DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. continues to build the most reliable American cars, edging closer in reliability to its Asian rivals, Honda and Toyota, according to an annual survey released this afternoon by Consumer Reports Magazine.
Ford's three nameplates -- Ford, Lincoln and Mercury -- lead the domestic automakers and continue to pull away from its domestic rivals, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC. Except for three truck models, all Ford products are now average or better, according to the results of Consumer Reports' 2008 Annual Car Reliability Survey. Excluding those trucks, Ford is now on par with the Asian automakers, the respected consumers' magazine said.
The Ford Fusion and the Mercury Milan continued to rank among the most reliable family cars. The freshened Ford Fusion sedan rated above average.
"Ford is extremely close to Honda and Toyota in terms of reliability," said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Division, said during an Automotive Press Association luncheon at the Detroit Athletic Club.
Japanese automakers continue to build the most reliable vehicles and led in 15 of 16 categories in Consumer Reports' predicted reliability ratings. The Scion xD had the best predicted reliability score for all new cars with 80 percent fewer problems than the average model, according to the survey.
American carmakers overall offer "a mixed bag" of reliability, the publication said.
Among the bright spots for GM is the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu with above-average reliability for the 4-cylinder model and average for the V-6.
Chrysler trailed the pack, with almost two-thirds of its products rated below average. The Dodge Caliber hatchback and the Jeep Patriot SUV rated above average, however.
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