Consumer Report now lists the FR-S and BRZ as "Unreliable Vehicles"!

[industrial]

Originally Posted by SoCal909

Just because the one car you bought based on their review doesn't mean that everything they put out is correct...

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

Please provide evidence to support your hypothesis. Please not a "I droved a dodge ram for 10 years an only changed da oil!,, lol an my uncle drives the BMW for 450k miles no problem!"

Here is CRs method:

Consumer Reports’ reliability Ratings show how well vehicles have held up and the odds that an owner could be inconvenienced by problems and repairs. A vehicle's reliability can seriously affect how satisfied you'll be with a car over the years, and it can significantly influence resale value when you're ready to replace the vehicle. Consumer Reports surveys our magazine and website subscribers each year to ask about any serious problems they've had with their vehicles in the preceding 12 months. The large-scale survey collects detailed data on about 1.1 million vehicles, giving us a solid source for chronicling past reliability and predicting future performance.

[Guff]

Originally Posted by Spartan65

If you honestly feel Toyota, Scion America are going to do anything you are redefined as a Fan Boi. Subaru of America may resolve issues that ToA and SoA will just leave alone.
Take it from a person that used the state law to return my car. I am a fan boi also, just not a doormat where a dealer can wipe their crappy attitude clean.

I never said they would do anything. But perhaps having more bad press is something that any company might see as a reason to either fire up the PR machine, or at least think about fixing things. Be it Subaru, Toyota, or any other manufacturer.

[WyreNut]

Thanks for all the opinions, all!

CR has pointed me in the right direction for many of my purchases, and I've been glad I listened. I do feel their flip/flop on the reliability of the triplets is completely skewed, and unwarranted!

I agree with many of the positives pointed out in the thread:

- Negative press may force some pressure on the manufacturers resulting in better cars for all of us.

- The cars are still a total blast, and the factors CR is faulting them for are minor!

Any CR subscribers here are welcome to send a letter to the Editor with your feelings known!

WyreNut

[ZXTT95]

Originally Posted by WyreNut

I do feel their flip/flop on the reliability of the triplets is completely skewed, and unwarranted!

I wouldn't call it a "flip flop". I'm pretty sure they indicated that their first year reliability info was a prediction based on Toyota's and Subaru's recent historical results. After a year they have some data.

Having said that, the twin problems do seem on the minor side. I'm not sure what to make of cars being called unreliable because some have trouble keeping their cell phones connected. I guess the good news is that the car makers will be motivated to make sure they have good firmware in their head units.

[Spartan65]

I hate that I don't have my Hachi~Roku, I am considering doing a Ro/Ro of a BRZ RA

[cycleboy]

I haven't seen the article, but is it pointing at bad reliability, bad quality, or both?

Squeaks, rattles, and the stereo not working all that well aren't reliability issues to me. They are quality or design problems.

Reliability is the car having to be in the shop or leaving you on the side of the road because something broke.

Mine's about 6-7 months old now and I have a trunk rattle that I want to quiet up and the HPFP crickets, but other than that no problems (knock on wood). It's a fun car to drive and looks fantastic, so I'm still in love.

My Xterra is 14 years old now and just under 200K on it. It's had a few issues but it's taken me all over the place, hauled all my outdoor junk, been on adventures, and kept me safe when I was t-boned by a car going 40+. The point being it's not been issue free but it's still been a good tool for what it was supposed to do.

[PabloN]

The article gives a single score that includes everything anyone might complain about. They haven't published the breakdowns yet.

[MarcFr-s]

Got mine end of July, no issues. Driving the piss out of it and loving it! The DI seal failure issue is my only concern, everything else seems pretty minor. But there may be an ecu flash fix for that now or in the near future...not sure. I'm very happy with the ride, the handling, quickness, mpg, style. It's a lot of fun to drive and as long as it keeps running I'll be happy!

[CJB]

Originally Posted by dnieves

The sample pool needs to be opened up to offset the malcontents and the fanboys.

The surveys are only sent to Consumer Reports subscribers, so I'm not sure that's an issue.

My parents subscribe, and I've seen the survey. It's very poorly done. Based on the results, it appears our cars are labeled "unreliable" because it has a poorly designed headunit and a potentially noisy (but NOT faulty) fuel pump. To me, that's misleading to a potential buyer.

Consumer Reports has given Ford a reputation of making the worst cars on the planet based almost solely on owners' gripes with MyFord Touch. Again, misleading.

[ZionsWrath]

Reliability and quirks/annoyances and very different.

According to that logic, the spark plug change that requires lifting the engine would make it unreliable.

Maybe the LFA is unreliable because it has 2 oil filters and an in depth oil change procedure.

[torqdork]

From Toyota Newsroom, 12/19/2013:

Consumer Reports Reinstates Camry to Recommended List; Toyota Models Earn Coveted Top Safety Pick Awards


Camry has been reinstated to Consumer Reports’ list of recommended cars after being named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), reports Bloomberg. The 2014 Camry (assembled starting Dec.16, 2013) earned IIHS’ coveted award after rating “acceptable” in the small overlap front crash test and “good” for moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and rear.

Joining Camry on the Top Safety Pick list is the 2014 Scion tC. The 2014 Toyota Prius (assembled after November 2013) and 2014 Highlander were named Top Safety Pick+ winners.

Far fewer vehicles met the institute’s new criteria after it raised the bar to require “good” or “acceptable” performance in the small overlap front crash test for Top Safety Pick and a front crash prevention system for Top Safety Pick+. Compared to 130 honorees from across the auto industry last year, just 39 vehicles met the tougher standards to earn the 2014 awards.

“While many 2013 Top Safety Pick winners didn’t make it to the winners’ circle for 2014, that doesn’t mean they are any less safe than before,” states the IIHS. “Vehicles that have fallen off the list have less than acceptable ratings for small overlap protection or haven’t been tested yet. However, all models that earned Top Safety Pick in 2013 continue to offer a high level of protection in four main crash types – moderate overlap front, side, rollover and rear.”

[dnieves]

Consumer Reports has scarred me for life into thinking anything German is to be avoided and believing cars from Hyundai are worth buying! Damn you, CR!!

[PWBRZ]

Consumer Reports tests a large amount of very different items -- kitty litter, snow blowers, tissues, nuclear submarines, ect. I wouldn't expect them to get detailed or in-depth with their auto reviews. Their test results are largely about numbers and stats, which can be helpful but they don't always get the full picture in their car tests/reviews. I'm guessing their auto testers are not what you would call enthusiasts.

[A&F]

Originally Posted by PWBRZ

Consumer Reports tests a large amount of very different items -- kitty litter, snow blowers, tissues, nuclear submarines, ect. I wouldn't expect them to get detailed or in-depth with their auto reviews. Their test results are largely about numbers and stats, which can be helpful but they don't always get the full picture in their car tests/reviews. I'm guessing their auto testers are not what you would call enthusiasts.

CR Ratings are based on actual consumer data, ie: from the owners.