Consumer’s Union has published the results of its 2012 Annual Auto Survey which uses responses from owners of vehicles from one to three years old to predict reliability for the majority of vehicle makes and models sold in the U.S. market.
| CONSUMER REPORTS 2012 RELIABILITY RANKINGS BY BRAND | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better Than Average | |||||||
| Rank | Brand | Average | Best | Worst | Best model | Worst model | Change |
| 1 | Scion | 72% | 80% | 64% | xD* | xB | N/C |
| 2 | Toyota | 47% | 92% | 4% | Prius C* | Sienna (AWD) | ↑4 |
| 3 | Lexus | 47% | 71% | 10% | CT200h | GX | ↓1 |
| 4 | Mazda | 40% | 66% | 15% | CX-5* | 3 (SkyActiv)* | N/C |
| 5 | Subaru | 37% | 66% | 7% | Impreza sedan* | Legacy (6-cyl.) | ↑3 |
| 6 | Honda | 36% | 68% | -2% | Fit | Odyssey | ↓1 |
| 7 | Acura | 26% | 41% | 16% | TSX | MDX | ↓4 |
| 8 | Audi | 16% | 50% | -33% | A7 | S4* | ↑18 |
| 9 | Infiniti | 14% | 48% | -48% | G sedan | G Convertible* | ↓2 |
| 10 | Kia | 11% | 47% | -35% | Sportage | Sorrento (V6) | ↑2 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 10% | 54% | -23% | CTS Coupe* | SRX | ↑14 |
| 12 | GMC | 6% | 30% | -33% | Terrain (V6) | Sierra 2500 (turbodiesel) | ↑10 |
| 13 | Nissan | 5% | 54% | -101% | Leaf | Armada | ↓4 |
| 14 | Mercedes-Benz | 4% | 30% | -31% | E-Class (v6) | E-Class Convertible* | ↑4 |
| 15 | Chevrolet | 3% | 37% | -43% | Volt | Corvette | ↑2 |
| Worse Than Average | |||||||
| Rank | Brand | Average | Best | Worst | Best model | Worst model | Change |
| 16 | BMW | -2% | 76% | -74% | 328i* | 7 Series* | ↑3 |
| 17 | Hyundai | -3% | 40% | -46% | Veloster* | Sonata (turbo) | ↓6 |
| 18 | Volkswagen | -9% | 40% | -64% | Jetta SportWagen (5-cyl.)* | Jetta (4-cyl.)* | ↓2 |
| 19 | Jeep | -12% | 38% | -38% | Patriot | Wrangler (4-door) | ↓6 |
| 20 | Volvo | -14% | 20% | -87% | XC70 | C70* | ↓10 |
| 21 | Buick | -29% | -2% | -51% | Enclave | LaCrosse (V6) | ↑3 |
| 22 | Mini | -42% | 48% | -161% | Cooper Clubman* | Cooper Countryman | ↑1 |
| 23 | Chrysler | -43% | 14% | -96% | 300 (V6) | 300 (V8)* | ↓8 |
| 24 | Dodge | -46% | -2% | -96% | Durango (V6) | Charger | ↓3 |
| 25 | Ram | -55% | 9% | -119% | 1500 (V8) | 2500 (turbodiesel) | N/A |
| 26 | Lincoln | -58% | 17% | -131% | MKS | MKX | ↓12 |
| 27 | Ford | -59% | 19% | -226% | F-150 (V6) | Explorer (V6, 4WD) | ↓7 |
| 28 | Jaguar | -141% | -118% | -164% | XJ* | XF* | N/C |
| *Data based on single model year only. | |||||||
The big news is Ford’s continuing tumble in the rankings: it’s now almost at the bottom of the chart. Reported reliability problems with some models and the ongoing issue of Ford’s overly complex telematics system were major factors in Dearborn’s downfall. Lincoln’s fall was cushioned by Ford’s.
GM earned some bragging rights, even though it can’t legally use the CR findings in its promotions. All GM brands improved, paced by Cadillac, rated the most reliable American brand, followed by GMC and Chevrolet. Buick was the only GM brand that did not score above average.
Chrysler rankings were down: CR says reported problems with V8s were an issue, though the V6 seems to have found favor with owners.
Not surprising, since they almost invariably do well in this type of rating, the Japanese took the top seven positions, with Toyota’s three brands leading the way.
Audi jumped up 18 slots to be the top-ranked German automaker.