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Consumer Reports: Lexus most reliable auto brand; Buick strong

The 2016 Lexus RX is introduced at the New York International Auto Show in April. Lexus and Toyota, which rely on older transmissions in many of their models, were the best-performing brands in the Consumer Reports annual reliability survey. (Mark Lennihan / File Associated Press)
Alisa Priddle Tribune News Service

DETROIT – Lexus is the most reliable automotive brand, Buick is the only Detroit brand in the top 10, and the Tesla Model S has done so poorly it cannot even be recommended, according to Consumer Reports’ latest report on vehicle reliability, released Tuesday in Detroit.

While consumers continue to complain about their infotainment systems, transmissions and other motorist-stranding problems are a new and scary trend, and drivetrain failures are bringing down the scores of normally reliable brands, according to the influential report’s findings.

For the first time, the annual survey was done completely online and provided space for the 740,000 consumers who responded to not only list their problems but also vent, which many took full advantage of, said Mark Rechtin, the magazine’s auto editor.

From those comments, it became clear the magazine can no longer say that today’s vehicles have reliable drivetrains. Consumers also encountered problems with infotainment systems, squeaks and rattles.

Jake Fisher, the magazine’s director of automotive testing, said he was surprised by the numerous examples of drivers who said they were stranded because an engine stopped or a transmission was stuck in one gear.

Conventional, 6-speed transmissions are not the problem. Rather, the problem stems from the raft of new transmissions designed to improve fuel economy.

“We’ve seen a number of brands struggle with new transmission technology,” said Fisher. “Whether it’s a complex system such as a dual-clutch gearbox, a continuously variable transmission, or one with eight or nine speeds. Many vehicles require repair and replacements because of rough shifting among the gears and slipping CVT belts.”

Fiat Chrysler brands as well as Nissan, Ford and Acura were among the brands hurt by transmission complaints in the 2015 Annual Auto Reliability Study. The study gives more weight to serious problems, such as when a motorist is stranded or must replace an engine or transmission, than to problems such as a frozen navigation screen.

In overall rankings, among Detroit brands, Buick was in the top 10 for the second consecutive year but was the only domestic brand to make the cut. Cadillac dropped seven places, skirting the bottom by placing 25th of the 28 brands as customers continue to complain about the brand’s Cue infotainment system. Chevrolet and GMC were in the bottom third of the rankings, dragged down by poor scores for their full-size SUVs, something Buick does not have. The Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL were among the five worst vehicles.

FCA brands were all in the bottom quarter, with Chrysler the best, in the 22nd spot. Dodge was 23rd, Ram 26th, Jeep 27th, and Fiat was dead last. Fisher said the Fiat 500L and Jeep Cherokee with a new nine-speed transmission were among the five worst cars.

“We greatly value customer feedback and use it to continuously improve our vehicles,” FCA quality chief Matt Liddane said in a statement. “Because of this fact, we’re significantly accelerating our pace of improvement for our entire product lineup.”

Ford came in 17th, which is an improvement from 23rd last year. Of note, the new F-150 and Expedition both scored above average in their first year on the market, but the new Mustang had problems and the Fiesta had transmission issues.

The $127,00 Tesla Model S super luxury electric car may be a Consumer Reports darling in road tests – testers called it the best car they had ever driven – but the 1,400 responses from consumers provided a long list of maladies with the drivetrain, charging equipment, big-screen center console and evidence of a poorly built vehicle with squeaks, rattles and leaks. It added up to a worse-than-average reliability score. “We are no longer recommending it,” Fisher said.

Lexus received top marks for all seven new vehicles in the survey, followed by Toyota. Other Japanese brands fell from past ratings but still populated the top 10. Honda slipped a few places, largely on issues with its infotainment system. Toyota, Mazda and Subaru still made the top 10.