by J. Alan Beck

Created on: January 22, 2010   Last Updated: January 23, 2010

Reliability is an important consideration for many vehicle buyers. Consumer Reports magazine in 2001 looked back upon two decades of data from their auto reliability surveys, and found that overall vehicle reliability had greatly improved over that time. Additional progress has been noted in more recent annual auto issues published by that organization. Likewise, J.D. Power and Associates reported in a press release for their 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study that: ”Automakers have improved long-term dependability by an average of 10 percent each year since the inception of the study.…”

Based mainly upon owner experiences and responses, automobiles of all types have generally become more dependable over time. There is another aspect to this: Many current owners may not be planning to replace their present vehicles as frequently as in years past. A 2009 AutoPacific survey found that 59 percent of respondents did not plan to purchase a new vehicle for four years or more years. (Up from 45 percent in 2008.) Though an unsurprising result given recent U.S. economic events, this may also portend even greater emphasis upon perceived reliability as a determining factor in new vehicle purchases. Consumers are hanging onto their cars longer for various reasons (including better likelihood of currently having a dependable auto), and it would seem that perceived reliability may remain a key factor when they (eventually) look for a new one.

If you are able to seriously consider acquiring a new vehicle, how might its apparent reliability be gauged? How can you get a good idea of the most dependable models and brands, and those to be avoided?

There are several effective ways to evaluate reliability, especially when used in combination. Most rely upon past and present data, to be used as a predictor for this year's iterations and/or newly-introduced models. Without inducing “information overload”, on-line (Internet) access can be of particular assistance:

- Long-running, large sample-size vehicle owner surveys: These can be a good, relatively unbiased tool. Consumer Reports organization (CR) has the largest and most well-known annual survey. In 2009 responses on almost a million-and-a-half vehicles were received. CR does not accept advertising and thereby touts independent, unbiased interpretation of results. CR’s survey now covers vehicles for up to ten model years. The organization also forecasts predicted reliability scores on many new

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