Ford holds 5 slots out of Consumer Reports top ten least reliable cars for 2014.

"meccapanzer" (meccapanzer) 10/30/2013 at 10:25 • Filed to: None

1

24

Per !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! by way of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! the Top Ten "Least reliable vehicles, listed in order of Ratings score starting with the worst score" are as follows.

1. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (Plug-in Hybrid)

2. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (1.6L Ecoboost)

3. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

4. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

5. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

6. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

7. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

8. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (V6, 4WD)

9. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

10. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (turbo)

Personally I cancelled my CR account this year because they seemed woefully behind in the times in other categories (Cell phones, cameras, etc.). For me personally this raises two questions.

1.) is this report even relevant anymore?

2.)With 3 in the top 5 and 5 in the top ten... is Ford reaching a little too far too fast?

Ford has been impressing the hell out of me for the last 18-24 months. Perhaps the daunting task of living up to my expectations has just worn them out?

POD > meccapanzer 10/30/2013 at 10:33

1

Most seem to be the turbo motors cars. Any time a new motor is released I'm always concerned about reliability. The Ecoboost motors (I think) will probably become more reliable in the next few years once they get the kinks worked out. It was one of the reasons (next to cost) that I shied away from the ST with my last purchase.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > meccapanzer 10/30/2013 at 10:33

1

What on earth are these numbers based on?

I have the Ford Taurus "turbo" or... SHO. It's been very reliable, haha.

EL_ULY > meccapanzer 10/30/2013 at 10:34

1

those new Ford Escapes are selling like crazy! I know a couple people that have purchased one. They should of got an LS3 Pontiac G8 instead like I told them to (logical choice) :]

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > meccapanzer 10/30/2013 at 10:35

2

It's not responsible for the entirety of Ford's prevalence on this list, but CR's undue weighting on MyFord Touch is heavily skewing this list.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > meccapanzer 10/30/2013 at 10:35

2

I've been saying ecoboost was going to bite them in the ass for a while. Hopefully its just teething issues and they get it sorted out. I personally try and stay as far away uber turbo engines as possible.

meccapanzer > POD 10/30/2013 at 10:37

1

I had actually been wondering if there had been major advances in Turbo longevity over the last 5-10 years. They are becoming so common place, they aren't really niche anymore. When I had my Saab it was pretty much understood that it was a consumable part that would need to be replaced after 70k-100k. I wonder if that is still the same and if it isn't if the average consumer is being made aware of it.

getchapopcorn > meccapanzer 10/30/2013 at 10:38

1

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/gram…

meccapanzer > EL_ULY 10/30/2013 at 10:39

1

Never underestimate the selling power of Mike Rowe. ;-)

meccapanzer > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 10/30/2013 at 10:42

0

Damn you Kinja-duplicate.

meccapanzer > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 10/30/2013 at 10:42

0

If you hit the links they go into more detail. It wasn't very clear to me though. Basically, last three years plus experience...

I didn't want to steal their entire story just get others opinions :-)

meccapanzer > getchapopcorn 10/30/2013 at 10:46

0

Mosqvich > meccapanzer 10/30/2013 at 10:46

1

1. I don't think CR is truly relevant, but unfortunately a lot of Americans think what they say it totally true and dependable. I really only want to hear what they have to say after they've lived with a car for 2 years. As for input from readers, well, we all know the "reliability" issues have to do with craptastic infotainment systems.

2. Ford is trying to be innovative, they just don't have the chops to do it right. I have Sync on my Fiesta and it blows. It never works the same way twice for me. I'm just biding my time to unload this car.

I'm driving my last Ford and I've had a string of them:

- 1991 Ford Escort GT (my first new car)

- 1998 Ford F-150 (off-road package - it was awesome)

- 2000 Ford Focus ZTS (totally loaded - very nice car)

- 2000 Mercury Mountaineer (100,000 trouble free miles - not a penny in mechanical expense)

- 2006 Ford Focus ST (great car until the engine blew a hole - I was sad)

- 2012 Ford Fiesta SE (great build quality, solid like a tank, Sync is horrendous, gas mileage is mediocre, the engine is anemic)

I'm done with Ford and ready for a grown-up car. Trust me, I'm not going to CR for my purchase decision. They're reviews are less than meaningless.

meccapanzer > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 10/30/2013 at 10:47

0

It wasn't mentioned in the write-up but with CR who the hell knows. I don't see MyFord Touch as being a reliability issue though.

EL_ULY > meccapanzer 10/30/2013 at 10:48

0

LOL! he looks miserable

meccapanzer > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 10/30/2013 at 10:50

0

I definitely want some serious R&D sunk into Turbo's using modern technology. I think it's way past it's due but I think they may have jumped the gun a tad. This is however based solely on my personal bias toward Ford.

/shrug

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 10/30/2013 at 10:55

0

I'll believe it when someone more credible than CR and Yahoo come up with a reliability study...

meccapanzer > Mosqvich 10/30/2013 at 10:56

1

A part I left out (because I didn't want to get to the point where I was just out and out plagiarizing) is that they do qualify their opinions. It is primarily supposed to be based on last three years of production except where new model or major redesign are involved. Of course that left 6 of the 10 (yes a whopping 60% of the list) with an asterisk beside it. They would be entries 1, 2, 5, 7, 9 and 10 in case you were interested.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > meccapanzer 10/30/2013 at 11:00

1

It's how they measure "reliability" that is the issue, it was covered on the FP yesterday. Essentially, any time someone brings a car in for unscheduled service to a dealer, it counts as a car being brought in for "reliability" issues and CR scores it as such (as I understand it). With MFT lots of people have been struggling to figure out the systems and thus have been bringing in their cars for "non-scheduled service", each of which counts against Ford's reliability ratings on CR's scale; such is how the story is being told, at least.

Mosqvich > meccapanzer 10/30/2013 at 11:02

0

I would like to see CR overhauled completely. Like Lincoln and the old Cadillac, I have a feeling their readership is literally nearer to the Pearly Gates than the local dealership.

meccapanzer > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 10/30/2013 at 11:27

0

oh gotcha, thanks for the insight.

POD > meccapanzer 10/30/2013 at 11:47

0

That's a very good point. I'll have to check my owners manual and read when the turbo needs to be looked at in my car. It's something I've been wondering as well.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 10/30/2013 at 12:23

0

Yeah I don't trust CR one bit either. I don't think many people understand who finances that whole operation and what their agenda is - http://consumersunion.org/

highmodulus > meccapanzer 11/01/2013 at 11:17

0

CR rankings on Ford = Elderly people are scared of technology.

Kelsey > meccapanzer 11/17/2013 at 11:46

0

I have a 2001 Escape with 250K miles with a Mazda engine. The engine is reliable and I leaned towards another one.....until I saw the CX-5. I did test drive the new Escape and enjoyed it, but was turned off when I learned that Turbo was the "eco boost". Turbo is one more thing to go wrong and not cheep to fix. I now am a happy owner of a 2013 Mazda CX-5. I am blessed I made this decision after reading Escape reviews.