7 cars that lose their Consumer Reports Recommendation due to reliability

Not all cars are created equal, as we are reminded by the Consumer Reports Annual Auto Survey. Based on data collected from more than a million vehicles, this survey reveals where owners are experiencing problems, effectively separating models that have more than their share of problems from those that have average or better reliability. Dropping below average reliability means a model cannot be recommended, and this year, there are a few vehicles that don't make the cut.

Looking down the long list of cars covered on our model pages, many do not have the coveted check mark indicating a Consumer Reports recommendation, an accolade earned for the combination of good overall road test score, reliability, and crash-test ratings, if performed by government and/or insurance industry.

Certainly road test scores knock more than a few cars from the running, such as the Fiat 500, Mitsubishi Mirage, and Toyota Yaris. Most modern cars do well in nearly all crash tests, with the exception of the relatively new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's tough small overlap frontal test, which bumped good performing vehicles such as the Toyota RAV4 from our consideration. And then there is reliability.

Visit our complete guide to car reliablity.  

For brand-new or redesigned models, especially those with dramatic changes and/or mixed histories, we won't predict their reliability, and therefore, they are excluded from recommendation. After all, we simply cannot say how they will hold up, and therefore remain cautious until enough data is available from owners to say otherwise.

Then there are those new models on which we have collected enough data, but the news isn't good.

This year, the models that now have sufficient data but are below average include:

• Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• Fiat 500L
• GMC Sierra 1500
• Infiniti Q50
• Jeep Cherokee
• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Mercedes-Benz S-Class
• Volkswagen Jetta (1.8T)

Generally, cars become more reliable each passing year within a model generation. First-year bugs tend to get sorted out as the automaker becomes more adept at assembly and addresses component shortcomings. But, this isn't always the case.

Each year, we also find several cars that have declining reliability, bumping them off our recommended list. This can be caused by problems that emerge after cars accumulate more miles and face more seasons. Whatever the cause, dwindling reliability has led to the following models losing their Consumer Reports recommendation.

• BMW 328i (RWD)
• Cadillac ATS (turbo)
• Chevrolet Sonic
• Chrysler 300
• Infiniti QX60
• Mercedes-Benz M-Class (non-diesel)
• Ram 1500 (V8, 4WD)

As a car buyer, the key takeaway is that reliability can change. It is important to review the latest information, rather than draw from anecdotal experiences and brand reputation in making a purchase decision. And for car owners, do your part by subscribing to Consumer Reports and taking part in the annual survey. The information gathered is used to inform fellow consumers, and it influences industry, pushing automakers to build better cars—something that benefits everyone.

—Jeff Bartlett