Worst-Made Cars on the Road

Roy Munson

This article by Forbes was very interesting reading.


Worst-Made Cars on the Road
by Hannah Elliott
Friday, April 9, 2010

If you want to drive something dependable and long-lasting, steer clear of these vehicles.

With a 22% improvement in sales last month, and despite the six-month, $4.3 billion loss it announced Wednesday, General Motors is likely to have its strongest spring and summer in years. Plus, the automaker had critically acclaimed new products at the recent New York Auto Show and the much-anticipated Chevrolet Volt is due out this fall.
More from Forbes.com:

Year-over-year sales of GM's Cadillac division alone are up almost 76%; sales in the Buick, Chevrolet and GMC divisions were each up more than 40% for March. The industry as a whole was up 24.3%.

Unfortunately just because GM's cars are selling well now doesn't mean they're the best bet for durability or value -- yet. It'll take awhile before GM's new direction shows up in tangible new products at the dealership.

Four of the seven vehicles on our list of the worst-made cars on the road come from GM brands. And all of the cars on the list -- including Chrysler's Dodge Nitro and Jeep Wrangler -- are made by Detroit's Big Three. Only one car on the list is made by Ford Motor (NYSE: F).

See the list here:

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/109278/worst-made-cars-on-the-road?mod=family-home

mantis

I would hope to see GM make a better vehicle and keep the American heritage alive. It takes but 1 man to make the company honest and get back to the family style run business.

I'm hoping that they bring pride back , I hope to see the day.

phuz

I almost fell for it, until I saw the F-250 on there.

I own a Toyota and am not a big GM fan, but the F-250 is a bulletproof truck that will go hundreds of thousands of miles easily. I've also had a family member total a couple of them and walk away. One of them was rolled on the freeway.

They also have the same vehicle on there twice. One Chevy and one GM. Looks like a hit piece on American vehicles. So, I take this with a grain of salt.

superjunior

Imo, Ford is the most reliable for a predicted breakdown. In my small fleet of five trucks, I have one ford, an F-600. I can set my watch to when this thing will break down. My other four trucks are gm - no problems ....

VR3

My F150 is a monster.. i use and abuse that thing and its been great...

My experience with GM and Dodge is lackluster at best.... everything seems super cheap.

Jstas

I don't get this. Here's the reason for the F-250 (which kind of stunned me as well.)

The F-250 Lariat earned both the "worst value" and "worst safety performance" distinctions from Consumer Reports this year. It received an overall score of just 37 out of 100 points for predicted reliability, fuel economy, depreciation, ride, owner costs, accident avoidance, front-seat comfort, acceleration and owner satisfaction.

OK, so the things they are harping on are:
- PREDICTED reliability (whatever that means)
- Fuel economy (they do realize that this is a 6,000+ pound vehicle? fuel economy is not it's forte)
- Depriciation (I really doubt it's THAT bad considering I can't find a decent used one that isn't 8+ years old for less than $24K)
- Ride (Again, a 6,000+ pound truck????)
- Owner Costs (Big truck, big bills for maintenance. It's not a daily driver for commuting)
- Accident Avoidance (Yeah, again, big truck, lotsa weight, not so easy to turn or stop)
- Front-Seat Comfort (Dunno if this is a bad point but they are quite cushy even for a car)
- Acceleration (Yet again, big, heavy truck...it's not a sports car, what are they expecting?)
- Owner Satisfaction (Subjective, can't comment, don't own one)


I'm sure the other categories are the same for the others but honestly, there is alot of info missing from that article and I think you just posted it to try and incite some kind of flame warm.

Then again, what does Forbes honestly know about automotive subjects?

dave shepard

superjunior wrote: »

Imo, Ford is the most reliable for a predicted breakdown. In my small fleet of five trucks, I have one ford, an F-600. I can set my watch to when this thing will break down. My other four trucks are gm - no problems ....

I would rather set my calender for scheduled maintenance then my watch for a breakdown.
They are all crap. My latest is having to put in a oil pan in my 2000 1ton 4x4 Dodge diesel duelie because it completely rusted apart and spilled oil all over a parking lot, that cost over 1k to get fixed and we are not done yet with the needed repairs and to top it off the dam thing has less then 30k miles on it.

Dave

AudioGenics

JEEP ... just empty every pocket ...

still there are many an enthusiasts out there into JEEP wranglers.

Amherst

This is a hit piece on American made vehicles.... how many thousands of these have we seen over the past 30+ years? Where's a Subaru, ect. rated?

Foreign or domestic??? What is best???
Is there really a definitive answer?

Really, in truth, they all have pluses and minuses like everything else.

Knucklehead

I think Jstas summed it up pretty nicely.

Systems

Yeah, don't know about that either. I own a Colorado, and drive the crap out of it. Great ride, handles excellent, power is awesome(I5), have had it out in the hills and will climb anything(not that they care about that in the article) but sure is fun!!

Have had a few growing pains but nothing major....

bobman1235

While I agree the article is suspect, individual experiences do not a trend make.

Jstas

I just noticed that the article cites J.D. Power and Consumer Reports and then draws conclusions based on the combined sets of data which really have no valid correlation.

I'd be interested to see how they rate the Suzuki Swift considering it is mechanically identical to the Chevy Aveo.

jinjuku

I *think* the American based companies are finally turning it around. The issue is: is it too little too late?

If you have been burned personally in the past (can you say Chevy Cavalier?) you are reluctant to throw any more $$ at them. With that being said I would love to get a 2010 Buick Lacross. I wanted one up till the point they had to delay release by 4 to 5 months for quality control issues. Sigh.

That car is absolutely beautiful on the inside. One helluva interior. But then I would have to compare it to a Genesis. I don't know if it would come out on top.

Amherst

I've been severely burned by Ford 3 years ago with an F-150 and 25k miles.
Have owned over the years four new Fords and many others purchased used. My F-150 is a lemon plain and simple, but that doesn't make all F-150's lemons.
While it will be a long time if ever that Ford will see any money from my pocket again, the experience is not typical of their vehicles.

Jinjuku, the Buick is a real nice choice. Am running the 08 Lucerne now with 25k on it and love it. The brakes suck a little bit though, going to replace those in the next week or so.
Had a 07 Enclave before that and it was an absolutely wonderful vehicle. GM's Buick division is presently making some quality vehicles. I have owned several foreign made vehicles and the Buick's in my opinion compare favorably or surpass other more expensive foreign vehicles I've owned prior.

ohskigod

Jstas wrote: »

I just noticed that the article cites J.D. Power and Consumer Reports and then draws conclusions based on the combined sets of data which really have no valid correlation.

I'd be interested to see how they rate the Suzuki Swift considering it is mechanically identical to the Chevy Aveo.

you guys have to take these ratings with a grain of salt. Remember the didge neon and Chrysler PT cruiser? remember the neon was considered horribly unreliable and yet the pt cruiser was extremely reliable.......per these same sources.

they were built on the same frikkin platform. same frame, same drivetrain. there is a lot of things to consider when you look at these ratings, primarily is the type of drivers that drive them

Neon (economic and often first time drivers that couldn't care for a car if there life depended on it)

PT Cruiser (more upscale driver that loved the car and babied the heck out of it most of the time)



I love when people bag on Jeeps because of reliability ratings....... because we all know Jeep drivers don't EVER beat the snot out of them right? really? really really? they were MADE to get pounded like Jenna Jameson in a **** marathon.


Incidentally, the Dodge Nitro is on the list but the Jeep Liberty isnt? it's the SAME TRUCK!!!!!


these lists make me giggle

jdwmap

I don't understand a portion of the ratings, it looks like they didn't have a comparison for certain aspects, so gave them a 0? I am assuming it was 33 pts for each of the three? Does that mean it was not rated at all and got no points or what?

Segment: Compact Car
CR Predicted Reliability Score: Poor
CR Value Score: Not rated among the worst in overall value
CR Safety Score: Not rated among the worst in overall safety.
CR Overall Score: 36 out of 100
J.D. Power Dependability Score: 2 out of 5 Power Circles
MSRP: $11,965

billbillw

Forbes? Consumer Reports? JD Powers? They all are worthless sources IMO. They tally up meaningless data and produce rubbish reports like this.

F250 on the list? BS. Those things will outlast just about anything on the road.

maximillian

I bought a new '99 TJ (that's a Jeep Wrangler) and didn't pound on it. Yet it was the most unreliable car I have ever owned. It also had imprecise steering and many electrical issues (both of which CR reported 5 years later). Also, it loved to rust. I see other TJ's on the road all with rusted hinges. Mine also had some surface rust develop in less than 5 years.

Ultimately I got rid of it because the valves went which started to make a progressively worse knocking sound. I didn't want to sink the money into a 10 year old vehicle. A mechanic told me that they were made out of Aluminum on this model. Planned obsolescence?

I did enjoy driving this vehicle, just wish it didn't have all the issues I had with it (more not mentioned). I may buy another one someday, but modern Jeeps look ugly to me.

I and other people in my family have owned several vehicles. I don't see the reliability issues in Hondas and Toyotas as I see them in American cars. I am not saying that ALL American cars are bad and all Japanese cars are great. It's just that on average there's a better chance that an American car is going to be less reliable. I want to buy an American vehicle and support the industry here, but until the quality is generally improved I can't afford to do so.

This is just IMHO though.

Amherst

maximillian wrote: »

I and other people in my family have owned several vehicles. I don't see the reliability issues in Hondas and Toyotas as I see them in American cars. I am not saying that ALL American cars are bad and all Japanese cars are great. It's just that on average there's a better chance that an American car is going to be less reliable. I want to buy an American vehicle and support the industry here, but until the quality is generally improved I can't afford to do so.

This is just IMHO though.

Not really true, all vehicles have some drawback of one kind or another.
Example: You mention the rust issue on the Jeep, well if you talk to the line mechanic's working on Toyota's, they will tell you that Toyota is battling a huge undercarriage corrosion problem that goes up and down the lineup. Unless your in the "know", this issue is not being discussed much.

I do not defend Jeep here, this is just an example. I also once owned a 97 Grand Cherokee rust bucket at one time, and have rust (corrosion) problems on my Ford F-150.

madmax

I'm not surprised by the results.
madmax

MacLeod

I just bought a $30,000 Ford Edge a month ago. Just dropped it off at the dealer for the 2nd time. It's a piece of crap. I drive a Ford truck at my job and within the first month, the power steering went out. The tiny little Corolla they gave me to drive at the dealer has 5 times the build quality and fit and finish of my Edge that costs twice as much.

I'm done with Ford and will never buy from a government owned car maker so its Honda or Toyota for me from now on.

Erik Tracy

Well, my Toyota truck is not what I would consider reliable:
- failed fuel pump at 40,000
- blown headgasket at 64,000 miles - required a new engine! And NOT covered by Toyota
- failed ignition switch at 80,000

I wouldn't buy another Toyota truck.

Systems

Did you guys not read Bobman's post?

shawn474

I drive a Nissan Titan - probably on record as one of the most unreliable trucks ever assembled. There are thousands of reported problems with rear differentials, brakes, transmission, etc. In fact I have had the transmission and rear axle assembly replaced and the truck has less than 50,000 (all under warranty thank the lord). However, taking all that, I LOVE the truck and will keep it as long as I possibly can.

jinjuku

One of the biggest determinants IS personal experience.

My experience has been: A Cavalier that was scrapped at 48K miles (mine) a Beretta that didn't make it to 120K (my moms). The Chevy 4.8 liter that is used in their trucks is almost a guaranteed bust with the intake manifold. Yes you will be working on it. My aunt's Oldsmobile Achieva I think made it around 60K.


vs

My 99' Altima is at 186K. Doesn't burn a drop of oil and STILL gets 33MPG highway. I have at least 4 more years of reliable life in the car (IMO). Engine pulls like it was new. The reason I purchased the Nissan is I bumped into so many people driving one with their 2.4 liter 4cyl that had 215K plus miles on them. It seems to be the rule rather than the exception.


Mom want's a new Camry but can't find a good enough reason to get rid of her current car. It will never die.

The only reliable American car (from the 90's) that I think anyone in my family had was an Ford Escort. Just to find out it was a rebadged Mazda (or was it Mitsubishi?):rolleyes:

Went with a friend to get a Pontiac Vibe (had a GM credit card) so had to use the points. The only car he would consider from GM since it was actually a Toyota Matrix. Pulled out the air filter and it has Toyota stamped around the perimeter:D

Like it or not that is the perception that the big three still have to deal with. It took them 25+ years to create this image and entrench it. It's not going to be un-done overnight. I don't know if they have the time.

jinjuku

shawn474 wrote: »

I drive a Nissan Titan - probably on record as one of the most unreliable trucks ever assembled. There are thousands of reported problems with rear differentials, brakes, transmission, etc. In fact I have had the transmission and rear axle assembly replaced and the truck has less than 50,000 (all under warranty thank the lord). However, taking all that, I LOVE the truck and will keep it as long as I possibly can.

Yep, Nissan has had a tough row to hoe with the Titan. I wouldn't buy one and I love my Altima.

bobman1235

One of the biggest determinants IS personal experience.

These car companies churn out millions of cars a year. Even the least reliable company is going ot have a VERY low failure rate. Statistically your personal experience means nothing. As far as driving future purchases, of course they're meaningful; "once bitten twice shy" and all that. But even the best company makes lemons, and you may be unlucky enough to get stuck with them.

MacLeod

Yeah I did, so what? Didn't say anything about a trend just that I've had crap experience with Ford.

While I agree 1 man's experience usually isn't proof of a trend, you don't need a national study to see the difference in build quality and fit and finish between a Ford and a Toyota or Honda. My Accord felt like it was built by eye surgeons. My old Nissan was the same as is this "cheap" little Corolla I'm driving now.

My $30,000 Edge doesn't come close to having the same refined feel to it.

And after owning 3 Fords and every one of them being a piece of crap, there may be a trend showing.

But I bought it because I got a discount thru my work. I knew better but thought "hey Fords come a long way". And after 2 trips in 1 month to the dealer, it appears they may have a ways to go.

jinjuku

Erik Tracy wrote: »

Well, my Toyota truck is not what I would consider reliable:
- failed fuel pump at 40,000
- blown headgasket at 64,000 miles - required a new engine! And NOT covered by Toyota
- failed ignition switch at 80,000

I wouldn't buy another Toyota truck.

No one said that you can't get a bad Toyota/Honda/Nissan. But speaking to the Fleet averages there is simply no comparison on the reliability of the Japanese vs American makes.

I have known a couple of people that have mid 90's Tacoma's with more than 200K on them. I don't know of a single S10 or Ranger even make it close. I know more people with the S10 and Ranger than I knew with a Tacoma so that says something.

jinjuku

bobman1235 wrote: »

These car companies churn out millions of cars a year. Even the least reliable company is going ot have a VERY low failure rate. Statistically your personal experience means nothing. As far as driving future purchases, of course they're meaningful; "once bitten twice shy" and all that. But even the best company makes lemons, and you may be unlucky enough to get stuck with them.

Actually I would say my personal experience trends with the fleet averages for the years of cars I am discussing.

Ford/GM/Chrysler didn't get their reputation that they now have by producing high quality, tight fit and finish, well engineered, reliable automobiles.

If you think for a minute, like GM would like you to with their commercial pitting their line up against Honda, that a Chevy Cobalt is in the same class as a Honda Civic then I have a bag or Oregano to sell you at $125 a pop.