Posted on: Tuesday, March 9, 2004

Survey: U.S. cars' quality improves

By Earle Eldridge
USA Today

For the first time in 24 years of comparison, the average domestic car is more reliable than the average — and often more expensive — European car, according to the 2004 Consumer Reports auto issue, which hits newsstands today.

Owners of 2003 General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler Group vehicles reported an average of 18 problems per 100 vehicles. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen and other European vehicles reported an average of 20 problems.

The industry average for 2003 models is 17 problems per 100 vehicles, and owners of Japanese brands — mainly Toyota and Honda — reported an industry best 12 problems per 100 vehicles.

European brands "are great when they're running," says David Champion, director of the auto test department at Consumer Reports. But they are more likely to have engine and electrical problems, he says.

The findings are based on 675,000 responses from Consumer Reports subscribers who were asked if they had any serious mechanical problems between April 2002 and March 2003.

Domestic brands have made tremendous gains, Consumer Reports says, going from 106 problems per 100 vehicles in 1980 to this year's 18. European brands also have improved, going from 53 problems per 100 to the current 20.

But relatively few European cars did well in the recent survey. All Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar and Land Rover models had below-average reliability. The 2003 BMW 7 Series had more problems than an 8-year-old Lexus LS 400, according to Consumer Reports.

Mercedes officials said they couldn't comment on the findings because they were trying to get more details from Consumer Reports about the survey and the types of problems that owners identified.

The popular BMW Mini Cooper also had worse-than-average reliability, but Mini spokesman Andrew Cutler says that's because Mini owners are more passionate about their vehicles and, therefore, more likely to report problems.

"When someone is passionate about their car, they have a tendency to be very savvy, and they will be more in tune to what goes wrong with their car," Cutler says.

Some good news for the Europeans: Their owners tend to like them.

Europeans beat American brands in the number of models that owners said they would buy again. The Mini Cooper, Porsche Boxster, Volvo XC90, various versions of the BMW 3 Series and the BMW Z4 roadster were among the European models owners said they would buy again. Only three domestic models — Chevrolet Corvette and Tahoe and Hummer H2 — were picked by owners as possible repeat buys.

Consumer Reports also picked the top vehicle in several categories. The V-6 engine version of the Volkswagen Passat and the Honda Accord repeated as co-winners of best family sedan. With the exception of the Ford Focus, which snared most fun to drive and best small sedan, all other top picks were Japanese.

New this year, the magazine chose best family vehicles and best vehicles for teenage drivers. It examined safety studies and the latest federal crash data to learn how 25,853 children fared in accidents involving a fatality in 2002. It coupled that with crash test results from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The magazine's picks as best vehicles for families needing space are the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey minivans. For teenage drivers, it picked the Subaru Forester and the four-cylinder Honda Accord.