Bookmarking Auto on Info pagesSupporting Auto on InfoHome or Site Layout or Site Map or Site Index or Quick Jumps or Search Engine Directory or The MartAuto InformationAuto Durability InformationAuto Line and Manufacturer Durability for Model Year 1998

Auto Durability Page 1 Auto Durability Page 2 Auto Durability Page 3 Auto Durability Page 4 Page 5 - Top 20 High Mileage Page 6 - The 2006 Study of Model Year 1998
Page 7 - The 2006 Toyota Age Equivalents for Model Year 1998 Page 8 - The 2006 Honda Age Equivalents for Model Year 1998 Page 9 - The 2007 Dilapidation Rates for Model Years 1998 - 2002 Page 10 - The 2007 Study of Model Year 1999 Page 11 - The 2007 Toyota Age Equivalents for Model Year 1999 Page 12 - The 2007 Honda Age Equivalents for Model Year 1999
Page 13 - 2007 Pickup Durability Updates for Model Years 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001          

Links to Amazon.com

Visitor support makes this site possible. Please shop often via Auto on Info. Thank you.
Men's Fine Tie Clips and Ties
Forzieri tie clips
Men's Ties by Villa Bolgheri
Men's Ties by Roberto Cavalli
Men's Ties by Versace
To view more men's ties, icons, and search phrases, click here.
Men's Watches
Men's Watches by Casio
Men's Watches by Locman
Men's Watches by Ebel
Men's Watches by Chopard
Men's Watches by Gucci
Men's Watches by Movado
Men's Watches by Cartier
Men's Watches by Omega
To view more men's watches, icons, and search phrases, click here.
Fine Women's Watches
Women's Watches by Cartier
Women's Watches by Omega
Women's Watches by Baume & Mercier
Women's Watches by Tag Heuer
Women's Watches by Ebel
To view more fine women's watches, icons, and search phrases, click here.
On-Site Pages with links to Amazon.com
The Mart
Digital Cameras, Camcorders, Printers, and Accessories
35mm Cameras and Accessories
Camcorders
Camera Bags
Laptop Computers
Cutlery Block Sets and Cheese Sets
Espresso Machines and Coffee Makers
Small Kitchen Appliances
Cookware
Dinnerware
Flatware
Hiking and Backpacking Apparel
cover
Trekking Equipage
cover
Tents and Accessories
cover
Sleeping Bags, Pads, Mats, and Cots
cover
Stuff Sacks, Dry Duffels, and Dry Boxes
Water Sports and Exploration
cover
Field Guides
Books: Natural History
Highly Rated Books on Home Repair
Highly Rated Books on Home Improvement
Highly Rated Books on Patio and Garden
Books Purchased by Visitors
Fine Stories on DVD
War Stories on DVD
Human Society and Psychology DVDs
Dressing Up for the Trip
Designer Jewelry
cover
Jewelry by Leo DeVroomen
cover
Earrings

Auto on Info  October 2006

Auto Line and Manufacturer Durability for Model Year 1998

The following table and charts summarize the durability of the 1998 motor vehicle models by Toyota Motor Corporation and Honda Motor Company, as measured by the Reliability Score. Our first table provides two sets of Reliability Score averages for the auto manufacturers and motor vehicle lines for which data are available. The first set is for when the 1998 vehicles were between the ages of 2 and 4 years and the second set is for when the 1998 vehicles were between the ages of 6 and 8 years. In addition, the table provides the change in these averages from the first age set to the second.

Note that the Reliability Score averages for Toyota's and Honda's lines at the age range 6-to-8 years substantially exceeds the averages for the lines of the Big Three - General Motors Corporation, Ford Motor Company, and the Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler AG - at the age range of 2-to-4 years.

The following chart depicts the above changes in Reliability Score averages for each of the auto manufacturers.

The next chart depicts the changes in Reliability Score averages for each of the motor vehicle lines.

The next chart depicts the Reliability Score averages for each of the motor vehicle lines for the age range 6-to-8 years.

Here we see that Toyota's and Honda's lines occupy the top 4 positions and GM lines occupy 4 of the bottom 10 positions.

One of the interesting questions is: When will a typical 1998 Toyota model be as troublesome as a typical 1998 General Motors model at ages 2-to-4 years? The following chart helps shed some light on this query.

This chart suggests that a typical 1998 Toyota model may, at about 20 years old, be more reliable than a typical 1998 General Motors vehicle at about 3 years old, although a used-car buyer should be very hesitant in relying entirely on the accuracy of such a long-term extrapolation and should always be cognizant of the possibility that one or more previous owners or users may have abused a vehicle in one or more significant ways. For additional durability information, see other durability pages. Also, for some advisories, see Cautionary Remarks.

The next chart helps shed light on the query: When will a typical 1998 Honda model be as troublesome as a typical 1998 General Motors model at ages 2-to-4 years?

This chart suggests that a typical 1998 Honda model may, at about 25 years old, be more reliable than a typical 1998 General Motors vehicle at about 3 years old, subject to the same caveats noted above.

Some interesting remaining queries are: How have the extrapolations of the two preceding charts changed, if at all, in more recent years? As the data accumulate, will an extrapolation of the extrapolation intersections give us a good indication as to whether a typical 2010 Toyota or Honda model at age 20 years may be more reliable than a typical GM model at age 3 years?

With regard to the latter query, it would be very useful if Consumer Reports were to extend its questionnaire and reliability table coverage to at least 12 years from its current 8 years.

Sources: Auto on Info data banks

 

Related News Articles
October 2006: The 2006 Updates: Toyota and Honda Account for 4 of 5 Most Durable Sport-Utility Vehicles; General Motors - 7 of 10 Worst: Will a Typical 1998 Toyota SUV Be More Trouble Free at 21 Years of Age Than a Typical 1998 GM SUV at 3?
October 2006: The 2006 Updates: Toyota Tops in Pickup Reliability and Durability: Just How Bad, or Disastrous, Are GM Pickups?
September 2006: Toyota and Honda Account for Two Best Minivans; General Motors Accounts for 5 of 8 Worst
September 2006: Reliability Updates: Toyota and Honda Still Tops, But Lose Luster; General Motors Still Worst of Major Auto Manufacturers; Hyundai Clobbers GM Yet Again
September 2006: Reliability Updates: Best and Worst Cars and Trucks Tables: A Chart Summary
August 2006: Reliability Updates: For Vehicles 6-to-8 Years Old, Toyota Accounts for 7 of 10 Best, GM - 17 of 36 Worst
August 2006: Reliability Updates: For Vehicles 5-to-7 Years Old, Toyota Accounts for 9 of 13 Best, GM - 17 of 42 Worst
August 2006: Reliability Updates: For Vehicles 4-to-6 Years Old, Toyota Accounts for 8 of 14 Best, GM - 19 of 47 Worst
August 2006: Reliability Updates: For Vehicles 3-to-5 Years Old, Toyota Accounts for 13 of 15 Best, GM - 17 of 47 Worst
August 2006: Reliability Updates: For Model Year 2002, Toyota Accounts for 11 of 16 Best, GM - 16 of 53 Worst

 

Related Mini-Surveys
A Toyota Owner Survey with Enquiries into Reliability Importance
A Honda Owner Survey with Enquiries into Reliability Importance
A Toyota Owner Satisfaction Poll with Enquiries into Toyota Durability
A Lexus Owner Satisfaction Poll with Enquiries into Lexus Durability
An Infiniti Owner Satisfaction Poll with Enquiries into Infiniti Durability
The True Value of a Big Three
Big Three Bin Readiness
General Motors Travails and Prospects
Is the Ownership of a General Motors Vehicle a Useful Index of 21st-Century Cognitive Uselessness?

 

The following poll permits the reader to express his assessment on General Motors Corporation.

 

 

Poll on GM

How big an embarrassment do you think General Motors Corporation is?

U.S.'s biggest
Top 5, but not number 1
Top 10, but not within top 5
Top 25, but not within top 10
Not within top 25

 

To view responses to the above poll, click here.

 

Links to Amazon.com

Musical Instruments
Karl Willhelm violins
Schiller cellos
To view more string instruments, icons, and search phrases, click here.
Wallets for Men and Women
Robe di Firenze wallets
R.G. House of Florence wallets
Rolf’s wallets
The Sak wallets
Columbia Sportswear wallets
To view more wallets, icons, and search phrases, click here.
Handbags
Prada handbags
Caterina Lucchi handbags
Tocca handbags
Fossil handbags
Ellington handbags
To view more fine handbags, icons, and search phrases, click here.
Toiletry Bags
Ralph Lauren toiletry bags
Bosca toiletry bags
Eagle Creek toiletry bags
To view more toiletry bags, icons, and search phrases, click here.
Fine Women's Perfumes
L'air du Temps by Nina Ricci for women
Must II de Cartier by Cartier for women
Allure by Chanel for women
To view more fine women's perfumes, icons, and search phrases, click here.
22-Inch Bags
Hartmann 22-inch Luxe mobile travelers
Victorinox expandable wheeled 22-inch bags
Samsonite 22-inch uprights
To view more 22-inch bags, icons, and search phrases, click here.
Samsonite Bags
Samsonite New Silhouette hardside beauty case
Samsonite Oyster FLites
To view more bags and series by Samsonite, icons, and search phrases, click here.
Business Totes, Business Briefs, and Briefcases for Men and Women
L.A.P.A. briefcases
Hartmann briefcases
Robe di Firenze briefcases
Pratesi briefcases
High Sierra briefcases
To view more business totes, business briefs, and briefcases, icons, and search phrases, click here.
Small Appliances for the Kitchen
Vita-Mix Blenders
To view more kitchen appliances, icons, and search phrases, click here.
Espresso Machines and Coffee Makers
Solis Espresso Machines and Bean Grinders
Flavia Coffee Makers
Melitta Coffee Makers
To view more espresso machines and coffee makers, icons, and search phrases, click here.
On-Site Pages with links to Amazon.com
The Mart
Cartier Women's Watches
Omega Women's Watches
Baume & Mercier Women's Watches
Tag Heuer Women's Watches
Ebel Women's Watches
Tell your friends, colleagues, and coworkers, "I bought it at Amazon.com via Auto on Info."
Internet's Auto-Quality News-and-Information Hub since 2001
Links to Other Pages and Sections of Auto on Info: Internet's Auto-Quality News-and-Information Hub since 2001
Reliability-Percentrank and Reliability-Grade Tables and Charts
To view tables of Reliability Percentranks and Reliability Grades by vehicle type, click the applicable type.
Small Cars Sports Cars, Sporty Cars and Coupes Family Cars and Large Cars Upscale and Luxury Cars SUVs Minivans Pickups Manufacturer Averages All Autos
To view tables of Reliability Percentranks and Reliability Grades by vehicle line, click the applicable line.
Acura Audi BMW Buick Cadillac Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Eagle
Ford GMC Honda Hyundai Infiniti Isuzu Jaguar Jeep Kia
Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercury Mini Cooper Mitsubishi Nissan
Oldsmobile Plymouth Pontiac Porsche Saab Saturn Scion Subaru Suzuki
Toyota Volkswagen Volvo            
Beginning with the 2007 updates, the Reliability Grades and Reliability Percentranks of motor vehicle lines and types will appear on the same page. This should quicken comparisons.
To view charts of Reliability Percentrank averages and Percentranks and extrapolations, click the applicable line.
Acura Audi BMW Buick Cadillac Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Eagle
Ford GMC Honda Hyundai Infiniti Isuzu Jaguar Jeep Kia1
Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercury Mini Cooper1 Mitsubishi1 Nissan
Oldsmobile Plymouth Pontiac Porsche1 Saab Saturn Scion1 Subaru Suzuki1
Toyota Volkswagen Volvo            

1Current data are insufficient to warrant charts.

To view tables of the Best and Worst motor vehicle models, click the applicable year.
Best and Worst of 1988 Best and Worst of 1989 Best and Worst of 1990 Best and Worst of 1991 Best and Worst of 1992 Best and Worst of 1993 Best and Worst of 1994 Best and Worst of 1995 Best and Worst of 1996
Best and Worst of 1997 Best and Worst of 1998 Best and Worst of 1999 Best and Worst of 2000 Best and Worst of 2001 Best and Worst of 2002 Best and Worst of 2003 Best and Worst of 2004 Summary
Chart Summary of 2006 Updates Chart and Table Summary of 2007 Updates Chart and Table Summary of 2008 Updates            
Charts of Gaps
Charts of the Great Gaps Extrapolations of the Great Gaps              
Automobile Durability Tables and Charts
Page 1 - Original Durability Page Page 2 - Results of 2001 Survey Page 3 - CCC's 15 Most Frequently Stolen Page 4 - 2001 Summary of Rosters Page 5 - Top 20 High Mileage Page 6 - The 2006 Study of Model Year 1998 Page 7 - The 2006 Toyota Age Equivalents for Model Year 1998 Page 8 - The 2006 Honda Age Equivalents for Model Year 1998 Page 9 - The 2007 Dilapidation Rates for Model Years 1998 - 2002
Page 10 - The 2007 Study of Model Year 1999 Page 11 - The 2007 Toyota Age Equivalents for Model Year 1999 Page 12 - The 2007 Honda Age Equivalents for Model Year 1999 Page 13 - 2007 Pickup Durability Updates for Model Years 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 Roster of 300,000-Mile Vehicles with Statistical Summary Mini-Survey No. 52: A Toyota Owner Satisfaction Poll with Enquiries into Toyota Durability      
Auto Quality News Menu Pages
Main Menu: Car News and Commentary  Sub-Menus: Graphical Menus: The 2008 Reliability and Durability Updates - The 2007 Reliability and Durability Updates Standard Menus:  Top 10 News Articles - Top 10 Auto Reviews - Toyota - Honda - Subaru - Nissan - Ford - Chrysler - General Motors - Volkswagen - Reviews - Recalls - Safety Investigations - Safety Test Results - Automotive Excellence - Green and Clean - Automotive Dishonor, Discredit, or Demerit - Lawsuits - Automotive Finances - Car and Truck Sales and Market Shares - Auto on Info - Minnesota Public Radio - Google

Additional Information Pertaining to Durability and Long-Term Ownership

Links to Articles on Consumer Reports' 2008 Reliability Ratings for Model Years 1998 through 2007
(Each chart is linked to a news article providing additional information.)
Article on CR's Good-Bets List
January 2008: Toyota Increases Dominance of Consumer Reports' Good Bets List a Tad, Honda Drops a Bit, Toyota's Best Widen Quality Gap Again
Article on the Best 2008 Automobiles by CR's 5-Year and 10-Year Reliability-Verdict Histories
November 2007: The Best and Worst 2008 Automobiles by CR's Reliability-Verdict History: Toyota Models Dominate Best and Account for All Perfect Reliability-Verdict Histories of 6 or More Years; GM Models Dominate Worst
Article on the Automobiles with the Best Engine Reliability by Consumer Reports' Engine-Reliability-Verdict History for Vehicles 6-to-10 Years Old
April 2008: The 2008 Reliability-Durability Updates: The Best and Worst Automobiles by Engine Reliability: Toyota Dominates Best Engines and GM Dominates Worst Engines
Article on the Automobil