles
The 2013 FR-S is Here, but What’s Next for Scion?
Written by: Matthew Askari<!-- no extra author data --> on October 30 2012 6:30 AM
<!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><STYLE> .addthis_overlay_container { z-index:9999; } .addthis_overlay_toolbox { width: 53px !important; } </STYLE>
<!-- AddThis Button END -->
<!--leftside ends here -->“Just wait until it comes out,” a Scion spokesperson said to me last year, speaking of the much anticipated release of the 2013 Scion FR-S. The much-hyped collaboration between Scion and Subaru to develop a purely fun-to-drive car was the automaker’s focus, and for good reason. The youth-oriented, far edgier arm of Toyota had seen sales soar in the mid-2000s, but the depressed economy of the past few years hit Scion’s core demographic hard. The automaker hadn’t had any truly exciting new models for some time, and this would be the model to reinvigorate the brand. Half a year on and we can say the 2013 Scion FR-S was largely a success. But what now?
This past summer, Scion’s vice president since 2007, Jack Hollis, was named head of marketing at Toyota. His replacement, Doug Murtha, brings a product-planning background to the position. And that’s good, because outside of the FR-S, Scion buyers don’t have much to be excited about. The Scion xB’s most direct competitor, the Kia Soul, outsells the entire Scion lineup single-handedly. If Scion wants to woo back buyers, it will need more than just an uptick in the economy. It’ll need cars its core can get excited about. “We need to look after our volume and place in the market. Each model will play its own role. We have new products in the pipeline,” said Scion’s new vice president.
Scion will be showing off refreshed versions of the xB and xD models at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, but to what extent they have been refreshed is unknown at this point. While the xD is aging, Murtha says the xB will be around for a while. “You don’t have to worry about the box disappearing anytime soon.” Murtha’s role will largely be in lobbying his Japanese contacts to make sure Scion has a prominent voice at Toyota.
Source: Automotive News, Scion
<!-- .entry-content-->Categories:Compact Car, Coupe, News, Scion, Sports Car
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2013 Scion FR-S, 2013 Subaru BRZ Recalled For Owner’s Manual Error
Buy a Scion iQ, Get a Playstation Vita! Or Is It the Other Way Around?
Highly Anticipated 2013 Scion FR-S Pricing Announced
Scion FR-S Could See Sales of 20,000 A Year
Scion Reminds Us They Make More Than FR-S, Release 2013 tC RS 8.0
2013 Subaru BRZ Getting Competitive with Fraternal Scion FR-S Twin?
#3
10-30-2012, 11:22 AM
2013 Scion FR-S On Sale in the U.S. Now Priced from 24,200 - Carscoop
Click above for slide-show ~> EnJoy the Dream
I did I think this ride gives the owner/driver a lot of Bang 4 their $'s...Plus a lot of fun 4-Sure...
p.s. I like go-kart type of rides a lot (lol)
Last edited by Space; 10-30-2012 at 11:26 AM.
#5
10-30-2012, 11:38 AM
Go Red/White & Blue USA
Buy American...or else
Bring the Monte Carlo back
Last edited by Space; 10-30-2012 at 11:49 AM.
#6
10-31-2012, 05:08 AM
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2012 Auto Reliability Survey: Cadillac Climbs, Ford Falls
2012 Auto Reliability Survey: Cadillac Climbs, Ford Falls
#8
10-31-2012, 08:14 AM
I think the Big 3 should get together and dispute the facts that Consumer Reports states in their reports...
I think it would be a good investment of their $'s.
What facts/statements are there that are not true ?
I think it would be a good investment of their $'s.
What facts/statements are there that are not true ?
The rankings, released Monday, predict the reliability of 2013 model-year vehicles based on surveys of Consumer Reports’ readers. This year, 800,000 people submitted information on 1.2 million vehicles from the 2010 to 2012 model years. The rankings are critical for auto companies, since Americans frequently cite Consumer Reports as a main source of car-buying advice.
- Consumer Reports - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
<CITE style="FONT-STYLE: normal; COLOR: rgb(0,153,51)">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Reports</CITE>
Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products ...
Objectivity - Ancillary publications - Product changes after Consumer ...
News for How many readers of Consumer reports ?
<CITE style="FONT-STYLE: normal; TEXT-OVERFLOW: ellipsis; DISPLAY: block; WHITE-SPACE: nowrap; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5px; COLOR: gray; FONT-SIZE: 11px; OVERFLOW: hidden">Globe and Mail</CITE>
Toyota on top in latest Consumer Reports survey
<CITE style="FONT-STYLE: normal; COLOR: rgb(0,153,51)">Green Bay Press Gazette</CITE> - 4 hours ago
Japanese brands took the top seven spots in Consumer Reports' annual reliability ... vehicles based on surveys of Consumer Reports' readers. ...Fisher said the magazine is getting about the same number ofcomplaints as it ...
Last edited by Space; 10-31-2012 at 08:16 AM.
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