OFOC News - November 2003

Jeff Plungis | Detroit News - Washington Bureau

Based on a Consumer Reports survey covering 1996-2003 models, the Buick Regal has emerged as the most reliable vehicle among all family cars, edging out the Toyota Camry and Nissan Maxima.

Once labeled the most error-prone vehicle in the auto industry, Ford Motor Co.'s Focus compact car is now getting kudos from one of its toughest critics.

Consumers Reports, which releases its influential New Car Preview 2004 today, placed the Focus at the top of its small car rankings.

While the Focus has always won praise for its crisp ride and handling, low reliability numbers and numerous recalls prevented Consumer Reports from recommending it to readers in past years. With improved quality, Focus is now the magazine's top pick in two categories -- small sedans and sporty cars.

General Motors Corp. also had several models improve in the Consumer Reports survey. The ratings are based on a three-year average. Fewer consumer complaints about recalls and repairs meant that the magazine is recommending some domestic models for the first time, alongside longtime favorites from Japanese nameplates such as Toyota and Honda.

While GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group are improving quality, the majority of the most reliable cars and trucks in the magazine's latest survey still carry a Japanese badge.

Models from Detroit automakers have often scored well in Consumer Reports evaluations of handling, comfort and safety. But reliability, based on the number of complaints reported by the magazine's subscribers, has usually been a problem.

That is changing, said Consumer Reports automotive editor Rik Paul. In the 2003 survey, for example, several GM pickup trucks showed marked gains.

"We have been seeing improvement in domestic automaker reliability," Paul said. "This confirms they're getting better."

Paul said the ratings are intended to be a green light for consumers looking for a good all-around vehicle. Cars and trucks that are highly rated are safe bets in terms of performance, comfort, safety and reliability. Poor ratings indicate a red flag in at least one of those areas.

The turnaround for the Focus was especially striking. Between its introduction in 2000 and Sept. 2002, Ford recalled the vehicle 12 times. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched several safety investigations in 2002, including probes into a collapsing front suspension, air bags that were singing occupants and sudden vehicle stalling.

There was more good news for Ford. The automaker's Ford Escape and Explorer sport utility vehicles and Lincoln LS sedan were also recommended for the first time.

The latest Consumer Reports survey, conducted in the spring and covering 1996-2003 models, confirms gains that have showed up in other quality surveys, said Louise Goeser, Ford's vice president for quality.

Ford has been closing the gap with quality leaders Toyota Motor Co.p. and Honda Motor Co. in the J.D. Powers and Associates initial quality survey since 2000, Goeser said. Warranty repairs are also on the decline and customer satisfaction is at an all-time high, she said.

"It's really a culture change in the way we think," Goeser said. "We're closing the gap very substantially. The industry is converging. There isn't much difference between the best and everyone else any more."

GM is also making gains. The reliability of the Buick Regal, which has not been substantially changed since the magazine last tested it in 1998, is now rated ahead of perennial top performers in the family-car category, including the Toyota Camry and the Nissan Maxima.

GM's Buick Park Avenue, Buick Rendezvous and Saturn L300 also showed reliability improvements.

"We're demonstrating consistent improvements on all of our vehicles," said GM spokesman Brian Goebel. "We're confident as our new products move through the pipeline, we'll see even more. We won't be satisfied until we lead the industry in all phases of quality."

The survey included plenty of signs of caution for Detroit automakers, however.

The Cadillac CTS sedan, introduced last year, rated poorly in reliability, as did a slew of SUVs: the Hummer H2, the Chevy TrailBlazer, the GMC Envoy, the Oldsmobile Bravada, the Ford Expedition and the Lincoln Navigator.

Chrysler improved slightly in the ratings, with the Dodge Ram pickup and the Dodge Neon sedan improving to average.

Chrysler spokesman Max Gates said ongoing efforts to improve quality were producing results.

"We anticipate continued improvement in the future," Gates said.

Chrysler's European partner, Mercedes-Benz, slipped in the Consumer Reports reliability survey, as did European brands Audi, Jaguar, Volkswagen and Land Rover. Only Saab, owned by GM, and Volvo, owned by Ford, were in the top ranks for reliability.

The survey was based on 675,000 questionnaires filled out by subscribers to Consumer Reports magazine and, for the first time, the consumerreports.org web site. The number of completed surveys jumped 40 percent from last year.

The magazine only recommends vehicles that perform well in its road tests, show average or better than average reliability in the owner surveys, and perform adequately in government and insurance industry crash tests.