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2012 Auto, Brand, and Manufacturer Reliability GPAs and Grades

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2012's Worst All- and 4-Wheel-Drive Vehicles Sold in North America: Table and Charts
by James Bleeker

This page provides the table giving the 2012 Auto Reliability GPAs of the worst all-wheel-drive and four-wheel drive vehicles in 2012, charts of manufacturer shares of the worst in 2012, and a chart depicting the Overall Reliability GPAs of the 15 best all- and four-wheel-drive sedans, wagons, minivans, SUVs, and pickup trucks in 2012 and the 15 worst all- and four-wheel-drive sedans, wagons, minivans, SUVs, and pickup trucks in 2012.

The Table

The table below provides the 2012 Auto Reliability GPAs and Grades of the worst all- and four-wheel-drive cars and light trucks sold in the U.S.

Reliability GPAs for 4 age ranges are given so that the visitor may examine more closely the age range that is of greater interest to him or her.

Letter grades for automobile reliability are determined thusly: A if the Auto Reliability GPA is 3.50 to 4.00, B if the Auto Reliability GPA is 2.50 to 3.49, C if the Auto Reliability GPA is 1.50 to 2.49, D if the Auto Reliability GPA is 0.50 to 1.49, and F if the Auto Reliability GPA < 0.50.

The list of the worst all- and four-wheel-drive cars and light trucks in 2012 includes those vehicles with an Overall Auto Reliability GPA from 0 to 1.84 - in letter grade, from the lowest F to a low C. The list is in ascending order of Overall GPA, i.e., from worst to less worse.

The list of these worst vehicles in 2012 is of value to those buyers who want to avoid the worst, but are rather indifferent to whether a vehicle model is among the best.

The Reliability GPAs and Grades of the Worst All- and 4-Wheel-Drive Vehicles in 2012
ID Auto Manufacturer Line Model Model GPA for 0-to-4 Year Old Vehicles Model GPA for 2-to-6 Year Old Vehicles Model GPA for 4-to-8 Year Old Vehicles Model GPA for 6-to-10 Year Old Vehicles Overall Reliability GPA Grade Based on Overall GPA Minimum Reliability GPA Grade Based on Minimum GPA Number of Model Years of Data
74 BMW BMW 535i 0.00 0.00     0.00 F 0.00 F 4
250 General Motors Saturn Relay   0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 F 0.00 F 3
249 General Motors Saturn Outlook, awd 0.00 0.00 0.00   0.00 F 0.00 F 3
196 General Motors Chevrolet Blazer     0.00 0.00 0.00 F 0.00 F 3
376 Volkswagen Volkswagen Touareg     0.00 0.00 0.00 F 0.00 F 1
360 Volkswagen Audi A6, 3.0T 0.00       0.00 F 0.00 F 1
114 Chrysler Dodge Nitro   0.00 0.00   0.00 F 0.00 F 1
127 Daimler Mercedes-Benz R-Class   0.00 0.00   0.00 F 0.00 F 1
213 General Motors Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid 0.00 0.00     0.00 F 0.00 F 1
191 General Motors Cadillac STS 0.00 0.25 0.33 0.00 0.15 F 0.00 F 5
223 General Motors GMC Safari     0.00 0.33 0.17 F 0.00 F 3
193 General Motors Chevrolet Astro     0.00 0.33 0.17 F 0.00 F 3
361 Volkswagen Audi Q5, V6 0.33 0.00     0.17 F 0.00 F 3
111 Chrysler Dodge Journey 0.33 0.00     0.17 F 0.00 F 3
124 Daimler Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 0.75 0.00 0.00   0.25 F 0.00 F 5
236 General Motors Pontiac Montana, Montana SV6   0.00 0.33 0.50 0.28 F 0.00 F 5
219 General Motors GMC Acadia, awd 1.00 0.00 0.00   0.33 F 0.00 F 5
94 Chrysler Jeep Wrangler, 4-door 1.00 0.00 0.00   0.33 F 0.00 F 5
178 General Motors Buick Enclave, awd 0.75 0.00     0.38 F 0.00 F 4
216 General Motors Chevrolet Venture     0.50 0.50 0.50 D 0.50 D 4
282 Kia Kia Sorento, V6 0.50 0.67 0.75 0.33 0.56 D 0.33 F 7
108 Chrysler Dodge Dakota, 4wd 1.00 0.33 0.25 0.75 0.58 D 0.25 F 7
298 Mazda Mazda Tribute, 4 cylinder, awd 1.33 0.00     0.67 D 0.00 F 3
362 Volkswagen Audi Q7 0.00 1.00 1.00   0.67 D 0.00 F 2
144 Ford Ford F-250, turbodiesel 1.25 0.25 0.00 1.25 0.69 D 0.00 F 10
78 BMW BMW X5, 6-cylinder 0.33 0.50 1.00 1.00 0.71 D 0.33 F 9
190 General Motors Cadillac SRX, V6 1.33 0.67 0.50 0.50 0.75 D 0.50 D 7
222 General Motors GMC Envoy, V8 0.00 0.33 1.00 1.67 0.75 D 0.00 F 6
189 General Motors Cadillac Escalade 0.00 0.33 1.33 1.50 0.79 D 0.00 F 5
117 Chrysler Dodge Ram 2500, turbodiesel 0.00 0.25 1.25 2.00 0.88 D 0.00 F 9
75 BMW BMW 7 Series 1.50 0.67 0.50   0.89 D 0.50 D 4
92 Chrysler Jeep Patriot 1.67 1.00 0.00   0.89 D 0.00 F 4
202 General Motors Chevrolet Equinox, V6 1.75 1.25 0.67 0.00 0.92 D 0.00 F 7
99 Chrysler Chrysler Pacifica 0.00 1.00 1.50 1.50 1.00 D 0.00 F 5
87 Chrysler Jeep Commander 1.00 1.00 1.00   1.00 D 1.00 D 3
289 Land Rover - Tata Land Rover LR3   1.00 1.00   1.00 D 1.00 D 1
88 Chrysler Jeep Compass   1.00 1.00   1.00 D 1.00 D 1
162 Ford Lincoln MKT 1.00       1.00 D 1.00 D 1
386 Volvo - Geely Volvo XC90, 6-cylinder 1.50 2.00 0.67 0.00 1.04 D 0.00 F 5
126 Daimler Mercedes-Benz M-Class, V6 1.75 1.00 0.50 1.00 1.06 D 0.50 D 7
231 General Motors GMC Yukon XL 1.25 0.75 1.00 1.50 1.13 D 0.75 D 10
211 General Motors Chevrolet Suburban 1.25 0.75 1.00 1.50 1.13 D 0.75 D 10
331 Nissan Nissan Titan 2.50 1.00 0.75 0.50 1.19 D 0.50 D 6
194 General Motors Chevrolet Avalanche 2.50 1.25 0.25 1.00 1.25 D 0.25 F 10
173 Ford Mercury Mountaineer, V8 1.50 1.00 1.25 1.25 1.25 D 1.00 D 8
214 General Motors Chevrolet Trailblazer, 6-cylinder 1.00 1.00 1.25 1.75 1.25 D 1.00 D 8
239 General Motors Pontiac Torrent 1.50 1.25 1.00   1.25 D 1.00 D 4
161 Ford Lincoln MKS, non-turbo 1.50 1.00     1.25 D 1.00 D 2
356 Volkswagen Audi A3 2.00 1.00 1.00   1.33 D 1.00 D 4
215 General Motors Chevrolet Traverse, awd 1.67 1.00     1.33 D 1.00 D 3
363 Volkswagen Audi TT 1.00 1.00   2.00 1.33 D 1.00 D 2
321 Nissan Nissan Armada 2.00   1.00 1.00 1.33 D 1.00 D 2
339 Porsche Porsche Cayenne 0.00 2.00 2.00   1.33 D 0.00 F 2
128 Daimler Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2.00 1.25 0.67 1.50 1.35 D 0.67 D 6
116 Chrysler Dodge Ram 1500, 4wd 1.25 1.50 1.50 1.25 1.38 D 1.25 D 10
165 Ford Lincoln Navigator 2.00 1.33 1.33 1.00 1.42 D 1.00 D 6
140 Ford Ford Explorer, V6, 4wd 2.25 1.75 1.00 0.75 1.44 D 0.75 D 10
209 General Motors Chevrolet Silverado 1500, V8, 4wd 1.50 1.50 1.25 1.50 1.44 D 1.25 D 10
227 General Motors GMC Sierra 1500, V8, 4wd 1.50 1.50 1.25 1.50 1.44 D 1.25 D 10
293 Mazda Mazda CX-7 2.67 1.67 0.00   1.44 D 0.00 F 4
91 Chrysler Jeep Liberty 1.67 1.25 1.25 1.75 1.48 D 1.25 D 9
327 Nissan Nissan Pathfinder 1.50 1.67 1.25 1.50 1.48 D 1.25 D 8
89 Chrysler Jeep Grand Cherokee, 6-cylinder, V6 2.25 2.00 1.25 0.50 1.50 C 0.50 D 10
357 Volkswagen Audi A4, 4-cylinder 2.25 2.00 1.25 0.50 1.50 C 0.50 D 10
73 BMW BMW 525i,528i,530i 1.25 1.25 1.75 1.75 1.50 C 1.25 D 10
184 General Motors Buick Rendezvous   1.50 1.75 1.25 1.50 C 1.25 D 6
77 BMW BMW X5, 35d 1.50       1.50 C 1.50 C 2
112 Chrysler Dodge Magnum   1.00 1.50 2.00 1.50 C 1.00 D 2
323 Nissan Nissan Frontier, 4wd 1.75 2.25 1.33 1.00 1.58 C 1.00 D 8
221 General Motors GMC Canyon 1.75 1.75 1.50 1.50 1.63 C 1.50 C 8
199 General Motors Chevrolet Colorado 1.75 1.75 1.50 1.50 1.63 C 1.50 C 8
244 General Motors Saab 9-5   2.00 1.75 1.25 1.67 C 1.25 D 6
90 Chrysler Jeep Grand Cherokee, V8 1.25 1.75 2.00   1.67 C 1.25 D 6
365 Volkswagen Volkswagen CC 1.33 2.00     1.67 C 1.33 D 3
358 Volkswagen Audi A5/S5 1.33 2.00     1.67 C 1.33 D 3
93 Chrysler Jeep Wrangler, 2-door 1.75 1.50 1.75 2.00 1.75 C 1.50 C 10
107 Chrysler Dodge Charger 2.50 1.75 1.00   1.75 C 1.00 D 4
210 General Motors Chevrolet Silverado 2500, turbodiesel 1.33 1.75 1.75 2.25 1.77 C 1.33 D 9
228 General Motors GMC Sierra 2500, turbodiesel 1.33 1.75 1.75 2.25 1.77 C 1.33 D 9
212 General Motors Chevrolet Tahoe 1.75 1.50 1.75 2.25 1.81 C 1.50 C 10
230 General Motors GMC Yukon 1.75 1.50 1.75 2.25 1.81 C 1.50 C 10
252 General Motors Saturn Vue, V6 2.00 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.81 C 1.75 C 8
136 Ford Ford Edge, awd 1.50 2.00 2.00   1.83 C 1.50 C 5
262 Hyundai Hyundai Santa Fe, 4 cylinder 1.50   2.00 2.00 1.83 C 1.50 C 4
Note: Where a model entry specifically includes "awd" or "4wd," the GPAs and Grades are for this specific driveline version of the model.

Note that among the worst all-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012, there is not one by Toyota Motor Corporation, Honda Motor Company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, the Subaru division of Fuji Heavy Industries, or the Infiniti division of Nissan Motor Company.

The manufacturers which have offered one or more of the most trouble prone all-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive cars and light trucks in 2012, as reported by Consumer Reports subscribers and measured by the Overall Reliability GPA, are General Motors Corporation (with 5 of the 10 worst, 11 of the 20 worst, 14 of the 30 worst, 23 of the 62 worst, 32 of the 84 worst), the Chrysler Group (with 1 of the 10 worst, 3 of the 20 worst, 5 of the 30 worst, 11 of the 62 worst, and 16 of the 84 worst), Volkswagen AG (with 9 of the 84 worst), Ford Motor Company (with 7 of the 84 worst), BMW AG (with 5 of the 84 worst), Daimler AG, Nissan Motor Company, Mazda Motor Corporation, Kia Motors Corporation, Land Rover - Tata, Volvo - Geely, Porsche AG, and Hyundai Motor Company.

In summary, the worst all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive sedans, wagons, minivans, SUVs, and pickup trucks are very heavily concentrated in two automobile manufacturers - General Motors Corporation and the Chrysler Group; however, the best all- and four-wheel-drive vehicles of 2012 are even more heavily concentrated in two auto manufacturers.

Charts of Manufacturer Shares of the Worst All- and 4-Wheel-Drive Vehicles in 2012

First is a bar graph of the auto manufacturer shares of the 10 worst all- and four-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012.

Automobile Manufacturer shares of the 10 worst all-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012.

All of the 10 worst have a letter grade of F.

Next is a bar graph of the auto manufacturer shares of the 20 worst all- and four-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012.

Automobile Manufacturer shares of the 20 worst all-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012.

All but one of the 20 worst have a letter grade of F.

Next is a bar graph of the auto manufacturer shares of the 30 worst all- and four-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012.

Automobile Manufacturer shares of the 30 worst all-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012.

All of the 30 worst have a letter grade of D or F.

Next is a bar graph of the auto manufacturer shares of the 62 worst all- and four-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012.

Automobile Manufacturer shares of the 62 worst all-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012.

All of the 62 worst have a letter grade of D or F.

Next is a bar graph of the auto manufacturer shares of the 84 worst all- and four-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012.

Automobile Manufacturer shares of the 84 worst all-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012.

Chart of the Reliability GPAs of the Top 15 and Bottom 15 All- and 4-Wheel-Drive Vehicles

The following bar graph depicts the Overall Reliability GPAs of the 15 best all-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive cars and light trucks and 15 worst all-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive cars and light trucks in 2012.

Bar graph depicting the overall Reliability GPAs of the 15 best and 15 worst all-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive vehicles in 2012.

 

Caution      When the number of model years of data (appearing in the far right column) for a vehicle is limited to more recent years, the reliability GPAs, Average GPA, and Minimum GPA of that vehicle may be less reflective of the vehicle's reliability over a longer period of time.

The Auto Reliability GPAs are automobile reliability statistics that are obtained from Consumer Reports' auto reliability survey data summarized in the reliability tables of (1) Consumer Reports: New Car Buying Guide: 2012, (2) Consumer Reports: Used Car Buying Guide: 2012, and (3) the April 2012 issue of the Consumer Reports magazine.

The method of computation of the GPAs is probably familiar to nearly every college, technical school, and high school student. A Grade Point of 4.00 (that is, an A) is given to a Consumer Reports Used Car Verdict of "Much Better Than Average," a GP of 3.00 (that is, a B) is given to a CR "Better Than Average" rating, a GP of 2.00 (that is, a C) to an "Average" rating, a GP of 1.00 (that is, a D) to a "Worse Than Average" rating, and a GP of 0.00 (that is, an F) to a "Much Worse Than Average" rating. A 4-year Grade Point Average (GPA) is an average of the Grade Points and is computed using Microsoft's Average(a:b,[c:d],...) function. The Overall GPA given in the table and chart above is the average of the four 4-year GPAs.

AutoOnInfo.net: Helping to inform consumers which autos, brands, and manufacturers are better than good and worse than bad since 2001.

Additional Resources

More detail on brand Quality Grades is given in the Kindle ebook entitled AutoOnInfo.net's Car Quality Series, Volume 2: Brand Quality for Model Years 1985 to 2006 and Brand Market Shares from 1985 to 2009. Links to the Amazon page offering the book are given below.

Icon for AutoOnInfo.net’s Car Quality Series Volume 2: Brand Quality for Model Years 1985 to 2006 and Effect on Brand Market Shares from 1985 to 2009

AutoOnInfo.net's Car Quality Series, Volume 2: Brand Quality for Model Years 1985 to 2006 and Effect on Brand Market Shares from 1985 to 2009

This volume of AutoOnInfo.net’s car guide series offers consumers and researchers an historical summary of the reliability and durability of car and truck brands and examines how these brands have fared in their U.S. market shares. It uses 6-year-old model entries in Consumer Reports’ Used Car to Avoid – also termed Vehicles to Avoid and Worst Cars, Year by Year – and CR’s reliability charts to ascribe quality grades to automobile brands for model-year groups 1985 to 1989, 1990 to 1994, 1995 to 1999, 2000 to 2004, 2005 to 2006, and 1985 to 2006. In addition to ascribing quality grades to each brand, it provides a chart that plots the number of the brand’s 6-year-old model entries in CR’s vehicles to avoid. To examine the effect that a brand’s reliability and durability has had on sales, two or more charts depicting the brand’s U.S. market shares for calendar years 1985 to 2009 are given. These grades and charts and the author’s comments impart an historical perspective that sheds light on the present condition of surviving vehicle lines and their future prospects, individual and institutional shortcomings, and what effect these may have on the U.S.

Also visit www.CarsOnInfo.net and www.CarQualityInfo.net for more car and truck quality tables, charts, graphs, and information.