Ford falls in Consumer Reports reliability survey

Problems with new technology and complaints about three redesigned models - the Explorer, Fiesta, and Focus - dropped Ford Motor Co. from its perch as the most reliable U.S. automaker, according to a closely watched annual survey of vehicle owners by Consumer Reports magazine.

Ford fell from 10th to 20th place among 28 major auto brands in predicted reliability for the 2012 model year, magazine officials said Tuesday before announcing their findings at a Detroit meeting of the Automotive Press Association.

Ford was displaced as the most reliable U.S. auto brand by Jeep, a Chrysler nameplate, which ranked 13th. The top nine spots were claimed by Japanese brands: Scion, Lexus, Acura, Mazda, Honda, Toyota, Infiniti, Subaru, and Nissan. Volvo, in 10th place, led European automakers.

Ford's rating was a stark comedown from two years ago, when Consumer Reports said Ford's presence in the top tier since 2007 had "secured its position as the only Detroit automaker with world-class reliability."

David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' auto-test center, said Ford's problems were linked to redesigns of major models, which often cause dips in expected reliability. Last year, Champion said Ford had benefited by putting its emphasis "on fine-tuning existing platforms and limiting the number of new-model introductions."

Not this year. Consumer Reports blamed Ford's tumble partly on problems with new technologies, especially the new MyFord Touch infotainment system and a new "automated-manual transmission" in the Fiesta and Focus.

"We have often found that new or revamped models have more problems in their first year than in subsequent model years," Champion said. "Ford's problems illustrate why we recommend to our subscribers to hold off buying a first-year model."

In a statement, Ford group vice president Bennie Fowler said Consumer Reports' survey, like similar findings earlier this year in an initial-quality survey by J.D. Power & Associates, reflected temporary problems.

"Our internal surveys now show that we are largely back on track after addressing these near-term quality issues," Fowler said.

Some Ford models won Consumer Reports' praise. "On the bright side, the Ford Fusion Hybrid sedan remained outstanding, and other Fusion versions were above average," it said.

Consumer Reports' ratings are a projection of expected reliability based on surveys of owners of about 1.3 million vehicles. A spokesman said the survey asks owners about "problems they deem serious because of repair cost, vehicle downtime or safety," in contrast to Power's annual initial-quality and dependability surveys, which capture a broader spectrum of "things gone wrong" with vehicles.

Unlike their Japanese counterparts, European automakers fared poorly in the Consumer Reports survey, with Audi, Porsche, and Jaguar trailing the field. Porsche, which ranked near the top of last year's survey, also suffered from new-model troubles.

The magazine said it had sufficient data to project reliability for only two Porsche models, "one of which, the redesigned Cayenne SUV, had a terrible debut year."

To see the Consumer Reports reliability survey results, go to http://go.philly.com/reliability2012.EndText