The Worst SUVs in 2011 by James Bleeker

The worst sport-utility vehicles by the 2011 Auto Reliability Grade Point Average (GPA) are:

General Motors Corporation's Chevrolet Blazer, a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2011 Auto Reliability GPA of 0.00 and Auto Reliability Grade of a very low F over a 4-year auto reliability data history,
General Motors' front-wheel-drive Saturn Outlook, a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2011 Auto Reliability GPA of 0.00 and Auto Reliability Grade of a very low F over a 3-year auto reliability data history,
Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz R-Class, a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2011 Auto Reliability GPA of 0.28 and Auto Reliability Grade of F over a 3-year auto reliability data history,
Chrysler Group's 4-door Jeep Wrangler, a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2011 Auto Reliability GPA of 0.38 and Auto Reliability Grade of F over a 4-year auto reliability data history,
General Motors' Hummer H3, a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2011 Auto Reliability GPA of 0.42 and Auto Reliability Grade of F over a 3-year auto reliability data history,
The turbo-charged Mazda CX-7, a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2011 Auto Reliability GPA of 0.50 and Auto Reliability Grade of a very low D over a 3-year auto reliability data history,
Chrysler Group's V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2011 Auto Reliability GPA of 0.69 and Auto Reliability Grade of a low D over a 10-year auto reliability data history,
Chrysler Group's I6 and V6 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2011 Auto Reliability GPA of 0.69 and Auto Reliability Grade of a low D over a 9-year auto reliability data history,
General Motors' V8 GMC Envoy, a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2011 Auto Reliability GPA of 0.69 and Auto Reliability Grade of a low D over a 7-year auto reliability data history,
Ford Motor Company's 6-cylinder Volvo XC-90, a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2011 Auto Reliability GPA of 0.69 and Auto Reliability Grade of a low D over a 6-year auto reliability data history,
Chrysler Group's Jeep Commander, a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2011 Auto Reliability GPA of 0.72 and Auto Reliability Grade of a low D over a 3-year auto reliability data history.

General Motors Corporation and the Chrysler Group dominate the list of worst SUVs in 2011, accounting for 8 of the 11 worst. Individually, General Motors accounts for 4 of the worst SUVs in 2011, Chrysler - 4, Daimler - 1, Mazda - 1, and Ford's Volvo Division - 1. Six of the above sport-utility vehicles have a reliability grade of D; five have a reliability grade of F. GM accounts for 3 of the 5 Fs.

These sport-utility vehicles are among the Bottom 30 automobiles offering 3 or more model years of reliability data in 2011.

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 "Much Better Than Average" rating, 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 Grade Point Average (GPA) is an average of the Grade Points and is computed using Microsoft's Average(a:b,[c:d],...) function. The above GPAs are the Average GPAs given in the table "The Updated 2011 Motor Vehicle Reliability Grade Point Averages (GPAs) and Grades with Reliability GPAs for Four 4-Year Age Ranges and an Overall Average Reliability GPA" on the Updated Auto Reliability Grade Point Averages and Grades page.

The sources for Consumer Reports' ratings are the reliability tables in (1) the April 2011 issue of Consumer Reports, (2) Consumer Reports New Car Buying Guide: 2011, and (3) Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide: 2011.

Consumer Reports defines reliability as the infrequency of reported serious problems.

Additional resources: Best SUVs in 2011

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