Unreliable vehicles have two things in common - useless complexity and careless introduction of new technologies. So say Consumer Reports experts, who studied the reliability of cars from various automakers in 2018.
The new Consumer Reports study is based on a survey of over half a million vehicle owners. It showed that the cars that got the worst marks year after year were simply packed with new, high-tech features. And the machines that consistently scored the highest were almost universally conservative in their application of new technologies.
Introducing you top 10 most unreliable cars of 2018.
10. Dodge Durango
This SUV earned the lowest overall Consumer Reports rating in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016. Problems most often occur in automotive electronics, electrical equipment, brakes, suspension, climate system, fuel system, drive system and engine. The only good news is that the downtrend seems to be slowing down. Only one Durango model released in the past four years has received the lowest overall rating.
9. Chevrolet Corvette
Over the past four model years (2013-2017), the Corvette has received an extremely low Consumer Reports reliability rating. Its biggest problem was in automotive electronics, but brakes and cooling were also identified by owners as problem areas.
In recognition of the unfortunate trend, Consumer Reports published a “much worse than average” predicted reliability rating for the 2018 Corvette.
8. Chevrolet Cruze
Due to the popularity of this car around the world, data on its reliability is not difficult to find. And, unfortunately for Chevy, the numbers are not encouraging. From 2011 to 2014, Cruze earned the lowest overall Consumer Reports rating. Unsafe areas include: engine, engine cooling, transmission, climate control, brakes, noise and oil leaks.
7. Mini Cooper
For five years, this compact car received poor marks in Consumer Reports. Some of the most common problems include: oil leaks, fuel system breakdowns, electrical system, climate system and brakes failures.
6. GMC Acadia
The big problem with this full-size crossover was the climate system, and in the latest Consumer Reports poll, suspension, brakes and electrical equipment have joined it.
Other GMC vehicles, including the Sierra 2500HD, GMC Terrain, and Yukon XL, also received poor ratings, but the Acadia was invariably the worst.
5. Jeep Grand Cherokee
The American SUV has been included in the list of unreliable cars since 2010, and has not left it to this day. Problems arise in various parts of this car. According to the owners, the worst situation is with automotive electronics, it has the lowest ratings every year. The climate system and transmission of Jeep Grand Cherokee also often break down.
4. Ford Focus
Another vehicle that suffers from too many technological implementations. One of most popular cars in the world scored well below average for its powertrain from 2012 to 2016. Other areas of concern included the drive system and automotive electronics.
3. Fiat 500
This car occupied the first line in the list of the most unreliable passenger cars for four years in a row - from 2012 to 2015. His list of trouble spots is mind-boggling:
- engine, including its cooling;
- Transmission;
- drive system;
- fuel system;
- suspension;
- brakes;
- paint and decoration;
- electronics.
Worse, the reliability forecast for the 2018 Fiat 500 lineup is "much worse than average."
2. Tesla Model X
Even though the manufacturer positions its electric crossover as one of the most reliable cars in the world, data compiled by Consumer Reports suggests otherwise.
Areas of concern include vehicle electronics, noise and oil leaks, electrical equipment, climate control, paint and trim.
“They have difficulty with the doors, there are too many moving parts,” said Jake Fisher, director of autotesting for Consumer Reports. “Even the seats are complicated. Their problems come from unnecessary complexity. "
“Tesla has released three models, and each has its own door handle mechanism,” Fischer also said. "And I would say none of them are as good as what you find on the Toyota Corolla." The price of the 2018 Tesla Model X starts at 8,800,000 rubles, and the cost of the 2018 Corolla is 933,000 rubles.
Recall that Tesla Model X received the so-called "falcon wings" - automatic doors that have a fold with a variable angle. This allows them to open upwards without requiring additional parking space.
1. Ford Fiesta
This subcompact car received the lowest Consumer Report ratings for six consecutive years from 2011 to 2016. In 2018, he again topped the anti-rating of the most unreliable cars. Areas of concern include the gearbox, engine, drive system, and automotive electronics.
Jake Fisher believes the problems are caused by the automaker's focus on new technologies. “Whenever you add complexity, you add potential areas of failure. Therefore, if you are going to add complex features, you must do it conservatively and methodically, ”he said.
Other common problems seen in the least reliable cars of 2018 are associated with the widespread use of nine- and ten-speed transmissions, and complex new infotainment systems.