CR 10 least reliable cars for 2013
10-29-13, 08:04 AM
#1
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
CR 10 least reliable cars for 2013
Just because a model is reliable, doesn't mean it is recommended by Consumer Reports. Five out of the top 10 most reliable vehicles don't perform well enough in our tests for us to recommend them. The opposite happens as well; some vehicles that score well in our testing are not recommended because they have below average predicted reliability.
Three out of the 10 least reliable vehicles have high-enough test scores to be recommended, but their poor reliability prevents them from reaching that recommended status. So, it's important to look at performance in our tests and reliability, because a high scoring car isn't always a smart purchase choice if it isn't reliable.
Our 2013 Annual Auto Survey reveals the best and worst vehicles in new car reliability based on our subscribers' experiences with 1.1 million vehicles over the last 10 years (2004-2013). Our data provide the basis for our forecasting how the 2014 models are likely to hold up, and reveals the most dependable used cars as well.
The vehicles listed below are the 10 least reliable new cars in our reliability survey. Predicted reliability is typically based on the newest three model years if a model hasn't been redesigned in that period, Models with an asterisk (*) are based on data of one model year only. Click on the vehicles below to visit the model overview pages to see how they performed in our tests and also view a more-detailed look at reliability broken down by 17 potential trouble spots. (Model overview pages are available to online subscribers.)
Least reliable vehicles, listed in order of Ratings score starting with the worst score.
1. Ford C-MAX Energi (Plug-in Hybrid)*
2. Ford Escape (1.6L Ecoboost)*
3. Mini Cooper Countryman
4. Ford C-Max Hybrid
5. Nissan Pathfinder*
6. Volkswagen Beetle
7. Cadillac XTS*
8. Ford Explorer (V6, 4WD)
9. Hyundai Genesis Coupe*
10. Ford Taurus (turbo)*
For more details on our 2013 Annual Auto Survey, including the full list of most and least reliable new cars by vehicle type, see our complete car reliability report. Also, check out our guide to car reliability for more details on new and used car reliability and owner satisfaction.
Three out of the 10 least reliable vehicles have high-enough test scores to be recommended, but their poor reliability prevents them from reaching that recommended status. So, it's important to look at performance in our tests and reliability, because a high scoring car isn't always a smart purchase choice if it isn't reliable.
Our 2013 Annual Auto Survey reveals the best and worst vehicles in new car reliability based on our subscribers' experiences with 1.1 million vehicles over the last 10 years (2004-2013). Our data provide the basis for our forecasting how the 2014 models are likely to hold up, and reveals the most dependable used cars as well.
The vehicles listed below are the 10 least reliable new cars in our reliability survey. Predicted reliability is typically based on the newest three model years if a model hasn't been redesigned in that period, Models with an asterisk (*) are based on data of one model year only. Click on the vehicles below to visit the model overview pages to see how they performed in our tests and also view a more-detailed look at reliability broken down by 17 potential trouble spots. (Model overview pages are available to online subscribers.)
Least reliable vehicles, listed in order of Ratings score starting with the worst score.
1. Ford C-MAX Energi (Plug-in Hybrid)*
2. Ford Escape (1.6L Ecoboost)*
3. Mini Cooper Countryman
4. Ford C-Max Hybrid
5. Nissan Pathfinder*
6. Volkswagen Beetle
7. Cadillac XTS*
8. Ford Explorer (V6, 4WD)
9. Hyundai Genesis Coupe*
10. Ford Taurus (turbo)*
For more details on our 2013 Annual Auto Survey, including the full list of most and least reliable new cars by vehicle type, see our complete car reliability report. Also, check out our guide to car reliability for more details on new and used car reliability and owner satisfaction.
10-29-13, 08:20 AM
#4
Lexus Champion
Our local police department has all Taurus and Explorer Eco-Boost vehicles. I'm curious how those are holding up with that kind of use.
10-29-13, 08:47 AM
#7
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
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10-29-13, 10:31 AM
#9
Out of Warranty
A cop car spends about 75 - 80% of its life idling. You can't shut them down because if you're not operating a HVAC system most of the year, you have to support a load of electronics that will rapidly deplete a conventional battery, and deep cycling batteries leads to rather rapid failure. With many urban police vehicles having an oil change every week or more often, brakes once every month or two, and engine and transmission service intervals measured in weeks rather than years, a cop car on the job 24/7 is hardly ever shut off.
Sophisticated, high-strung turbos, elaborate FI and electronic engine and transmission controls simply don't respond well to ham-fisted operation and spotty maintenance, often from jail trustees who work cheap. A big-block carbureted V8 was simple and dead reliable. It may have been crude, but it was reliable under the worst of operating conditions. When you consider a typical police car is expected to exceed 250K miles in this kind of service, you get the picture.
10-29-13, 11:06 AM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
The ford infotainment system they are putting in their cars is a huge headache for many consumers. This mixed with the typical Ford issues and you have a problem car. Didnt the mini cooper lose rank like crazy from the many complaints about the cup holder design amongst other teething issues
10-29-13, 03:11 PM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
While there is some truth to that, Bob, I have to partially disagree. Carburators could be, and often were, a nightmare on cold starts/warm-up, particularly if it was cold and damp and you got carburetor icing (carburated light-aircraft have a carb-heat control to prevent that, but cars didn't, except for a manifold heat-riser system that usually didn't work well). With many automobile carbs, you either got too much choke/butterfly-valve, not enough, too much accelerator-pump or not enough, too fast or too slow an idle, or too rich/lean a mixture for the conditions. This often led to stalls/stumbles during warm-up, which could be dangerous pulling out into traffic. On many 2-barrel Chrysler V8s, those problems were manifest back even in the days (1960s) before emission controls and leaned-out mixtures. Believe me, there are good reasons why carbs were replaced by EFI.
10-29-13, 03:38 PM
#14
Lexus Test Driver
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