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Each year, Consumer Reports conducts its annual auto reliability survey, putting every make and model of vehicle sold in the United States through its paces. Buyers may think picking up a brand new car will be a headache free purchase but as the survey points out, that is not always the case.
An in-depth review of over a dozen areas includes testing a vehicle’s braking system to stressing its drivetrain and even tallying up those costly out-of-warranty repairs. These cars typically perform poorly due to the introduction of new technology, such as touchscreen infotainment systems. Half of the vehicles on the list suffered from poor in-car electronics, something that has been plaguing carmakers for years even with solutions made readily available to them.
New powertrains are another pain point. Unintuitive shifters paired with automatic transmissions with up to 10-speeds on are the rise in an effort to increase fuel economy. These transmissions, however, tend to have rough shifts causing some vehicles to stutter. In some cases, the wrong gear is selected by the driver because of a poorly designed gear selector.
These are the models that finished toward the bottom of the list. Buy at your own risk.
