CR Behind the Scenes

For decades, car buyers have trusted CR to help them find new vehicles. Now, CR has expanded its trusted ratings and recommendations beyond new autos to include fresh insights specific to used cars.

Used car buyers make up a significant portion of the market. Four in ten Americans who were in the market for a vehicle in the past year (40%) were only considering used vehicles, compared to three in ten (31%) who were only considering new and 24% who were considering both, according to CR’s June 2024 nationally representative survey of 2,032 U.S. adults.

CR’s refreshed used car hub features the unbiased safety, performance, and reliability data that people expect from us. People can also find used car recommendations, CR’s brand reliability rankings, and our Top Picks for vehicles. Our online hub helps owners maintain their cars for years to come, with ratings of tires, batteries, insurance companies, and – if they need it – repair shops.

In August, CR also released its first-ever brand ranking for used cars, which is based on the reliability of 5-to 10-year-old cars as informed by CR’s exclusive Annual Auto Surveys. 

Check out CR’s used car hub at CR.org/usedcars.

After a three-year-long legal battle, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) unanimously determined that Amazon is responsible for unsafe products sold by third-party sellers on its website. Since the beginning of the proceedings in July 2021, Consumer Reports has supported the CPSC’s action and pushed for online platforms like Amazon to be held accountable for defective and hazardous products. 

 “There’s no good reason for a company to be exempt from these sensible requirements just because it hosts an online marketplace; otherwise, products that could injure or kill people might slip through the cracks,” said Oriene Shin, policy counsel at CR. 

The CPSC determined that as a “distributor” under federal law, Amazon bears legal responsibility for recalling more than 400,000 products that are defective or noncompliant—specifically, carbon monoxide detectors that fail to alarm, hair dryers without electrocution protection, and children’s sleepwear items that violate federal flammability standards. Amazon will now be required to notify purchasers and the public about these product hazards and provide refunds or replacements for the affected products.

Thanks to members like you, CR is able to continue its longtime work to make sure people can have confidence in the products they buy. We believe it’s up to companies, not customers, to ensure that when you shop online, the products available to you are safe. This victory sends a strong message to other online marketplaces that they must actively manage the products sold through their websites and prioritize customers’ safety.

In June the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 40-year-old legal doctrine known as Chevron deference, which stated that courts must defer to federal agencies over the interpretation and implementation of laws if Congress didn’t speak to or was ambiguous about the exact issue in question.

How will this actually impact people? Consumer advocates say it will make it harder for federal agencies to protect the public and could ultimately hurt many consumers. It is likely to embolden companies to challenge regulations or other implementations of federal law that were not explicitly laid out by Congress. 

Regulations meant to protect us in many areas—including food and water, product safety, financial fairness, sustainability, and healthcare—may be put at risk as a result of the ruling.

Following the Supreme Court decision, CR hosted a webinar to talk about what is included in the ruling and the potential impact it will have on people’s well-being. Two hundred people joined the discussion with David Doniger, the Natural Resources Defense Council staff member who argued the original case which set the Chevron doctrine, and Brian Vines, CR’s Deputy Editor. 

The overturning of the Chevron doctrine shows that CR’s work to protect consumers is more relevant and important than ever. We will continue to fight for you where it matters.

As a CR member, you know that Consumer Reports has always relied on rigorous testing standards and the work of scientists, engineers, and journalists to provide people with the latest and most accurate information. Today, many people, including parents of young kids, look to social media for advice. To reach a new generation of consumers, in July we invited Ashley Spivey (@AshleySpivey on Instagram) and José Rolón (@NYCGayDad) to visit CR’s labs in Yonkers, NY and show them how CR can help people make safe and smart choices. Ashley and José shared their biggest parenting challenges with us and saw what makes CR unique.

Ashley’s toddler, Penny, was on her mind as she toured the labs. She said, “Throughout the visit my questions centered around Penny and the items I use in her everyday life. Are they safe? Am I using them correctly? Are they the best rated?” José, a widower dad of three kids, said, “There’s so much noise out there. CR gets rid of the noise and sticks to the facts. What more would you want when in search of a product?”

By engaging in dialogue with parents, we aim to stay informed of their needs and to be a one stop shop where they can choose safe and effective products, find expert advice, and hear about the latest in our advocacy work.

We also meet parents where they’re at, including on social media. You can find the latest from CR at our handle @ConsumerReports on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X.

September is National Food Safety Education Month. Earlier this year Consumer Reports tested snack puffs popular with kids for the presence of heavy metals and found that Lesser Evil cassava-based puffs had among the most lead of any baby food ever tested by CR. Following CR’s release of its findings, Lesser Evil announced that it would phase out the use of cassava flour in its Lil’ Puffs line of products.

CR’s upcoming testing includes everything from cinnamon and other spices to popular children’s snacks and dog food. Keep an eye out for the results in the coming months.

CR has been working to improve food safety since its beginning. We first wrote about the risks posed by pesticides in food in November 1938, less than two years after our very first issue. 

This year we released our most comprehensive analysis ever of pesticides in food. We rated dozens of fruits and vegetables from low to high risk and shared how to make healthy choices and get the benefits from these foods while avoiding those that may cause long-term harm.

This month and every month, we work for better food safety for everyone. Your support helps us to continue this longstanding work for years to come.