TrueDelta Updates Reliability Survey

Michael Karesh
by Michael Karesh

Thanks in part to help from TTAC readers, TrueDelta received a record number of responses to last month’s Car Reliability Survey—nearly 18,000. Updated car reliability stats have been posted to the site for 458 cars, up from 404 three month ago. There are partial results for another 351.

These stats cover through the end of June. Other sources of car reliability information will not cover the most recent months until the summer or even fall of next year.

Among the 2010s we have full results for, few are “worse than average.” Exceptions include the Ford Taurus, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Jaguar XF, and VW diesels.

The Taurus has had a common problem with chrome trim peeling off the tail lights. The VW diesels had a problem with O2 sensors that seems to have been resolved–the updated result is a big step in the right direction. So both of these are expected to improve to about average in future updates.

The Genesis Coupe continues to worsen, and is not expected to improve before the second model year. The Genesis sedan has improved in its second model year.

The Jaguar XF is already in its second model year, without evident improvement after some early issues with the 2009 were resolved.

We don’t yet have enough data on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata and Kia Sorento. The data we do have suggest that both are about average, with no obvious common problems. Full results for these with the next update, in November.

Despite the recent media circus, Toyotas continue to be most consistently better than average.

Additional participants are always helpful. The more owners participate, the better the information we can provide to everyone.

To view the updated results:

Car Reliability Survey results

Michael Karesh
Michael Karesh

Michael Karesh lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan, with his wife and three children. In 2003 he received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. While in Chicago he worked at the National Opinion Research Center, a leader in the field of survey research. For his doctoral thesis, he spent a year-and-a-half inside an automaker studying how and how well it understood consumers when developing new products. While pursuing the degree he taught consumer behavior and product development at Oakland University. Since 1999, he has contributed auto reviews to Epinions, where he is currently one of two people in charge of the autos section. Since earning the degree he has continued to care for his children (school, gymnastics, tae-kwan-do...) and write reviews for Epinions and, more recently, The Truth About Cars while developing TrueDelta, a vehicle reliability and price comparison site.

More by Michael Karesh

Comments
Join the conversation
12 of 25 comments
  • SomeDude SomeDude on Aug 16, 2010

    "Despite the recent media circus, Toyotas continue to be most consistently better than average..." Toyotas continue to be **reported** as being better than average. That's the power of perception for you.

    • See 6 previous
    • Golden2husky Golden2husky on Aug 17, 2010

      I concur with the login comment of NM. I, too have to dig through old emails to log onto the site...still must say that I am impressed with the value of the site. I have had two coworkers - one who is a CR dot worshiping slut - sign on...

  • AC AC on Aug 16, 2010

    I think TrueDelta is a great resource and I encourage everyone I know to join. Repair trips per year per 100 cars helps greatly to put reliability in perspective, far more than stars or circles.

  • Gimmeamanual Gimmeamanual on Aug 17, 2010

    Michael, instead of coming up with your own weighting system, why not just use the weighting points out of the automotive FMEA manual?

    • Michael Karesh Michael Karesh on Aug 17, 2010

      Must say I've never heard of the automotive FMEA manual. What is it, how finely to they classify different repairs, and how do they assign weights? Why do they assign weights? A final issue with weights is that some owners don't know what was done to repair the car. They only know the car had a problem when they took it in, and no longer had it when they picked it up. Down the road, when we have larger sample sizes, we might simply be able to exclude such cases. Right now we don't have that luxury.

  • Lokki Lokki on Aug 17, 2010

    I'm a member of TrueDelta, and I find it both very interesting and useful, particularly as the database continues to grow. I'll be in the market for a car next summer, and I've started to sift through the potential entrants for the prize (sic) of my business. For a while, I'd been sort of flirting with the idea of a Hyundai Genesis but TrueDelta shows that -while improving- they're just haven't arrived yet. I've also been surprised that some of the Hondas really aren't doing as well as I'd expected. Finally, looking at the MINI's has helped me answer the age old question - what do you get when you cross an English car with a German car? Answer - you get an Italian car. That is, a car with plenty of quirks and problems that is so much fun to drive, you forgive it.

Next