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

[WyreNut]

In this month's issue (December 2013, the "Best Gifts" issue) of Consumer Reports, they have a taken some severe shots at both the FR-S and BRZ, changing their opinion from one of "Better than average reliability" to a horrible -40% than average for the FR-S, and -108% (!!!) for the BRZ!

Thanks a lot CR. One of the major reasons I purchased the FR-S (after doing research about the car) was CR's glowing recommendation for the vehicles!

They dropped both Scion's and Subaru's reliability reputation as a WHOLE due to the "torpedoing of the twin cars to their respective makers".

CR shows a red FR-S in last month's issue as a test car for tires!

My only complaint so far has been the HPFP squeak. One attempt at getting it fixed resulted in a piss-poor experience from my local Scion dealer. I'll be taking it to another dealer with the latest TSB the next time I head to Fresno, CA.

Other than that, I enjoy the heck out of it!

Looking at the "Reliability" ratings for both cars, here's what CR finds as faulty for both (out of 17 different areas):

FR-S:

Overall: Worse than Average
Engine Minor: Average
Transmission Minor: Average
Fuel System: Worse Than Average
Squeaks & Rattles: Worse than Average

Everything else is either Much Better than Average, or Above Average!

BRZ

Overall: Much Worse than Average
Squeaks & Rattles: Much Worse than Average
Audio System: Much Worse than Average

Everything else is Much Better than Average, with only one Above Average!!!
WTF? This rates a minus 108% rating?!?

Comments, anyone?

WyreNut

[Dino451]

Who cares. I love mine even with the minor issues.

[strat61caster]

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51071

It's 'consumer reports' not 'enthusiast reports'

Being on this forum enlightens you to 90% of the possible issues, I suspect that a lot of the reported 'unreliability' is from things such as rattles, chirping fuel pumps and sub-par navigation/radio interfaces.

Yeah it'll have an effect, the common consumer will look at that as opposed to Road & Track or Top Gear or user forums like this one but it doesn't affect my vehicle or my experience one iota. Those that get scared away will have been scared away by something else, it took me a few months to realize that I'm one of the few who wholeheartedly plan on owning this car until it falls apart, I am in the minority so my opinion is not always with the consensus, especially when people start bitching about stuff like 'I have to press my window switches two or three times on occasion'.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29496

[Burrcold]

The fact that they don't have the same scoring on engine and transmission for both vehicles, further shows how f'ing dumb they really are.

[humfrz]

Well, my rating of my FR-S, rates it as being ....... very good .....

Sometimes, I think CR should stick to rating toasters ....

humfrz

[Tromatic]

They probably came to that conclusion from reading this very website and all the posts demanding a new vehicle from the dealer because it had low-octane gas in it. Nobody has had an FR-S long enough to come to a conclusion like that unless the sole-source of the info was just the people who bitch about nothing. Comical. How long has it been since that rag was relevant?

[R.S-HawK]

Reposting from the BR-Z forum:

Anyone who takes Consumer Reports seriously, when it comes to judging a sports car, needs to just buy a Camry.

[WilOTheWisp]

Originally Posted by R.S-HawK

Reposting from the BR-Z forum:

Anyone who takes Consumer Reports seriously, when it comes to judging a sports car, needs to just buy a Camry.

Spot on! Who buys their car based on Consumer Reports? My grandparents maybe at best... I wouldn't worry about it. I can't speak for everyone but I also intend to drive my vehicle into the ground and unless another sports car hits this price range and it is even more insanely/ridiculously fun to drive, I will buy another FR-S if I wear this one out.

~WilO

[fazm]

Still getting a 10 in the very important Big Dumb Grin category.

[wootwoot]

There goes the resale value.... Oh well....

[DIF]

So, they are basing trashing our cars reliability based squeaks and rattles?

[dnieves]

How does CR justify this? They stumbled across enthusiast sites like this that make the cricket noise issue the worst thing on earth (which has now been resolved)?! I can see why they bashed Honda on it's use of cheap interior plastics in '12 -the last thing Honda needed to do was cheap out on that being they don't throw their customers any bones like the accessories offered by a craptastic outfit like Hyundai (coming from experience with both companies) except for i-Mid (wup de friggin' do!).

Imagine the power the editors of CR wield being that their negative review made Honda refresh the Civic within the 9th gen's first 12 months of production!. What's Toyota and Subaru going to do to placate them?

BTW- (aside a recommended CR rating from being a feather in somebody's cap) are CR readers the demographic that purchases sporty cars -I was under the impression sensible mini van and Camry types scour CR pages for auto purchase insight.

[Kelbyat07]

They need to chill and wait to see the average life of the twins. I mean as long as the car keeps working the eff the survey. I bet the twins arent going to be those kind of cars to break down on the side of the road.

[shellslinger]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

The fact that they don't have the same scoring on engine and transmission for both vehicles, further shows how f'ing dumb they really are.

+10000000000000000