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The 2008 Reliability-Durability Updates: The Best and Worst Automobiles by
Transmission Reliability: Toyota Dominates Best Transmissions, GM and Chrysler Dominate Worst Transmissions
AutoOnInfo.net April 2008
The 2008 Reliability-Durability Updates: The Best and Worst Automobiles by Transmission Reliability: Toyota Dominates Best Transmissions, GM and Chrysler Dominate Worst Transmissions
By James B. Bleeker
To compute a reliability rating for motor vehicle transmissions, Consumer Reports' 2008 reliability verdicts for age ranges 6-to-7 years, 7-to-8 years, 8-to-9 years and 9-to-10 years given in CR's Transmission Major category (CR's category rating how infrequently a motor vehicle model has major transmission problems) of each vehicle model (offering the necessary data) are used. The computation consists of ascribing +1 to each CR verdict of Much Better Than Average, +.5 to each CR verdict of Better Than Average, 0 to each CR verdict of Average, -.5 to each CR verdict of Worse Than Average, and -1 to each CR verdict of Much Worse Than Average, then adding together the numerical values so obtained for each model, and finally dividing by the number of verdicts for the model. This accords a composite transmission reliability rating that ranges from +1 (perfect score) to -1 (worst-possible score).
The Automobiles with Best Transmission Reliability
The following table lists the automobile models with the best transmission reliability (a transmission reliability rating of .85 or higher), the transmission reliability rating of each model, and the respective number of model years providing a CR reliability verdict, as well as the model's engine reliability rating category (Best or Worst, based on CR's Engine Major category and an identical computational method, see "The 2008 Reliability-Durability Updates: The Best and Worst Automobiles by Engine Reliability: Toyota Dominates Best Engines and GM Dominates Worst Engines," AutoOnInfo.net, April 2008) and its overall reliability rating category (Best or Worst, based on CR's Used Car Verdict category and an identical computational method).
Table of the Cars and Trucks with Best Transmission Reliability, Together with Engine Reliability Category (Best or Worst) and Overall Reliability Category (Best or Worst) Model Transmission Reliability Rating Number of Model Years Offering Reliability Verdicts Engine Reliability Rating Overall Reliability Rating Toyota's 6-cylinder rear-wheel-drive Lexus GS +1 4 Best Best Toyota's Lexus LS +1 4 Best Best The 4-cylinder Toyota Tacoma pickup truck +1 4 Best Best The Toyota Avalon large car +1 4 - Best The 4-cylinder Toyota Camry family car +1 4 - Best The V6 Toyota Camry family car +1 4 - Best Nissan's Infiniti I30, I35 luxury sedan +1 4 Best - Toyota's V8 Lexus GS +1 3 Best Best Toyota's Lexus LX large sport-utility vehicle +1 3 -* -* The Honda Civic Si +1 2 Best Best Ford's front-wheel-drive Volvo S40/V40, V50 turbo +1 1 - Worst Toyota's Lexus IS300, IS350 luxury sedan +1 1 Best Best Toyota's Lexus SC convertible +1 1 Best Best The 4-cylinder Toyota Highlander midsize sport-utility vehicle +1 1 Best Best The Toyota Prius hybrid hatchback +1 1 Best Best The Honda Insight hybrid +1 1 Best Best The V6 Mercedes-Benz SLK convertible +1 1 Best Best The V6 Toyota Highlander midsize sport-utility vehicle +1 1 Worst Best Ford's non-turbo Volvo S40/V40, V50 +1 1 Worst Worst The Mercedes-Benz SL +1 1 - Best The BMW 3 Series wagon +1 1 Best Worst The all-wheel-drive BMW 325i, 328i +1 1 Best Worst The 6-cylinder BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle +1 1 Worst Worst The V6 Toyota 4Runner midsize sport-utility vehicle +.88 4 Best Best The V6 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck +.88 4 Best Best Nissan's Infiniti QX4 midsize sport-utility vehicle +.88 4 Best Best The legendary Toyota Corolla small car +.88 4 - Best The legendary Toyota Land Cruiser large sport-utility vehicle +.88 4 Best Best Honda's Acura Integra sports/sporty car +.88 4 - - The Honda CR-V small sport-utility vehicle +.88 4 - Best The Nissan Maxima family car +.88 4 Best - Ford's Lincoln Town Car sedan +.88 4 - - Ford's Mercury Villager minivan +.88 4 - Worst Chrysler's Jeep Cherokee midsize sport-utility vehicle +.88 4 - Worst General Motors' V6 Chevrolet Malibu sedan +.88 4 Worst Worst * The engine reliability and overall reliability of the Lexus LX sport-utility vehicle falls just outside of the Best category. Note that General Motors Corporation and Chrysler LLC have only a single model on the above list of automobiles with high transmission reliability. The following chart depicts each manufacturer's share of the models with best transmission reliability.
The next two tables provide a breakdown of the above table for the SUVs and pickup trucks with best transmission reliability.
Table of the SUVs with Best Transmission Reliability, Together with Engine Reliability Category (Best or Worst) and Overall Reliability Category (Best or Worst) Model Transmission Reliability Rating Number of Model Years Offering Reliability Verdicts Engine Reliability Rating Overall Reliability Rating Toyota's Lexus LX large sport-utility vehicle +1 3 - - The 4-cylinder Toyota Highlander midsize sport-utility vehicle +1 1 Best Best The V6 Toyota Highlander midsize sport-utility vehicle +1 1 Worst Best The 6-cylinder BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle +1 1 Worst Worst The V6 Toyota 4Runner midsize sport-utility vehicle +.88 4 Best Best The legendary Toyota Land Cruiser large sport-utility vehicle +.88 4 Best Best Nissan's Infiniti QX4 midsize sport-utility vehicle +.88 4 Best Best The Honda CR-V small sport-utility vehicle +.88 4 - Best Chrysler's Jeep Cherokee midsize sport-utility vehicle +.88 4 - Worst
Table of the Pickup Trucks with Best Transmission Reliability, Together with Engine Reliability Category (Best or Worst) and Overall Reliability Category (Best or Worst) Model Transmission Reliability Rating Number of Model Years Offering Reliability Verdicts Engine Reliability Rating Overall Reliability Rating The 4-cylinder Toyota Tacoma pickup truck +1 4 Best Best The V6 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck +.88 4 Best Best
The Automobiles with Worst Transmission Reliability
The following table lists the automobile models with the worst transmission reliability (a transmission reliability rating of 0 or lower), the transmission reliability rating of each model, and the respective number of model years providing a CR reliability verdict, as well as the model's engine reliability rating category (Best or Worst, based on CR's Engine Major category and an identical computational method) and its overall reliability rating category (Best or Worst, based on CR's Used Car Verdict category and an identical computational method).
Table of the Cars and Trucks with Worst Transmission Reliability, Together with Engine Reliability Category (Best or Worst) and Overall Reliability Category (Best or Worst) Model Transmission Reliability Rating Number of Model Years Offering Reliability Verdicts Engine Reliability Rating Overall Reliability Rating Toyota Celica sports/sporty car 0 3 - -* V6 2-wheel-drive Toyota Tundra pickup truck 0 1 Best Best Honda S2000 sports/sporty car 0 2 - Best V6 Mazda Tribute small sport-utility vehicle 0 1 - Worst Porsche 911 sports/sporty car 0 2 - Best V8 Mercedes-Benz M-Class sport-utility vehicle 0 2 - Worst 4-cylinder Mercedes-Benz SLK 0 2 Worst - All-wheel-drive BMW 330i, 335i 0 1 Best Worst Hyundai XG300, XG350 0 1 Worst Worst 4-cylinder Volkswagen Jetta sedan 0 4 - Worst Turbo Volkswagen Jetta sedan 0 1 Worst Worst Ford Contour 0 3 - Worst V6 Ford Escape small sport-utility vehicle 0 1 - Worst 2-wheel-drive Ford Expedition sport-utility vehicle 0 4 - - General Motors' V8 2-wheel-drive GMC Sierra Classic 1500 pickup truck 0 2 - - General Motors' GMC Yukon sport-utility vehicle 0 4 - Worst General Motors' Oldsmobile Aurora 0 3 - Worst General Motors' V8 2-wheel-drive Chevrolet Silverado Classic 1500 pickup truck 0 2 - - General Motors' Chevrolet Tahoe sport-utility vehicle 0 4 - Worst Chrysler's V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee sport-utility vehicle 0 4 Best Worst Chrysler's 2-door Jeep Wrangler sport-utility vehicle 0 4 - Worst Non-turbo Chrysler PT Cruiser sport-utility vehicle 0 1 - Worst Chrysler Sebring convertible 0 4 - Worst V6 Chrysler Sebring sedan 0 1 Worst Worst Chrysler's 4-cylinder Dodge Stratus sedan 0 4 Worst Worst Ford's Volvo Cross Country, XC70 sport-utility vehicle -.13 4 - Worst Isuzu Trooper sport-utility vehicle -.13 4 Worst - Ford's Mercury Sable sedan -.13 4 - Worst Ford Taurus sedan -.13 4 - Worst General Motors' Chevrolet Camaro -.13 4 - Worst General Motors' V6 Chevrolet Monte Carlo -.13 4 Worst Worst General Motors' Pontiac Firebird -.13 4 - Worst Chrysler's 4-wheel-drive Dodge Dakota pickup -.13 4 - Worst Ford's 6-cylinder Volvo S80 -.17 3 - Worst Chrysler 300M -.17 3 -* - 4-cylinder Honda Accord -.25 4 Best Best Honda Prelude -.25 2 - - Subaru Forester -.25 4 Worst Worst 2-wheel-drive Mazda B-Series pickup -.25 4 - - V6 Hyundai Sonata -.25 2 - Worst V6 Audi A6 turbo -.25 2 Worst Worst Ford's Mercury Cougar -.25 2 - Worst Ford's Mercury Sable wagon -.25 4 - Worst V8 Ford Mustang wagon -.25 4 Worst - 2-wheel-drive Ford Ranger pickup -.25 4 - - Ford Taurus wagon -.25 4 - Worst General Motors' Buick Park Avenue -.25 4 Worst Worst General Motors' V6 2-wheel-drive GMC Sierra Classic 1500 pickup truck -.25 2 - - General Motors' Cadillac Seville -.25 4 Worst Worst General Motors' Oldsmobile Bravada sport-utility vehicle -.25 2 Worst Worst General Motors' Oldsmobile Silhouette van regular -.25 2 Worst Worst General Motors' V6 2-wheel-drive Chevrolet Silverado Classic 1500 pickup truck -.25 2 - - Hyundai Elantra -.33 3 Worst Worst 4-cylinder Volkswagen Golf -.33 3 - Worst General Motors' Saturn SW wagon -.33 3 Worst Worst Honda Passport sport-utility vehicle -.38 4 Worst Worst Subaru Impreza non-turbo -.38 4 - - 4-cylinder Subaru Outback -.38 4 Worst Worst 4-cylinder Subaru Legacy -.38 4 Worst - Isuzu Rodeo sport-utility vehicle -.38 4 Worst Worst General Motors' Buick Century -.38 4 Worst Worst General Motors' GMC Suburban, Yukon XL 1500 sport-utility vehicle -.38 4 Worst Worst General Motors' GMC Suburban, Yukon XL 2500 sport-utility vehicle -.38 4 - Worst General Motors' Cadillac DeVille -.38 4 Worst Worst General Motors' Chevrolet Suburban 1500 sport-utility vehicle -.38 4 Worst Worst General Motors' Chevrolet Suburban 2500 sport-utility vehicle -.38 4 - Worst Chrysler's V6 Jeep Grand Cherokee sport-utility vehicle -.38 4 - Worst V6 Honda Accord -.50 4 Best Best 4-wheel-drive Mazda B-Series pickup -.50 4 Worst Worst Ford's Volvo C70 -.50 2 Worst Worst Ford's front-wheel-drive Volvo S60 -.50 1 - Worst Porsche Boxster -.50 3 Worst Worst V8 BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle -.50 1 Worst Worst Mitsubishi Eclipse -.50 2 - - Volkswagen's Audi TT -.50 1 Worst Worst V6 Volkswagen Jetta sedan -.50 2 Worst Worst Ford's Lincoln Continental -.50 4 Best - Ford's Lincoln LS -.50 2 Worst Worst Ford's V6 Mercury Mountaineer sport-utility vehicle -.50 4 - Worst Ford Excursion sport-utility vehicle -.50 2 - Worst V6 Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicle -.50 4 - Worst 4-wheel-drive Ford Ranger pickup -.50 4 Worst Worst General Motors' V6 4-wheel-drive GMC Sierra Classic 1500 pickup truck -.50 1 - Worst General Motors' V8 4-wheel-drive GMC Sierra Classic 1500 pickup truck -.50 2 Worst Worst General Motors' V6 4-wheel-drive GMC S-15 Sonoma pickup truck -.50 3 Worst Worst General Motors' Cadillac Eldorado -.50 1
