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This
page has been updated to include the data that became available in 2005.
Percentranks:
A
model's Reliability Percentrank is a ranking of that model's Reliability Score
relative to all other Reliability Scores for the given model year and age range.
The percentrank was computed using the Percentrank function of Microsoft's Excel
2002 and, as the first part of the compound word percentrank suggests, is
a value between 0.00 and 1.00. If a model's Reliability Percentrank is near
0.00, it has a very low Reliability Score, and if a Percentrank is near 1.00, it
has a high Reliability Score. For a more detailed explanation of Reliability
Percentranks and Reliability Scores, click
here to be taken to the Methodology page.
The Reliability Percentranks and Percentrank Averages for 1988 to
1997 are
based on the performance of approximately 6 to 8 year old vehicles; those for
1998, on the performance of approximately 5 to 7 year old vehicles; those
for 1999, on the performance of approximately 4 to 6 year old vehicles;
those for 2000, on the performance of approximately 3 to 5 year old
vehicles; those for 2001, on the performance of approximately 2 to 4 year
old vehicles; those for 2002, on the performance of approximately 2 to 3
year old vehicles.
Benchmarks:
Site manager's conjecture is that if a person cares little about
what he or she drives, he or she still likely would not want to drive anything
worse, or easily noticeably worse, than a typical Big Three vehicle. This is why
Big Three Reliability Percentrank Averages are used to benchmark the bottom. At the other end, site
manager's conjecture is that if a person has an eye for quality, he or she likely
would not want to own a vehicle that is much, if any, less than a typical
Reliable Two (Toyota-Honda) vehicle. This is why Reliable Two Reliability Percentrank
Averages are used to
benchmark the top.
Extrapolations: Extrapolations of individual models are
omitted due to possible overstatement for some models.
Advisories:
1.
This
site gives a Reliability Percentrank of .6 or below a Reliability Grade of F,
per the high standards, and a Reliability Percentrank of .76 or below a
Reliability Grade of F, per the exacting standards.
To view the table giving the Reliability Grades - High Standards for the
Ford line, click here.
2.
Nothing
on this web page should be viewed as suggesting that site manager considers a
model-year with a Reliability Percentrank below .9, or a model with a 5-year
or 10-year Reliability Percentrank average below .9, to be acceptable for
purchase or lease.
3.
Some
models appearing in the Reliability Percentranks table for the
Ford
Line may
not have a separate chart above.
To
view the table giving the Reliability Percentranks for the Ford line,
click here.
For those disposed to trawl trenches or troll at depths, the
following chart of Big Three Reliability Percentrank averages and extrapolations is provided.
For reference, the Reliability Percentrank averages, and an extrapolation
thereof, for Toyota Motor Corporation are included.
The extrapolations are linear regressions of degree one.
The above chart shows (1) a quite steady decline in the Reliability Percentrank
average of Chrysler through 1994, followed by a rather steady, but modest recovery, (2)
a quite steady decline in the Reliability Percentrank average of General Motors
Corporation through 1997, followed by a very modest recovery, and (3) a very
steady rise in the Reliability Percentrank average of Ford Motor Company from
1990 through
1997, followed by a rather steady decline toward the averages of Chrysler and
GM. The more recent decline by Ford suggests that its lofty extrapolation is
highly questionable. (See the
Bottom Line on Auto Reliability.)
Likely a better
guide to the reliability of a typical product for any of the Big Three comes
from an extrapolation of the Reliability Percentrank averages for the Big Three
as a group. The following chart provides this. Again, the extrapolation of the
Reliability Percentrank averages for Toyota Motor Corporation provides
reference.
Disclaimer:
Site manager views the purchase of any Big Three-engineered vehicle as ill-advised.
To view charts and tables
regarding the 2007 Reliability-Durability Updates,
click here.
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Charts of 2008 Reliability Predictions |
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(Each chart is linked to a news article providing additional
information.) |
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Links to Articles on Consumer Reports' 2008 Reliability
Ratings for Model Years 1998 through 2007 |
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(Each chart is linked to a news article providing additional
information.) |
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2007 Charts of Ford's Reliability Grades for Model Years
1999-2002 |
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(Each chart is linked to a news article providing additional
information.) |
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Some Additional
Charts and Tables Pertaining to Reliability, Durability and Other Quality
Measures |
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(Each chart is linked to a news article providing additional
information.) |
 
More Charts and Tables appear below the list of
news articles.
Some Ford-related news articles:
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May 2008: The Unending Incendiary Saga: Ford Windstar Van Engine-Compartment Fires Are NHTSA's Latest Focus |
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March 2008:
February 2008 U.S. Safety Recalls by Land Rover (1), Volkswagen (1), Chrysler (1), Ford Motor Company (5), Porsche (1), Mitsubishi (1), Nissan (1), Honda (2), and Toyota (1) |
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March 2008: Ford's Interminable Incendiary Saga: Some of Ford's Fire Cases Are Merged |
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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 |
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October 2007: August U.S. Safety Recalls by Volkswagen (2), General Motors (Sort of a Typical 4), BMW (1), Ford (a Very Big and Hazardous 1), Mazda (1), and Honda (1) |
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August 2007: Ford Recalls 3.6 Million More Vehicles over Incendiary Concern: Little by Little |
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July 2007: The 2007 Reliability-Durability Updates: For Vehicles 7-to-9 Years Old, Toyota and Honda Account for 11 of 12 Best, GM - 22 of 41 Worst: Will a Typical Toyota at 30 Years of Age Be as Troublesome as a Typical GM at 3 Years of Age? |
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May 2007:
April U.S. Safety Recalls by Kia (1), Volvo (1), Chrysler (1), BMW (1), Ford (3, Including Another Engine Compartment Fire), Mazda (1), and Nissan (1) |
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May 2007: New York City Moves to Make Its Air More Breathable and the City More Sustainable: Greening NYC |
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May 2007:
In 2007, Toyota and Honda
Dominate Most
Reliable List with 10 of 11 Best, GM Dominates Least Reliable List
with 7 of 10 Worst |
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May 2007: Toyota Reliability Drops Some, But Toyota-GM Gap Remains Near Record |
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April 2007: The Best Models by CR's 2007 History of Reliability Verdicts: The Reliable Two Shine; Big Three Score Zip |
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April 2007:
Toyota and Honda Dominate CR's 2007 Top Picks and Alternates; Nissan's Infiniti Division Accounts for CR's Upscale and Luxury Top Picks; Big Three Score Zip |
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April 2007:
By Yet Another Quality Measure, Toyota and Honda Are Best and GM and DaimlerChrysler - Worst: The UCS 2007 Environmental Report |
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March 2007:
GM Expands Lead on CR's Used-Cars-to-Avoid List, a Tad |
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February 2007:
Does GM Mean Junk of the 7th Level of Abomination? |
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January 2007:
Big Three Dominate 2006 and Cumulative U.S. Safety Recalls |
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January 2007:
In the U.S. in 2006, Consumers Quicken Their Pace to Quality: Toyota Sales Soar and Honda Sales Rise as Big Three Sales Plunge |
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November 2006:
By CR's Predicted Short-Term Reliability for Model Year 2007, Toyota and Honda Dominate Best and GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler Dominate Worst, per Detroit News Table |
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November 2006:
NHTSA Safety Investigations: More Seat Fires for Chrysler and More Engine Compartment Fires for Ford, Plus Summary and Others |
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October 2006:
U.S. Consumer Shift to Quality Outpaces Big Three Price and Production Cuts; Big 3 Inventories Get Big, But How Big? Three for One, Anyone? |
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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? |
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October 2006:
The 2006 Updates: Toyota Tops in Pickup Reliability and Durability: Just How Bad, or Disastrous, Are GM Pickups? |
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September 2006:
Reliability Updates: Best and Worst Cars and Trucks Tables: A Chart Summary |
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August 2006:
Reliability Updates: For Vehicles 4-to-6 Years Old, Toyota Accounts for 8 of 14 Best, GM - 19 of 47 Worst |
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August 2006:
Reliability Updates: For Model Year 2002, Toyota Accounts for 11 of 16 Best, GM - 16 of 53 Worst |
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August 2006:
Fitch Cuts Ford Debt Deeper into Junk, Retains Negative Outlook, Puts Estimated Post-Bankruptcy Recovery at 51-70%; Will GM-Ford Race to Bankruptcy End in Dead Heat? |
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August 2006:
For 2-to-3-Year-Old Model-Year-2003 Vehicles, Toyota Garners 8 of Top 9 and 9 of Top 14, General Motors Accounts for 18 of Bottom 46 |
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August 2006:
Ford Announces Recall of 1.2 Million More Incendiaries, But No New Relief for Owners of GM's Runaways, Collapsing Tailgates, and Engine Knockers |
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August 2006:
Moody's Cuts Ford Debt Two Notches Deeper into Junk: Which of the Big Two Will Win the Race to Bankruptcy? |
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August 2006:
In the U.S. in July 2006, Toyota Sales Surge to New Monthly Record and Past Ford's; Legendary Corolla Sales Soar Again; Honda Sales Jump Past Previous July Record; Big Three Sales Remain In or Near Friction-Free Free Fall, But GM's Prospect of Multiple Bankruptcy Filings Dims Again |
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July 2006:
Toyota and Honda Dominate CR's Ten Best Family Sedans with Above Average Predicted Reliability; Big Three Score Zip |
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July 2006:
In the U.S. in June 2006, Toyota Sales Surge to Set a New June Record; Legendary Corolla Sales Soar; Honda Sales Squeak Past Previous June Record; Big Three Sales Remain In or Near Friction-Free Free Fall, But GM's Prospect of Multiple Bankruptcy Filings Dims |
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June 2006:
S&P Cuts Ford Debt Deeper into Junk: Which of the Big Two Will Win the Race to Bankruptcy? |
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June 2006:
Fitch Cuts Ford Debt Deeper into Junk, but GM Retains Solid Lead in Race to Bankruptcy |
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June 2006:
Toyota and Honda Dominate CR's 2006 Higher-Reliability, Higher-Owner-Satisfaction Quick Picks; Big Three Score Zip |
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May 2006:
Toyota and Honda Account for 75% of CR's Top Picks, Alternatives, and Runners-up; Subaru and Nissan Account for Balance; Big Three Score Zip |
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May 2006:
U.S. Safety Recalls by General Motors (2), Ford (3), Chrysler (4), Mazda (1), Nissan (3), and Toyota (1) |
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March 2006:
Fitch Cuts Ford's Credit a Notch |
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March 2006:
Ford's Incendiary Problem May Include Explorers |
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March 2006:
The Flipping Explorers: More Bad News for Ford's Defense Attorneys |
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March 2006:
Punitive Damages Against Ford Were Roller-Coaster Ride: How Much Is Needed to Deter Ford from Reprehensible Conduct? |
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February 2006:
In the U.S. in January 2006, Reliable Two Sales Soar to Set New January Sales Records; GM and Ford Dodge Plunge with Huge, Premature Fleet Sales, but GM's Market Share Still Drops a Notch; Toyota RAV4 Overtakes Honda CR-V with Dramatic Sales Surge |
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January 2006:
U.S. President Bush Says GM and Ford Must Make a Relevant Product, But Can They and Should They Try? |
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January 2006:
Another Flipped Explorer Hits Ford with Another 8-Figure Judgment |
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January 2006:
Ford Cuts GM Lead in Race to Insolvency: Which Big Three Will Go Bust First? |
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January 2006:
Ford Narrows Gap in GM-Ford Race to Bankruptcy |
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December 2005:
Engineering Firm Requests NHTSA Investigation, Alleging Ford Explorer Roof May Be Out of Compliance with Federal Standard 216; Another Death in Another Flipping Ford Explorer Brings Another Multimillion-Dollar Verdict |
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December 2005:
Ford's Debt Cut to Junk by Fitch, but GM Retains Big Lead in Race to Bankruptcy |
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December 2005:
By CR's Predicted Short-Term Reliability for Model Year 2006, Toyota and Honda Dominate Best, GM and Ford Dominate Worst |
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November 2005:
Rollovers of Ford Trucks Bring Three Multi-Million Dollar Judgments; Ford Door Latches Prompt Another Lawsuit |
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October 2005:
In the U.S. in September 2005, Quality Four Sales March On, GM and Ford Sales Plunge |
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October 2005:
Ford Fires Rage On |
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September 2005:
2005 Reliability Updates: Big Three Appear Hopelessly Stuck in Quality Quagmire; Selling Dirt Cheap May Be Best Route to Survival |
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September 2005:
Fire Hazard Prompts Ford to Recall 4 Million Vehicles |
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September 2005:
Moody's Cuts GM and Ford Debt to Junk |
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July 2005:
Fitch Cuts Ford Debt to One Notch Above Junk |
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July 2005:
Mini-Survey Points to Toyota Dominance in Overall Quality and Customer Satisfaction |
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July 2005:
As Fires Mount, NHTSA Puts the Heat on Ford: Park That Ford on the Street! III |
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June 2005:
Ford and Mazda Dominate High Rollover Risk Pickups and General Motors Dominates High Rollover Risk SUVs, per NHTSA |
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June 2005:
Park That Ford on the Street! II |
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June 2005:
In the U.S., Nissan Recalls 43,000 Sentras, Ford Recalls 260,000 Large Pickups and Vans and Investigates Others |
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June 2005:
NHTSA Ratchets Up Investigation of Chrysler Minivans for Headlight Failure, Opens Investigation on Ford Expedition for Windshield Leak |
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May 2005:
A Dodge Safety Investigation and Some Honda, Mercedes, Ford, and Kia Recalls |
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May 2005:
Fitch Cuts Ford Debt, But Not to Junk |
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May 2005:
Ford Narrows Reliability Gap with Toyota and Widens Lead over GM |
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May 2005:
Toyota-Big Three Quality Gap Huge, and Growing |
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May 2005:
Toyota and Honda Rule Most Reliable List with 12 of 12 Best, GM Dominates Least Reliable List with 8 of 11 Worst |
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May 2005:
With U.S. Consumer Shift toward Quality Unabated, S&P Cuts GM and Ford's Debt to Junk |
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May 2005:
In the U.S. in April 2005, Quality Four Sales Soar, GM and Ford Continue Free Fall |
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May 2005:
Park That Ford on the Street! |
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April 2005:
Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey Minivans Score Best on IIHS 2005 Crash Tests, Receive "Best Pick Frontal" Designation; GM's Chevrolet Astro, GMC Safari, Pontiac TransSport / Montana, and Chevrolet Venture Score Worst |
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April 2005:
Toyota Tacoma Pickup Truck Scores Best on IIHS 2005 Crash Tests, Receives "Best Pick Frontal" Designation |
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April 2005:
2005 Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series Pickup Trucks Score Worst on NHTSA Rollover Tests |
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April 2005:
Moody's Cuts GM Long-Term Debt Rating to One Notch Above Junk, Puts Ford Debt Under Review |
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April 2005:
University of Alabama Professor Bidez Says Ford Explorer Roof-Crush Precedes Catastrophic Neck Injury |
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April 2005:
Himmel vs. Ford Motor |
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April 2005:
In the U.S. in March 2005, Toyota and Nissan Sales Advance, Ford and GM Sales Drop |
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March 2005:
Consumer Reports Drops Ford Focus and A Bunch More from Its Recommended List Due to Poor Side-Impact Crash Test Results |
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March 2005:
Toyota and Honda Dominate Consumer Reports 2005 Overall Quick Pick List; Big Three Score Zip |
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March 2005:
Toyota and Honda Dominate Consumer Reports Owner Satisfaction Quick Pick List; Big Three Score Zip |
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March 2005:
Toyota Dominates Consumer Reports Reliability Quick Pick List; Big Three Score Zip |
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March 2005:
In the U.S. in February 2005, Toyota and Nissan Sales Advance, Ford Sales Drop, GM Sales Plummet |
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February 2005:
NHTSA Reopens Safety Investigation of Ford Seat Belts, Upgrades Investigation of Ford Stalling Complaints |
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February 2005:
Ford Safety Recalls Take Another Leap: Corroding Door Latches Prompt Recall of 358,857 Focus Cars |
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February 2005:
In the U.S. in January 2005, Toyota and Nissan Sales Advance, Consumers Continue to Reward Toyota and Nissan Quality with Greater U. S. Auto Market Share and Again Take GM and Ford to the Shed |
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January 2005:
Ford's 2005 U.S. Safety Recalls Leap Past GM's: Ford Recalls About 750,000 Ford and Lincoln Pickups and SUVs in U.S. |
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January 2005:
In the U.S. in December 2004, Sales by the Quality Four Soar; General Motors and Ford Sales Drop |
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December 2004:
Ford Issues Another Safety Recall for Its Escape and Faces Investigations on Its F-150, Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Crown Victoria |
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December 2004:
Ford Recalls 470,000 Escape SUVs |
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November 2004:
Toyota and Honda Dominate Most Reliable SUV List; General Motors and Ford Dominate Least Reliable SUV List |
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October 2004:
The 2004 Auto Reliability Updates: Toyota Continues to Govern; GM Stays Stuck ... Deep, Down and Under, and Below |
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September 2004:
Hyundai and Kia SUVs Get Recommendations; General Motors and Ford Earn None |
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May 2004:
Reliability of Ford Pickups Continues to Rise: Ford Pickup Reliability Vis-à-Vis That of GM Pickups Continues to Grow, But Remains in the Trenches Relative to Toyota's |
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May 2004:
Toyota's Reliability Continues to Advance: Gap with Big Three Grows |
The visitor may find the following tables and charts useful as well.
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Cumulative Number of Auto on Info
Auto Manufacturer Awards for Motor
Vehicle Quality |
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Cumulative Number of First Place Positions in Auto on Info's
Auto
Manufacturer Awards for Motor Vehicle Quality |
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Auto Manufacturer |
Awards |
Auto Manufacturer |
First Place Positions |
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Toyota |
42 |
Toyota |
39 |
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Honda |
34 |
Honda |
5 |
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Mercedes-Benz |
2 |
Mercedes-Benz |
0 |
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Nissan |
1 |
Nissan |
0 |
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BMW |
1 |
BMW |
0 |
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Volvo |
1 |
Volvo |
0 |
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General Motors |
0 |
General Motors |
0 |
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Ford |
0 |
Ford |
0 |
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Chrysler |
0 |
Chrysler |
0 |
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This table is current as of 14
August 2007. |
This table is current as of 14
August 2007. |
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Supporting Auto on Info
