American auto companies such as General Motors, Tesla and Ford have faltered heavily this year in Consumer Reports’ reliability rankings.
Consumer Reports got more than 500,000 responses to the annual survey of its subscribers. All U.S.-based brands fell to the bottom half of 29 brands in the rankings, and Lexus and Toyota have once again maintained their place at the top as they have for six straight years.
Rounding out the top ten are:
- Mazda
- Subaru
- Kia
- Infiniti
- Audi
- BMW
- Mini
- Hyundai
Ford is the highest-ranked American brand, sitting in the 18th slot of the 29 total brands. Buick, normally a top-ten finisher, fell 11 spots to the 19th slot. Volvo was ranked the least reliable brand followed by Cadillac, Tesla, Ram and GMC.
Readers of the popular magazine reported more mechanical trouble, such as with technology designed to increase fuel economy, and fewer problems with infotainment systems- one of the primary complaints in years past.
What Types of Issues Should I Watch Out For?
According to the popular website carcomplaints.com, current trends over the past 90 days suggest significant numbers of complaints about the following vehicles and their respective problems, just to name a few:
- 2016 Honda Accord – Daytime LED lights burning out
- 2013 Nissan Altima – CVT shuttering, vibration, hesitation, running roughly
- 2017-2018 Honda CR-V – High oil level with gas in oil
- 2010, 2012 and 2013 Chevrolet Equinox – Excessive oil consumption
- 2014 Honda Accord – Starter not working properly
- 2014 Chevrolet Silverado – A/C stopped working
- 2015 GMC Yukon – Taillight not working properly
- 2016 Ford Explorer – Power steering failure
In Tesla’s case, problems with components such as all-wheel-drive, air suspension and falcon-wing doors, in addition to software issues, have left consumers wondering which part of their $50,000+ vehicle is the reliable part they paid such a high dollar amount for.
What Are Automakers Doing About It?
The answer is, in many instances, NOTHING. Despite systemic problems, automakers often refuse to make necessary repairs at no charge to the consumer or issue a recall on what is clearly a defective (and, not surprisingly, usually much cheaper to manufacture) component. Unfortunately, these components frequently tend to fail just after the manufacturer’s warranty expires, leaving consumers to foot the bill for repair or replacement of inferior parts that should never have been used to begin with— not to mention the inconvenience and aggravation associated with taking their vehicles to a mechanic for diagnosis and repair, often multiple times.
What Can Be Done to Hold Automakers Accountable?
The Law Office of Richard Schechter recently filed several class action lawsuits around the country against General Motors for problems with the A/C system in certain Chevy, GMC and Cadillac models and has been contacted to investigate problems with various other vehicles. Based on our investigation in these cases, the results of the Consumer Reports annual survey hardly come as a surprise. Despite being extraordinarily expensive, some of the vehicles involved have proven to be hardly more reliable than a Fisher Price toy. A/C system problems is just one example of the mechanical issues many owners of these vehicles may face.
If you or someone you know has had problems with your vehicle and the manufacturer has refused to resolve your issues by way of warranty or recall, call the Law Office of Richard Schechter today for a free legal consultation. Richard Schechter will be happy to answer any questions you may have and explain your legal rights. Call 1-800-734-5612 today.
