Consumer Reports: Ford quality improves

YONKERS, N.Y., Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Ford Motor Co. has improved its car and truck quality while Japan's Toyota Motor Co. slipped from the No. 1 spot, a Consumer Reports survey indicated Tuesday.

Forty-one of Ford's 44 models scored average or better in predicted reliability, the consumer-advocacy magazine said.

General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC continued to have mixed results, the magazine said.

Honda Motor Co. edged Toyota out of the top spot and Fuji Heavy Industries Co.'s Subaru division assumed the No. 2 spot.

Three Toyota vehicles lost Consumer Reports' "buy" recommendation. And for the first time in the survey's history, a Toyota Camry version was not recommended.

"We used to recommend all Toyotas because of excellent reliability," Consumer Reports Auto Test Center Senior Director David Champion told the Detroit Free Press. "We’re not going to do that any more."

The Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan sedans ranked among the most reliable family cars, along with the Toyota Prius and Honda Accord, the magazine said.

Of U.S. models rated, 93 percent of Ford, 67 percent of Chrysler and 49 percent of GM models had average or better predicted reliability, the magazine said.

GM's Pontiac Solstice had the worst new-car prediction score in the survey.

Of all makes, Ford's Land Rover was least reliable on average, the survey said.