Reliability indexes

[cecilwheat]

Hi all,

Couldn't find a specific forum for this so sorry if I'm violating any rules.

I'm doing research into buying a new expedition-type vehicle and was looking for 'reliability indexes' for recent models ('09-present). The only ones I can seem to find that carry much weight are JD Power and MSN (which is itself spotty at best). I'm looking for (obviously) as unbiased as possible. If anyone could point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[4xdog]

Consumer Reports can be frustrating at times, but their vehicle reliability data is worth reviewing.

 

[FrontRange4Runner]

Truedelta.com is a good place to start.

 

[keezer37]

Yes, for the cost, an online membership for Consumer Reports (about $36 annually) is worth it. At least they go back a number of years. Personally I never gave a damn about JD Powers initial quality or three year ratings. If you can't get a good vehicle off the line and keep it reliable for the first three years of it's life you've got serious issues. I want to know what it's gonna be like when it's seven years old. I've had a on line subscription to CR for about ten years now. One thing to note should you subscribe. Their scoring tends to look a bit worse than it actually is if, if you are a person who maintains their vehicle. These scores are generated from subscriber surveys many whom probably do little if any maintenance other than gas and cheap oil changes. I based this on reviews of vehicles I've owned over these last ten years and how they are rated by CR.

 

[daveyboy]

Perhaps in this day it is quaint...

But I don't pay for CR data--get a library card and look at the magazines in hardcopy (at the library) or access CR online via your library log-in from home.

 

[DaVikes]

I've probably over-thought this topic, but hey, you asked. I've been a CR subscriber for a long time. Their reliability data has some merit, but one thing they don't make clear is that cars and trucks have been steadily improving. So a vehicle that gets an "average" reliability score today would have been above average or much above average ten years ago. The closer all manufacturers get to producing really reliable vehicles, the less discernible differences there are between manufacturers. So a Jeep may not be rated as highly as a Toyota today, but they are a lot closer together than they used to be.

IMHO, what becomes more important than the ranking is knowing the weak spots of the vehicle(s) you are interested in. Then you can decide if you want to deal with that type of problem. And if you are buying used, perhaps the prior owner addressed the problem. The vehicle related forums, i.e. TacomaWorld, are probably the best place to find out what goes wrong with the model.

Also IMHO, if you are buying a used truck, knowing the service history trumps the reliability rating. And personally, I try and avoid any vehicle that was made within the first or second year of a major model revision. They always have more problems than those made later on in the life of the model.